Moraes Offers Musical Magic of Brazil

Brazil may possess a more diverse array of music than any other single country in the world. The only comparable collective that comes to mind is the range of American styles stretching from bluegrass, Cajun, blues and swing to the seemingly endless multiplicity of jazz expressions.

So, when Brazil’s samba, pagode, forro, bossa nova and maracutu collide creatively with American jazz--as they did in the performance by singer Katia Moraes and her group Sambaguru on Saturday night at La Ve Lee in Studio City, sparks can be expected to fly. Which is precisely what happened in a pair of sets embracing a range of Brazilian styles too rarely heard in the Southland.

Moraes and her quintet, led by keyboardist-musical director Bill Brendle, have been together nearly a decade, strenuously making a case for the assertion that the magic of Brazilian music reaches well beyond the more frequently heard (and seen) Las Vegas-style feathers-and-glitter samba presentations.

Confirming that, Moraes--a galvanizing presence, constantly in motion, joyously enmeshed in the music--clearly needed no elaborate costumes to enhance the attention-grabbing qualities of her performance.

Several of the tunes were Moraes/Brendle collaborations from Sambaguru’s current album, “Ginga,” songs such as “Pesca Das Muie,” “Pra Tocar Pandeiro” and “Gruve Da Bicicleta,” combining Brendle’s engaging melodies with Moraes’ lyrical mix of whimsy and insight. More familiar numbers--Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Chega De Saudade” was one--also surfaced from time to time.

Like everything else in the program, they were rendered with effervescent enthusiasm by Moraes and the players, their effectiveness further enhanced by the well-crafted arrangements framing each number.

The ensemble--guitarist Sanjay Divecha, bassist Hussain Jiffry, drummer Tony Shogren and percussionist Chalo Eduardo (subbing for Sambaguru’s regular percussionist Kevin Ricard, in addition to Brendle--fully matched Moraes’ energetic drive. Together, they opened a wide and colorful window into a world of irresistibly compelling music.

Moraes and Sambaguru will perform at the International Assn. of Jazz Educators Convention in Long Beach on Jan. 10, returning to La Ve Lee for a performance Jan. 12.