Philippe Baden Powell himself says it was perhaps inevitable that he would follow in his famous father’s footsteps and become a musician. The son of Brazilian guitar virtuoso, Baden Powell de Aquino, he’s been immersed in music from an early age, and has played with many of Brazil’s best-loved musicians, including Seu Jorge and Flora Purim.
It’s these encounters, he says, that have inspired him for the songs on this very fine new album. His compositions explore a range of styles that go far beyond his Brazilian roots - from jazz and samba, to hip/hop and RnB. His piano-playing sparkles, and his laid-back vocals on two of the tracks are quintessential Brazil.
But jazz is all about collaboration, and the musicians he’s playing with, including French jazz drummer, André Ceccarelli, Belgian jazz vocalist, David Linx, and Afro-Brazilian percussionist Ruca Rebordão, are all top-notch. Notes Over Poetry most certainly lives up to its name.
