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LEGACY AND ALCHEMY LLC introduces vocalist ALEXANDRA JACKSON on her debut music project titled:
“Alexandra Jackson: Legacy & Alchemy"
Alexandra’s music album features performances by the late Miles Davis, the late Antonio Carlos Jobim, the late Oscar Castro-Neves, the late Al Jarreau, the late Dona Ivone Lara, and the late Rod Temperton, as well as by Ivan Lins, Carlinhos Brown, Banda Black Rio, The Jobim Trio (Paulo Jobim, Daniel Jobim and Paulo Braga), Larry Dunn, Al McKay, Hubert Laws, Siedah Garrett, Robertinho Silva, Larry Williams, Arthur Maia, Ricardo Silveira, Darryl Jones, Teo Lima, Armando Marcal, Marco Brito, Marcelo Martins, Jesse Sadoc, Orquestra Atlantica, Max Viana, Pretinho da Serrinha, Chris Walker, Darryl Tookes, Curtis King, Paulo Calasans, Marcelo Mariano, and Maestro Charles Floyd conducting The Bossa Nova Noites Orquestra.
The album was engineered by some of the world's great professionals: Erik Zobler, Danny Leake, Ed Cherney, Ricardo Dias, Guido Pera, Luther Banks, Steve Sykes and Rafael Sentoma ... in the cities of Rio de Janeiro, Los Angeles, New York, London and Atlanta.
The music album is honored by over a half dozen "final studio recordings" by some of the greatest music artists in world history.
ALBUM CONCEPT
Alexandra Jackson:
Legacy & Alchemy
The initial project of the company is a wide ranging music album that brings together great music icons and talents from both Brazilian and American music.
The project introduces a bright new international vocalist ... ALEXANDRA JACKSON ... presented in music and media productions that feature some of world's great music stars, songwriters, producers, and musicians.
These artists convened to collaborate on and present signature songs from Brazil music ... re-imagined in a way that immediately evokes the unmistakably unique spirit and soul of Brazilian music.
"Our Time Now"
2017 marks the 100th anniversary of Samba. And, we have just passed the 50th anniversary of when Bossa Nova was the world’s most popular music.
Now is the moment in time to honor the great Brazilian music legacy and to celebrate it's nexus to and place in the world's music.
History was witnessed ... The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics was that proverbial “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for Brazil music and its synergy with American Jazz to be reintroduced to 3.5 Billion people in the world ... the largest stage ever.
We captured that moment.
To place our effort in context, we refer to a quote often used by Bossa Nova co-founder ... the late Oscar Castro-Neves:
“All that remains of communities and civilizations ...
All that remains of their worth and dignity ...
Exists in the art they leave."
(William Carlos Williams)
And, in a note to Oscar and Legacy and Alchemy's Robert Hebert in 2012 ...
the great Ivan Lins perhaps best described this project:
“... There are a lot of ideas, a lot of paths.
Yes, we have to say: ‘Sorry, Lennon, the dream is not over ...'
What I (also) can say is that everything is possible ...
My first suggestion is to put everyone to think (about) the music we are involved using 2 words:
TOTAL MUSIC.
How you said ... not World Music; it’s a blend of Jazz, Brazil, ethnic, instrumental, sung, modern, gosh! ...
All directed to a well-done modern music.
Just to think ..."
"ALL ONE"
reached top 20 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Chart
The memory of Oscar Castro-Neves is at the very soul of this project. Because of him … this project exists. Executive Producer and Producer Robert Hebert was introduced to Oscar in 2010. Oscar embraced Robert, and to a very large degree helped Robert complete a good part of his education about Brazil music. In fact, they were planning Oscar’s last 2 albums … when Oscar passed away in 2013.
When Robert’s company made its initial foray into China in 2012, Oscar contributed 2 songs to Robert’s soundtrack album which was created for Chinese media. One of the songs was “All One”, which Oscar recorded on his very last album in 2006. When it became time for this album … the first stop in Fall of 2014 was to Lorraine Castro-Neves. The idea was to complete some of the vision Oscar and Robert discussed from 2010 to 2013. It was decided that “All One” would be 1 of 2 songs to be recorded.
