Jazz Reviews : Singer-Songwriter Djavan Plays the Palace

Brazilian singer-songwriter Djavan’s expressed desire to reach an American audience achieved a certain amount of satisfaction in a one-night booking at the Palace on Monday night. It was not, however, an unalloyed success.

Djavan’s music is a remarkably broad blending of elements--Brazilian samba rhythms; bossa nova harmonies; the improvisational energy of American jazz, and an international pop music sensibility. But the real power of his work lies in its eagerness to express a forceful point of view in an agenda of authentic contemporary issues.

At the Palace, however, it was Djavan, the international pop music performer, rather than Djavan, the thoughtfully optimistic observer of the world dominating the stage.

Arriving an hour after his scheduled start time, and making neither explanation nor apology to a restless audience, he dug into his songs with an almost casual self-assurance. Apparently still not comfortable with English, he sang all but three songs in Portuguese.

Sounding a bit like Al Jarreau, Djavan found an easy balance between his strong, rhythmic phrasing and the jazz-based scatting he used to fill in the gaps. On a few numbers, he was so confident of his audience’s familiarity with his material, that he held out the microphone for them to sing along.

Two of Djavan’s most powerful songs--”Stephen’s Kingdom” (with its intense, but nonspecific references to Steve Biko) and “Miss Susanna” (with an equally understated description of a slave and master relationship)--were performed, very effectively, in English. But their impact was diluted by the Palace’s jangling acoustics, poor sight-lines and noisy crowd.

Djavan’s set illustrated that he has both the performing mastery and the musical substance to reach the wide audience he covets. But it also suggested that he will have to make a more diligent effort not to diminish the fascinating world view which is the true uniqueness of his music.