BR6

"Finally, a jazz a cappella group that sounds so much like itself! I love this new album from Brazil's BR6. Great singing, great arrangements, great tracks, and best of all, great ideas. I mean, I love Take 6 and Vox One and the Manhattan Transfer as much or more than the next person. But where is it written that all vocal jazz groups must include a direct tribute to one or more of the above?

BR6 is doing their own thing, and boy is it good. Here To Stay infuses the songs of George Gershwin and Tom Jobim, two of the world's most beloved jazz composers, with a thoughtful mix of tradition and innovation. The arrangements are sharp and crisp and alive. They are distinct, but not aggressive about it, a very smart approach to a standards album. It's nice to see these songs handled with care, yet not come off like a carbon copy of, say, the entire set list from "Getz/Gilberto".

The main musical idea running through these songs is a relentless forward motion, a walking rhythm that propels everything along. It's particularly distinctive on tracks like Waters of March/Rhapsody In Blue or The Girl From Ipanema, where such a steady beat runs counter to expectations. But this pulse also holds together through the more Latin-y songs. And it never gets in the way, thank goodness — these songs have musical range, so it never feels like someone left the metronome on the whole time in the studio.

Forever Green is my favorite song, I think, with its ballady groove and terrific decorative riffs. I also particulary liked the torch song approach that kicks off Someone To Watch Over Me, with its samba of a chorus and lush horn-section finish. The vocal brass lines are excellently handled throughout — the BR6 singers have great intonation and good musical lines that keep the "instrumental" breaks from sounding gimmicky. For the most part, the horn solos fit the songs, so they come and go without breaking the mood.

A word on language — all of these songs are in English. The group's website says this is a deliberate effort to reach US audiences, who presumably haven't paid much notice to earlier Portuguese recordings. Fair enough. That said, I would have enjoyed more of a mix, for texture as much as lyricism. There's just something beautiful about Brazilian Portuguese. It comes through even in the language's absence, lending a soft quality to the singers' voices and a sexy foreign accent to the English words. (And yes, there is a double standard. We at RARB have often ragged on international groups for less-than-perfect English dialect.

Sorry folks, it's just one of those global inequities — German-accented English sounds goofy, but Brazilians sound hot.)

Here To Stay — Gershwin & Jobim is my favorite a cappella album of 2007. If you're only going to buy one all year, it gets my vote. Enjoy."

Rebecca Christie - Translated from RARB (The Recorded A Cappella Review Board) - October, 6 2007
- Rebecca Christie - Recorded A Cappella Review Board

"Here to Stay is the work of professionals on all fronts, from the psychedelic artwork to the complex and subtle arrangements. BR6 presents a mix of Gershwin tunes and songs by Tom Jobim (the Brazilian composer perhaps best known for The Girl From Ipanema) viewed through the lens of jazz and samba.

The opening strains of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue meld seamlessly into Tom Jobim's Waters of March, and the gorgeous interludes weave the tunes together with deceptive ease. Fascinating Rhythm fascinates with its rhythm and tempo and a swiftly moving bass line that is executed with aplomb. The Girl From Ipanema has so much ear candy with a contemporary-sounding introduction that doesn't give away the song and a countermelody in the verses that puts a beautiful twist on a song that has been done many times before.

The entire album has these gems: a trill or slide on what could have been a straight chord, switching up from many moving parts to block chords to unison and back again. The simplicity in some parts of their arrangements give the ear a quick break before they dazzle again with vocal gymnastics. They achieve a blend that is almost uncanny, and their jazzy chords resonate beautifully.

A teensy tadpole of concern is the interpretation given to first verse or so of Someone To Watch Over Me. The soloist's lost lamb sounds more like a wolf in sheep's clothing, with some stylized vocal licks and trills that are downright predatory. The sweetness and pleading of the song isn't fulfilled until midway through, when the soloist tones down her approach.

Everyone but the vocal percussionist contributes solos to the album, and while they are all fabulous singers, I would not call any of them fabulous soloists based on this album. Don't get me wrong, they are great. But I'm reminded of Vox One (whose jazz chops were just as good), and I recall that they had a few soloists who made the hair on my arms stand up. No one in BR6 does that to me. I don't doubt they can do it, but I think the focus was so much on the complex mingling of voices in the arrangements that the solos almost seem an afterthought. Indeed, Pato Preto has no solo and is one of my favorites. The four minute-plus song closes the album without a single word and never ceases to be interesting, throwing in some Gershwin in the last few bars.

Bright and colorful both visually and vocally, I have had a few of their catchier melodic sequences stuck in my head for days. Let's hope BR6 is "here to stay.""

Guang Ming Whitley - Translated from RARB (The Recorded A Cappella Review Board) - November, 6 2007
- Guang Ming Whitley - Recorded A Cappella Review Board

BR6/Here to Stay-Gershwin & Jobim

"Proving that breaking the mold in modern a cappella needn't require a group to cloak their voices under layers of computer-generated effects and vocal percussion, Brazilian sextet BR6 has produced an absolute masterpiece of a cappella with Here To Stay, the group's homage to the music of George and Ira Gershwin and Tom Jobim. As revolutionary as the album's sound is, the greatness of Here To Stay is grounded in the principle that great arranging, great singing, and great production will make a great album.


