Butterfly Dreams
Brazilian vocalist Flora Purim brought a unique approach to her art that profoundly altered the nature of vocalization. She expands the basic techniques of vocalise--where every syllable is phrased like a note played on a reed or brass instrument--to include world music. On the title track her voice shifts, like a chameleon, from an exotic bird camouflaged by the jungle of husband Airto Moreira's percussion effects to a soothing delivery more reminiscent of Astrud Gilberto. By the time she sings "Dindi" in Portugese, her style so encompasses the content that the shift of language sounds perfectly natural. On "Dr. Jive" she dives into a dense fusion of Latin jazz powered by Stanley Clarke's inspired bass and some of the best keyboarding in George Duke's career. Joe Henderson delivers a stellar performance on tenor sax and flute, to boot.--John Swenson