Dream Tales

Claudia Villela is a superior Brazilian jazz singer. Although she sometimes sings words and standards, she also has the ability and desire to improvise pretty freely at times. On Dreamtales she meets her musical match, teaming up on a series of very spontaneous duets with pianist Kenny Werner. Villela has a haunting voice, a very wide range, and an adventurous spirit. Werner has long displayed an ability to play with a diverse array of artists and meet them on their own turf. For this set, the duo went into the studio and simply performed eight numbers, making up the music as they went along. Sometimes their improvisations stay in one chord for long stretches (as during the nearly 13-minute "Dream Tales"), and on other occasions they get funky in a Keith Jarrett vein, as on "Room 13." On three songs, Villela sings words part of the time, and "Tom's Waters" is based loosely on "The Waters of March." Most singers who improvise freely engage in sound explorations and make unusual sounds, and that is true of "Cappuccino." But Villela is not shy to create melodies, sound warm, and develop her improvisations logically while generally staying in tempo. With Werner egging her on and inspiring her, Claudia Villela is heard in superb form throughout this intriguing set.