“Bossa Brasilia” is two pages long and is inspired by the bossa nova from Brazil, which is a two measure rhythmic pattern in 4/4 time that doesn’t actually occur in this piece. The flavor and feeling is created through repetition of the dotted quarter and eighth note patterns in the left hand, which are played against the offbeat quarter notes of the melody in the right hand. Bossa nova influenced American pop and jazz during the 60’s, so it would be beneficial for a performer to familiarize themselves with this style in order to capture its full essence within the piece.
The main challenge of this piece for a beginning student is the rhythm. The right hand often presents off-beat, independent melodies full of syncopations, set against a pretty stable rhythm in the left hand. In addition to this challenge, the right hand also requires finger independence, as the melody is often performed by the upper fingers of the hand, while the thumb and second fingers hold on to the long notes of the harmony.
Portraits of Jazz by Valerie Capers is a collection of 12 early intermediate to intermediate jazz style pieces published in 1976 by Aztec Diaz-Tec 800, and Oxford University Press in 1992. These pieces are inspired by or dedicated to a particular jazz musician or singer
Valerie Capers was born in 1935, and was introduced to music through her father’s ties to Fats Waller (American Jazz Pianist), and her brother’s performances in the Mongo Santamaria Band. She received her early education at the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind and graduated from the Juilliard School of Music, with Bachelors and Masters degrees. Capers brings a wide scope of pianistic styles and concepts to her playing, drawing from jazz idols and keyboard masters alike.
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Performer: David Reid