BR6 shies away from nothing on this album, tackling guitar and trumpet solos with prowess, even closing their album with the brilliant and "instrumental" Pato Preto. The arrangements no doubt rank among the best in a cappella today. Syllable choice is daring (think lots of "-ow", "-aw", and "-ng" sounds deftly mixed with the traditional "-oohs" "-ahs", and "-ims") and creates a remarkably full sound despite frequently utilizing the same rhythm over multiple voice parts and four male voices, compared to the lone mezzo-soprano of Crismarie Hackenberg. No arrangement is the same beginning to end: the bare last verse and chorus of They Can't Take That Away From Me gives that (relatively) weak song some much-needed life. Perhaps the disc's crowning achievement is Marcelo Caldi's arrangement of Waters of March/Rhapsody in Blue, which is nearly as enchanting and mystifying as Jobim's lyrics. It makes for an outstanding opening track. The final two tracks are equally as impressive, as are The Girl From Ipanema and Fascinating Rhythm. Even Song Of The Jet, the weakest track, has a nice groove.

BR6 blends excellently are practically pitch-perfect the entire album, and the album's polish extends from Cylan Delgado's mixing and John Vestman's mastering to the album art and liner notes (complete with lyrics). The design scheme and use of color on the cover art is reminiscent of the lastest Beatles' release, Love, and makes a fabulous first impression on the listener. In fact, the only unpolished part of the whole album (musically or otherwise) might be the opening bars of They All Laughed, during which the vocal percussion sounds a little organic and hollow.

And while the soloists aren't extraordinary, they don't need to be. The solo is just one small part of a much larger listening experience on Here To Stay. They can certainly sing, though. When a song calls for groove, the soloist grooves; when it calls for a restrained, understated performance, BR6 delivers. The musicianship is of the highest quality on Here To Stay, which, combined with the excellent source material, the group's contagious energy, and the stellar production, make this album an absolute must-have."

Ryan Joyce - Translated from RARB (The Recorded A Cappella Review Board) - November, 6 2007

- Ryan Joyce - Recorded A Cappella Review Board

“Let's be honest: a cappella performances are a tough sell in the jazz world. Jazz enthusiasts love their saxophones, trumpets, and pianos, and most of them are reluctant to do without musical instruments for even 30 minutes or an hour. But a cappella artists have accomplished some great things over the years; Take 6 and the Persuasions, both R&B groups, immediately come to mind. And the a cappella format definitely works well for the jazz-friendly Brazilian vocal sextet BR6 on Here to Stay: Gershwin and Jobim, which is their first English-language album. This 41-minute disc finds BR6 paying tribute to two of the most prolific composers of the 20th century: George Gershwin and Antonio Carlos Jobim. The latter has often been exalted as "the George Gershwin of Brazil," and hearing Gershwin standards alongside Jobim standards on this album, one can easily see the parallels. The interesting thing is that even though BR6 is a Brazilian group and performed in Portuguese on previous albums, they only perform the English-language versions of Jobim's songs on Here to Stay. And although many of these songs are warhorses that have been beaten to death in the jazz world over the years, BR6 have no problem making them sound fresh. "Fascinating Rhythm," "Our Love Is Here to Stay," "They Can't Take That Away from Me," and "Someone to Watch Over Me," from the Gershwin songbook, and "The Girl from Ipanema," "Agua de Beber," and "So Danco Samba" from the Jobim songbook have been recorded time and time again, but how often have they been recorded by Brazilian a cappella groups? Not very often. Making warhorses sound fresh is not an easy task, but freshness is exactly what BR6 offers on this risk-taking CD.”

Alex Henderson, All Music Guide – Translated from Barnes & Noble website
- Alex Henderson - Barnes & Noble website

BR6/Here to Stay-Gershwin & Jobim

"I’ve loved a capella groups for a long time with Bobby McFerrin, The Manhattan Transfer, The Roches, The Flirtations and The Bobs being some of the more famous modern groups following in the breath of the many barbershop and doo-wop ensembles who, in turn, were vocalizing sans instruments like so much church music before them. “A cappella” is Italian for “in the style of the chapel.” BR6 fairly informs that they use no instruments in their record which is good to point out as their instrumentation, scoring and percussive work is tremendous and joyful. Frankly I don’t like having a lower standard for a music genre and with this Brazilian groups debut it’s hardly needed as they are incredible covering Americana and popularized songs to please a wide swath of listeners. With joyous abandon, delightful harmonies and whimsical playfulness I hope some producers see using their work in films and videos and get them touring. My picks: “Waters of March/Rhapsody In Blue,” “Jazz’n Samba,” “Someone To Watch Over Me,” “Water To Drink,” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “Song Of The Jet,” “Love Is Here To Stay” and “Pato Preto”. "

