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| New on Circle 9 Records: Steven Brezet 'Diferenciado' Diferenciado is the superlative second album by Dutch-born multi-percussionist and composer Steven Brezet, who fuses African, Latin, and Brazilian rhythms to enveloping, nourishing results. Utilizing drums, surdo, caixa, pandeiro, cavaquinhos, and a range of other Brazilian instruments, Brezet continues to deepen his international aesthetic — a mosaic of folkloric traditions blended with contemporary jazz and funk frameworks, imbuing it all with his singular, vibrant and personal creative voice. Aptly translating to "distinctive" in Portuguese, Diferenciado will be released June 6 as Brezet's second offering on Circle 9 Records, a hybrid, subscriber-supported label founded by Grammy-winning trombonist and bandleader Doug Beavers. Before releasing his debut album — 2022's World Traveler, a musical travelogue shaped by his journeys to Brazil, Cuba, Curaçao, Morocco, Guinea, and Senegal — Steven Brezet made inspired appearances on Snarky Puppy's 2014 album We Like It Here, contributing percussion to the Grammy-winning collective's teeming, genre-bending sound. In the years that followed, Brezet built an eclectic résumé, performing with global fusion ensembles like Bokanté, Ghost-Note, and Banda Magda, while also teaching percussion and leading his own projects across Europe and the Americas. Upon its release, World Traveler earned praise from LatinWorld, which hailed him as "a sensation in the Latin world… never before has a Dutch artist had such success in those places." The genesis of Diferenciado lay in Brezet's pilgrimages from Holland — his home base — to São Paulo, Brazil, where he embedded himself in the culture, language, and daily life of samba practitioners. Though economically challenged, Brazil's favelas (shanty towns) are culturally vibrant — and Brezet found kinship within these communities, earning respect by way of performing and inhabiting samba. As Brezet mastered samba's rhythmic core and earned the respect of Brazilians — many of whom steeped their lives in the tradition — Brezet began to explore its innate adaptability. This exploration led to Diferenciado — both a tribute to samba's roots and a platform for its evolution, blending the genre with elements of funk, soul, ambient, pop, and Latin music. With maturity came perspective, and for Brezet, that meant embracing the strength of his expansive, world-class circle of collaborators — including acclaimed Brazilian vocalists Leandro Lehart and Wilson Simoninha, Venezuelan trumpeter and versatile arranger Oscar Cordero, the percussive power of São Paulo's SP Ritmo, and estimable guests from jazz-fusion standouts Snarky Puppy and Ghost-Note. Opener "Familia Brasileira" — featuring Lehart, perfect for dancing — spotlights Brazilian music's easy alliance with funk, with shades of Tower of Power and Herbie Hancock. Cordero arranged the instrumental "Samba Pra Papa, " a twist on samba with labyrinthine horn lines. "Chora Chora" also features Lehart, in a more romantic, dramatic setting, with Snarky Puppy's Justin Stanton guesting on keyboards. "We love electronic influences, " Brezet expresses. "That song came out really beautifully." "Conga", an interlude, highlights African rhythms, as well as the possibilities between flute and percussion. The title track, "Diferenciado, " is similarly instrumental — and totally extemporaneous. "We were just recording and singing to each other in the moment, without plan, " Brezet says. Stanton wrote the melody, and reappeared on the tune — another touching variation on the samba. "Tem Bafafa" was written by the renowned saxophonist, flutist, composer, producer, and arranger Pablo Gil, and features vocalists Lehart and fellow Brazilians Wilson Simoninha and ANAADI. Another synthesizer-threaded interlude, "Quebra, " "is kind of a futuristic song, " Brezet says. "Because you can hear roots, but you can also hear the future." "Rumbra" follows suit — as forward-thinking as it stays danceable. The final track, "Batucada Do Mundo, " is a celebration of the drummers around the world — as well as samba itself, which Brezet describes as "a groove from the world." Where World Traveler succeeded from a more traditionalist standpoint, Diferenciado expands his purview — to chart more of the world than ever before. Artist: Steven Brezet Title: Diferenciado Release Date: June 6, 2025 Catalog #: C90012 UPC Code: 666945418494 stevenbrezet.com circle9music.com/artists/steven-brezet TRACKLIST 1 Familia Brasileira (Leandro Lehart, Justin Stanton, SP Ritmo) 04:15 2 Samba Pra Papa (Oscar Cordero, Powerhorns, SP Ritmo) 04:36 3 Chora Chora (Leandro Lehart, Justin Stanton, Niels Broos, SP Ritmo) 04:08 4 Congo (Interlude) (Jonathan Mones, Emiel van Rijthoven) 01:13 5 Diferenciado (Leandro Lehart, Justin Stanton, SP Ritmo) 03:20 6 Tem Bafafa (Pablo Gil, Anaadi, Wilson Simoninha, Powerhorns, SP Ritmo) 03:50 7 Quebra (Interlude) (Emiel van Rijthoven) 01:32 8 Rumbra (Adonis Panter Calderon & Osain del Monte, Niels Broos) 04:02 9 Batucada Do Mundo (Rodney Barreto, Weedie Braimah, Keita Ogawa, Little Johnny Rivero, Fantison Araby O'bryan, Robert Sput Searight) 05:38 PRODUCTION CREDITS Recorded May 2022 at Leandro Lehart Studio in Sao Paulo Brazil. Mixed by Simon Akkermans at Epic Rainbow Unicorn Studio in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Mastered by Leandro Lehart in Sao Paulo Brazil & Doug Beavers in New York USA Cover photography by Rob van Dalen Other photos by Marjan van der Weerd, Guma Sena, Simone Sena, Johan Labberte, Serhan Efe, Noah Lefebure, Eric van Nieuwland, Wim Barzilay. Graphic design by Guillaume SAIX in Paris, France. Produced by Steven Brezet, Leandro Lehart Co-produced by Emiel van Rijthoven, Laura Argudin write your comments about the article :: © 2025 Jazz News :: home page |