As “All One” was always intended as a duet, Lorraine (the lyricist) composed an additional verse for the song. Robert always heard this song as “something that sounded like Larry Williams and Al Jarreau. So, he (Robert) asked LARRY WILLIAMS to arrange and produce the song, with AL JARREAU himself starting the duet. The idea is that it sounds like an Al Jarreau song … until Alexandra joins. Then, Robert had the idea to get Oscar’s vocal recording from the 2006 album, and to get Oscar’s vocal into the song.
SAMBA 100 + 100!
November 27, 2016 marked the 100th anniversary of Samba -- which began with the release of "Pelo Telefone," the first music recording to widely contribute to the dissemination and popularization of the Samba genre.
Over the course of a year, Brazil honored a treasured part of its great cultural legacy with a series of wonderful celebrations about Samba's first 100 years.
On November 27, 2017, Legacy and Alchemy LLC with the support of the U.S. Consulate in Rio de Janeiro convened Rio's international community at the historic TEATRO RIVAL PETROBRAS in the Cinelandia area in downtown Rio de Janeiro. We joined Brazilians in celebration of the end of the first 100 years of Samba, and helped to launch the next 100 years of Samba on its 101st birthday.
Our big night starred Alexandra Jackson with Brazil music legends: Dominguinho do Estacio and Arthur Maia, and emerging international Samba star Pretinho da Serrinha, with all star band that included Marcelo Martins, Jesse Sadoc, Aldivas Ayers and Joao Castilho.
HONORING DONA IVONE LARA AND SAMBA
The 2nd and 3rd singles from the "Alexandra Jackson: Legacy & Alchemy" music album are "Sonho Meu" and "Força da Imaginação."
The Legacy & Alchemy EP pays homage to the “legacy” of samba, now in its second century, with these 2 classics. The songs contrast Jackson’s voice with that of 96-year-old samba grande dame and composer Dona Ivone Lara – creating an “alchemy” of the songs with the participation next generation samba star: Pretinho da Serrinha (a major collaborator of Seu Jorge, Maria Rita, Marisa Monte, Sergio Mendes, Roberta Sa, Marcelo D2, Lulu Santos, Dudu Nobre, Beth Carvalho, among many others, of whom Caetano Veloso says: “Pretinho has renewed the energy of samba”).
We feel that our version of “Sonho Meu” signals the end of the 100th year celebration of Samba (1916 to 2016). Composed by Dona Ivone Lara and Delcio Carvalho, "Sonho Meu" is one of Brazil’s most beloved songs. First recorded in 1978 as a duet by Maria Betânia and Gal Costa, it was awarded best of year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly6Vq1-rMGs. Dona Ivone Lara later recorded her own version as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62sy8HrruNI
The musicians in our version are Alexandra Jackson with Dona Ivone Lara and featuring Max Viana & Pretinho da Serrinha.
We feel that our version of "Força da Imaginação" signals the beginning of the next 100 years of Samba (2017 to 2117). Composed by Dona Ivone Lara and Caetano Veloso, "Força da Imaginação" was originally recorded by Beth Carvalho in 1982 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrfbmcWH1og
The musicians are Alexandra Jackson with Dona Ivone Lara and featuring Pretinho da Serrinha on vocals, percussion and cavaquinho, Max Viana and Ricardo Silveira's guitars (and Max's solo), Arthur Maia bass solo with vocalese, and Marcelo Carmargo Mariano on bass. The music came out pure samba — with a funky Chicago influence. As with “Sonho Meu”, Ms. Jackson lets Dona Ivone take the lead in her very last recorded performance. In our minds, Dona Ivone’s appearance of course signal the “LEGACY” of this music, with Alexandra and Pretinho (considered part of the next generation of Samba) presenting the “ALCHEMY” of our musical vision.