DJ Pusspuss - Translated from San Francisco Bay Times (Radio Free PussPuss - Music Beyond Boundaries - July, 26 2007
- DJ Pusspuss - San Francisco Bay Times

NuVision - BR6/Here to Stay-Gershwin & Jobim

"A few years ago, a few Brazilian vocalists got together and decided what the world needed in the new millennium was a new a cappella group. Their passion for their work earned them bat out of hell status as their debut rocketed to the top in Brazil and caught everyone off guard. Back with their first American release, the crew keeps their vision in tact and they go ‘mainstream’ tackling the works of Jobim and Gershwin. With a set card that comes with no misfires already built in, their new take on things adds the special dimension that gives these classics and chestnuts that extra something. A mind blowing, ear opening set that has so much on the ball you don’t know where to begin, simply put if you have any kind of world beat or left leaning tastes, this set is quickly going to become one of your new faves. With it’s organic, unmanufactured vibe, it feels fresh and spontaneous and full of the kick you get when you discover something on your own that blows you away. "

Chris Spector - Translated from Midwest Record (reviews) - July, 26 2007
- Chris Spector - Midwest Record (reviews)

World Music CD Reviews Greater Latin America
BR6 – Here To Stay – Gershwin & Jobim

“Antonio Carlos Jobim is on the short list as one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, so it’s fitting that some of his best-known works should be paired here with songs by George Gershwin. Curated by BR6, a Rio-based a cappella group who have the rare ability to make familiar songs sound fresh, the collection jumps off with a blend of “Rhapsody In Blue” and “Waters Of March.” From there, we get a selection of tunes that includes a heartfelt rendition of “Someone To Watch Over Me”and a wordless version of “Pato Preto,” one of Jobim’s more obscure tunes. Although it’s a bit unnerving to hear yet another take on “The Girl From Ipanema,” the pleasures of “Song Of The Jet” and a swing-oriented version of “Fascinating Rhythm” dispel any misgivings. Clearly intended for the international market, all the songs are performed in English (except for a snippet of “Water To Drink”), while the drums are actually pure vocal beatboxing by Naife Simoes—a convincing facsimile of the real thing. “

Ernest Barteldes (January, 24, 2008 ) -Translated from Global Rhythm website
- Ernest Barteldes - Global Rhythm website

"BR6 is a Brazilian a cappella group sans any instrumentation.

After a very lengthy verse, ":Someone To Watch Over Me" is sung in a somewhat choppy mode, however the lead singer has a nice voice texture which more than makes up for the unusual style.

"They Can't Take That Away from Me" The male singer has great pitch and he sings the melody with style. When the female lead has her time at bat she again swings it in fine fashion.

"Fascinating Rhythm" is the highlight of this recording as the group gets it all together and then some.

This is an album that will please the fans of a cappella music. 4 Stars "

John Gilbert - Translated from ejazznews (CD reviews) - July, 23 2007
- John Gilbert - ejazznews (CD reviews)

"Freshly signed to the Primarily A Cappella label, Brazil's 5-man, 1 woman a cappella Jazz/Salsa sextet impresses from the first few notes of the opening cut. "Batida Diferente" has a mellow, sensual infectious Samba rhythm, "Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar" builds a smoky lead and "trumpet" solo on a solid, tasty vocal percussion base, "Linha de Passe" is a surprising, fast-moving, scattish Salsa romp. "Preciso aprender a Ser So" is slow and romantic with harmonies to die for, "Flora" and the lighthearted "Upa Neguinho" are blue note jazz with a walking bass, as is "Falso Milagre do Amor." "Disfarca e Chora" is stunningly arranged rainy day jazz, the laid-back, effortless harmonies of "Wave," "O Morro Neo Tem Vez" and "O Barquinho" bubble above a minor-key base. The final cut, "Diz Que Fui Por Ai" is a finger-snapping, "trumpet" soloing delight. The beautiful, colorful liner notes contain the lyrics and some marvelous pictures of the group. Like the group's growing contingent of Brazilian fans, we fell in love with this group at first listen - we bet you will too. BR6 is fresh, hot and spicy from Brazil, on PAC Records!"
Lançamento do CD pela Primarily A Cappella nos EUA - set/2004
- Primarily A Cappella

"An a cappella vocal sextet from Brazil, BR6 offer up Latin-flavored jazz harmonies that are accessible in any language. Energetic renditions of songs such as “Linha de Passe,” written by Joao Bosco and Aldir Blanc, are infectious and will have you up and dancing, while the contemplative musings of “Preciso Aprender a Ser So,” sung by the group’s mezzo and only female, Crismarie Hackenberg, will soothe the most addled nerves. A contemporary jazz group that incorporates tasteful percussion in their arrangements, BR6 is clearly influenced by the Swingle Singers and the Real Group, though with Rio A Cappella, they have hit a stride that is entirely their own."
City Hall Records - Release Book - 21/09/04
- City Hall Records