Nanny Assis / various artists - Rovanio: The Music of Nanny Assis

By 2020, Nanny Assis had 40 years as a performing musician under his belt. His esteem as a bossa/jazz vocalist, percussionist, and guitarist was well established, but for the Bahia native (now based in New York and South Florida) that was only part of the story. "Coming from Brazil, I have so many different styles and roots for my music," he says. "It's very rich--I wanted to present an album that would show the real me."

To drive the point home, for the first time in his professional career, he signed his real first name to the album. Rovanio is indeed a remarkable kaleidoscope of styles, textures, ideas, and even languages, yet it never strays from the distinctive Brazilian elements that form the foundation of Assis's music. It doesn't have to: that kaleidoscope itself is part of what makes the country's music special.

The glue, perhaps--but Assis is holding together multiple parts. No less than 20 artists appear across Rovanio's ten tracks (even more, if each member of the St. Petersburg Studio Orchestra--which plays on three pieces--is counted separately). He also co-wrote all but one of the songs. Those many contributors enhance, rather than detract from, his mission of self-revelation. Part of "the real me" Assis wants to portray is that he is a natural and enthusiastic collaborator.

Which makes participants like bassist Ron Carter; guitarist Chico Pinheiro; trumpeter Randy Brecker; pianist Fred Hersch; saxophonists John Ellis, Igor Butman, and Lakecia Benjamin; and vocalists Janis Siegel, Vinicius Cantuária, Emanuel Yerday, and Laura and Dani Assis part and parcel of the titular music of Nanny Assis. "It should really be called The Music of Nanny Assis and Friends," he says. The album also includes one standard, "Manhã de Carnaval." "The other tracks are all collaborations: I partnered with somebody to do either words or music." In addition, Assis and guitarist Chico Pinheiro together arranged every tune but one.