I’ve known the name Mario Adnet for awhile. He’s a Brazilian guitarist and arranger. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he also studied in the U.S. and Austria, and is mostly known for his compositions and arrangements for other artists on their albums.
Mario’s label, Adventure Music, recently issued two beautiful albums that I can’t stop listening to. One is titled, Um Olhar Sobre Villa-Lobos (A Look at Villa-Lobos). It is a tribute to legendary Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos with guest appearances from superstars like Edu Lobo, Milton Nascimento, Monica Salmaso and others. Only a great arranger could assemble such talent for a recording project. Adnet remains wonderfully faithful to the original Villa-Lobos material, while imbuing the music with his own special touch. Most certainly, lovers and aficionados of Villa-Lobos’ work will enjoy this arrangement.
His other album, Amazonia: On the Forest Trail, features guests like Lenine and Monica Salmaso (again). Mario’s gorgeous arrangements pay homage to the abundance of Brazil’s natural wonders, along with orchestrations of original works by Villa-Lobos, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Dori Caymmi, and João Donato.
These two albums will delight lovers of Brazilian music, classical, and jazz. Adnet’s genius is evident in his ability to preserve the marvelous colors and textures of the greats, whilst celebrating their music in his own fresh and beguilingly unique way.
A sample from Amazonia: On The Forest Trail.
Another sample from Um Olhar Sobre Villa-Lobos.
