Dan Costa
Suite Três Rios
(self-released)

Simply soft, slowly-revealed piano lines are played with fluid ease by Dan Costa under his opener here “Alba” with Jacques Morelenbaum’s leading, slicing cello.” The eight songs of Suite Três Rios are a world music/jazz mélange featuring Costa’s production/piano, guitar playing, and compositions, with expert musicians, the aforementioned Morelenbaum, Marcelo Martins on alto and tenor sax, Rafael Barata on drums and Pandeiro, Vittor Santos playing trombone, Alberto Continentino on double bass, Leila Pinheiro singing, Teco Cardoso’s manning guest appearances on baritone sax, and Marcos Suzano on percussion.

“Samba” shows of Barata’s subtle-yet-driving drumming with some quick playing from Costa on piano, but mainly him playing electric guitar with some trumpet playing wild and fast. Pinheiro gets out in front of a basic jazz combo thang on the undulant “Bossa Nova.” Bass, horn, Costa’s guitar — there is a reason to consistently note the players here as they are all fantastic in this tune as in every other. This one truly opens up long and languidly into one of the best here. Continentino’s bass (he gets a solo here to end the tune) and Barata’s train-like snare start one of the most upbeat tunes, “Maracatu,” a song where we really get to hear Costa work those piano lines, and again the horns interplay easily behind him ever so lightly. But this one really belongs to the three-piece of bass, drums and piano, another wonderful workout in the Vince Guaraldi Trio mold. Suite Três Rios is a solidly structured, precisely produced jazz outing.