If you were not aware, some paths meet at a single crossroads then move on along their predetermined journeys. Others crisscross again and again, each juncture altering their directions and destinations until the two become indelibly intertwined.

The latter has been the case for the renowned pianist and composer Renee Rosnes and her lifelong love of Brazilian music. The two converge with stunning results on CROSSING PATHS, Rosnes’ new release, instantly marking a highlight of her already remarkable career.

It finds Rosnes leading a stellar band exploring masterpieces from the songbooks of Brazil’s most revered composers, entrancingly melding the beguiling rhythms of bossa nova, frevo, samba, afoxé, and other styles with Rosnes’ visionary approach to modern jazz.

The pianist is joined by a phenomenal band mixing American jazz masters (saxophonist Chris Potter, trombonist Steve Davis, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Adam Cruz) with contemporary Brazilian voices (guitarist Chico Pinheiro, percussionist Rogério Boccato and vocalist Maucha Adnet) and the classical flutist Shelley Brown, who is a longtime member of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra.

Thrillingly, the album is graced by special guest appearances from legendary artists and composers Edu Lobo and Joyce Moreno, who perform their own classic songs. Both provide a direct link from Rosnes’ contemporary interpretations to “the second generation” post-Bossa Nova era, granting this gorgeous new album the imprimatur of some of the music’s pioneering artists.

1. Frevo
2. Pra Dizer Adeus (featuring Edu Lobo)
3. Trilhos Urbanos
4. Canta, Canta Mais (featuring Maucha Adnet)
5. Casa Forte (featuring Edu Lobo)
6. Essa Mulher (featuring Joyce Moreno)
7. Amor Até O Fim
8. Estórias da Floresta
9. Caminhos Cruzados (featuring Maucha Adnet)

On an album that artfully reimagines quintessential Brazilian songs, making them dutifully impassioned, this new recording opens on the free flowing, playfully perky Frevo and the melodious balladry of Pra Dizer Adeus (featuring Brazilian singer, guitarist, and composer Edu Lobo) and then they bring us the gently spirited Trilhos Urbanos and the emotive Canta, Canta Mais (featuring Brazilian contralto singer Maucha Adnet).

Along next is the swirling Casa Forte (again featuring Lobo) which is in turn followed by the hauntingly ethereal ballad Essa Mulher (featuring Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist Joyce Moreno), the collection rounding out on the swinging summer breeze that drives Amor Até O Fim, the delicate, at first, latterly expressively bountiful Estórias da Floresta, closing on the all-embracing hipsway of Caminhos Cruzados (again featuring Adnet).

While CROSSING PATHS could be seen as a departure for Rosnes, it arrives as the culmination of a long-held dream, realized brilliantly. “This project was sparked in my mind about three decades ago,” she says. “I’ve always been passionate about the music of Brazil, and finally, the time felt right to embark on it. With this band, I knew I was with players who hold great respect and love for this music, and that together we could make these songs come alive in the way I had imagined.”

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