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| Excursions by Paul Serrato  Released in 2005 by the NYC Graffiti Productions indie label, Excursions by Paul Serrato & Co. has generated a continuing groundswell of enthusiasm among venturesome jazz fans across the country. Much to the delight of dedicated fans, the music of Paul Serrato and Co. has also been featured on televisions shows like Sex in the City and Scrubs. Original jazz with a worldly outlook, Excursions includes an infectious Brazilian suite. Though written at different times, the three musical journeys that make up the suite are a diary of an encounter that Serrato had in Rio a number of years ago with Vinicius de Moraes, the legendary bossa nova wordsmith.Serrato was lucky enough to have been a guest at the former Brazilian diplomat's home, where many stories were shared about life in the heart of New York jazz on West 52nd Street after World War II. Having already been a fan of his “Afro-Sambas” with Baden Powell, Serrato emerged feeling reborn. Enveloped in Latin beats, Excursions maintains a solid straight-ahead base with Serrato's fluid compositional style. “The impetus of my own writing has been the now classic styles of Dizzy, Horace, Herbie and all those cats who made and broke the jazz writing molds during what we view now as the legacy of a golden age, ” shared Serrato. From the spellbinding “Afrochant” to the delicious grooves of the “Nardis” percussion duet, each song is a reflection of the dynamic creative range of this master pianist. For instance, the interplay between the quartet in “Grand Central Bossa” dances with energy and excitement, while the flowing piano lines of “The Marrying Kind” embraces a sentimental edge. Sensuously intimate and playfully revealing, Excursions celebrates the influences of Brazil, while embracing the intercultural vibes of Serrato's favorite muse - New York. Presently, Serrato is developing the music for his 6th CD. Sessions will begin in April with a fall release date for these new, original tracks. Later this year, a new film documentary by Highberger Media on the life and work of American photography great, Jack Mitchell, will feature jazz soundtracks by this dynamic pianist/composer. Serrato continues to work with Way Down East, an alternative arts center which provides arts enrichment programming to underserved publics on New York's trendsetting Lower East Side. Several productions have incorporated the urban jazz of Paul Serrato & Co. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |