Nanny Assis

Rovanio: The Music of Nanny Assis

In + Out

Multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer Nanny Assis delivers just his second album as a leader but the first with mostly his own compositions. Demonstrating his love for collaboration, Assis invites twenty guests, including renowned bassist Ron Carter, trumpeter Randy Brecker, guitarist Chico Pinheiro, pianist Fred Hersch, saxophonists John Ellis, Lakecia Benjamin, and Igor Burman, drummer Ulysses Owens Jr., and vocalists Janis Siegel, Vinicius Cantuara, Emanuel Yerday, and Laura and Dani Assis. The album marks the first time that Assis has used his real name, Rovanio, as he’s been known as Nanny since childhood.  The Brazilian who grew up as a percussionist and singer, later taught himself guitar and has since adolescence always desired to merge traditional Brazilian forms with jazz as he does on this outing, which has nine selections where he either composed music or lyrics in these diverse ten offerings. Assis and Pinheiro arranged every tune but one and the songs feature English and Portuguese sung lyrics. There is even one spoken word passage in Hebrew in this multi- cultural mix that also leans toward an Afro-Brazilian mix that’s representative of the Bahia area in Brazil where Assis was born and raised. He is now based in New York and South Florida.

The robust bass tones of Ron Carter welcome us to “No Agora, (Mr. Bowtie)” where Assis plays percussion and sings alongside Randy Brecker’s evocative flugelhorn and Pinheiro’s distinctly Brazilian guitar. The lush orchestration is from the St. Petersburg Orchestra, who are heard on three selections. The track was composed by Carter and Assis wrote the lyrics for a sound that intentionally reflected the early bossa nova records of the late Astrud Gilberto and Antoni Carlos Jobim, some of which Carter played on. “Nenhum” is an Assis original in terms of music with lyrics from poet Paulo Alcoforado, a lifelong friend. Again it’s the orchestra and Pinheiro in a sparking solo that frame Assis’ vocal. “Manha De Carnaval” should be familiar as it’s the theme from the 1959 film Black Orpheus with this rendition featuring stellar turns from Pinheiro and Carter while Assis and his son, Dani sing.

The music goes from a lush simmer to bubbling animation in the Afro-Brazilian “Amor Omisso,” another original with the composer singing with Dani and playing percussion along with two other percussionists It’s reminiscent of Mano Dibango’s 1972 Afrobeat hit, “Soul Makossa” and features Lakecia Benjamin’s fiery alto, spoken word by Yerday, Pinheiro’s guitar, and Jorge Helder on bass (the only track without Carter).  Assis with and an assist (couldn’t resist) from writer and radio host Mark Ruffin wrote the lyrics for Pinheiro’s “Human Kind (Tempestade),” with the leader once again sharing the mic with Dani as Pinheiro and Carter are prominent in support. The highly rhythmic, engaging “Back to Bahia,” has lyrics written by Assis’s daughter Laura, penned when she was just six years old. In addition to mainstays Carter and Pinheiro, the track features vocals and guitar from Cantuara with Butman on the alto solo.

Arguably the album’s most touching moments occur in Fred Hersch’s deliciously sad “Mandevilla,” where the composer plays and arranges the tune for vocals shared by Assis and Siegel (who has long been part of his Requinto Trio) on harmony. Although Siegel also helped in writing lyrics for the Brazilian flavored “Northern Sea,” Assis delivers the English vocal alone, claiming that because Ivan Bastos’ tune originally had no lyrics, it is very challenging to sing. The orchestra reappears here, with Ellis on soprano and Pinheiro’s guitar front and center in the instrumental breaks. Assis relinquishes the lead vocal role, passing it to his daughter Laura on his co-write with Morrie Louden, “Insensatez.” Her voice is crystal clear and Astrud Gilberto-like – just perfect for this Brazilian tune that is not Jobim’s oft covered “How Insensitive.” Once again Ellis (on alto) and Pinheiro enrich the tune with their sublime turns. Laura is so impressive here that it begs the question as to why this is her only lead vocal opportunity. The album ends with the Brazilian tinged “Intimate Acquaintances,” from an award-winning off-Broadway score written by Assis with lyrics from Matt Gurren. It’s another of the small combo (Assis, Carter, Pinheiro, Owens Jr.) configurations with the starring roles played by flutist Mattan Klein from Tel Aviv and of course, Assis on the uplifting vocal.

Breathe easy and let these soothing, elegant sounds transport you to the tropics.

• Jim Hynes

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