Jazz Reviews : Sounds From Brazil at Catalina’s

The names on the marquee at Hollywood’s Catalina Bar & Grill this week may not be hot box-office, but the music is first-rate. Brazilian guitarist/songwriters Tonino Horta and Joyce are leading a quartet that gracefully dances back and forth across the narrow boundary between jazz and Brazilian music.

On Tuesday evening’s double sets, Horta’s guitar work was powerful and complex, rich with classical overtones. He moved from acoustic to electric guitars, cleverly altering his touch to adapt to the different sounds.

On acoustic, Horta was all fingers, his hand moving up and down the neck of his instrument to produce interactive, shifting lines of sound, occasionally topping them off with floating, Jobim-like vocals. On electric, his approach was fuller, overflowing with altered chords and colorful harmonies.

The real surprise of the evening, however, was Joyce. Not yet very well-known in this country, she is one of the first female songwriters to emerge from Brazil.

She sang easily and effectively in English--most notably on an unusual reading of Lennon & McCartney’s “Help.” But her best work took place on several exquisitely performed originals sung in Portuguese with only her guitar for accompaniment. Unlike Horta, whose guitar tended to dominate his vocalizing, Joyce’s velvety contralto was the perfect counter for her understated but urgently rhythmic accompaniments.

Horta and Joyce were backed by the exceptionally fine rhythm team of Eddie Marshall on drums and Gary Brown on bass. Marshall’s work--especially during a crisp, concise solo with brushes--was a virtual primer in how to perform a subtly understated supporting role.

In Brazil, a bill with both Horta and Joyce on it would draw overflow crowds. Their booking at Catalina--which continues through Sunday--provides a rare opportunity to hear two of Latin America’s most creative performers working together on the same stage.