There is a long tradition in jazz of reimagining pop songs But in his latest release, Rio Minas, Montreal saxophonist, composer, and arranger Jean-Pierre Zanella gives the tradition a twist. Zanella celebrates the affecting, sophisticated songwriting of two giants of Brazilian pop music, Chico Buarque, from Rio de Janeiro and Milton Nascimento, from Minas Geraes, a state in Southeast Brazil. For Zanella, this is both a musical and a personal project, inspired by a deep love for the music of Brazil.
