Confusão Urbana, Suburbana e Rural
Paulo Moura
1976
Why This Album Matters
Confusão Urbana, Suburbana e Rural, released in 1976, is a landmark in the discography of saxophonist and clarinetist Paulo Moura, standing out as one of the most Brazilian instrumental albums of its time. The work is a felicitous union of traditional Brazilian music elements with the sophistication of jazz, demonstrating Moura's unique ability to navigate and fuse different musical universes. The album presents a successful fusion of rhythms, exploring sambas, maxixes, carimbós, choros, and baiões, where the cuíca meets the saxophone, the pandeiro meets the flutes, and the tambourine meets the horns. It is a true masterclass in jazz and experimentation, revealing Paulo Moura's versatility across various instruments such as soprano sax, clarinet, and alto sax.
Context
Paulo Moura, prior to the recording of Confusão Urbana, Suburbana e Rural, was already a highly prestigious and sought-after musician since the 1950s, moving fluidly between jazz, classical music, and samba. He performed in various orchestras, recording sessions, and taught, in addition to being a clarinetist in the Orchestra of the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Theatre. Although his background was predominantly jazz, Moura also had vast experience in gafieira ensembles. The album emerged in 1970s Rio de Janeiro, capturing the effervescence of Black Rio and black movements, amidst a certain prejudice between samba and soul musicians. In this scenario, Martinho da Vila, a celebrated sambista, took on the production of the album, demonstrating friendship and respect for Paulo Moura's talent, and providing the conditions for the realisation of this notable work.
Recording
Confusão Urbana, Suburbana e Rural was released by the RCA label in 1976, produced by Martinho da Vila. The album is considered an example of high-quality production, bringing together a constellation of influential musicians. Among the instrumentalists, notable figures include Wagner Tiso on organ and piano, Rosinha de Valença and Toninho Horta on guitars, Neco and Mané do Cavaco on cavaquinhos, Jamil Joanes on double bass, and a vast percussion and brass section. The percussion featured names such as Zeca da Cuíca, Doutor, Eliseu, Marçal, and Paulinho, while the brass section included talents like Marcio Montarroyos, Nivaldo, Maurilio, Joãosinho, Raulzinho, and the legendary Altamiro Carrilho. The album also featured vocal contributions from Miúcha, Isaura Tiso, and Gilda Horta. A notable particularity in the album's liner notes is that the musicians were not specified per track, being identified later by scholars of Brazilian discography.
Songs
The album Confusão Urbana, Suburbana e Rural comprises 11 tracks that explore the richness of Brazilian instrumental music. Among them, classics such as "Espinha de Bacalhau", a standard by Severino Araújo, and "Notícia", by Nelson Cavaquinho, Alcides Caminha, and Norival Bahia, stand out, where Zeca da Cuíca's virtuosity on the cuíca is one of the album's highlights. Other notable songs include "Carimbó do Moura", composed by Paulo Moura himself, and sambas rediscovered from Cartola and Martinho da Vila. The track "Eu Quero É Sossego" features a brilliant solo by Moura, while "Pedra da Lua" is a composition by Toninho Horta with a very beautiful and well-executed arrangement. Compositions like "Bicho Papão / Tema do Zeca da Cuíca", featuring Wagner Tiso and Martinho da Vila, are cited as examples of avant-garde and approaches to free jazz, illustrating the album's capacity for experimentation.
Legacy
Since its release, Confusão Urbana, Suburbana e Rural has been acclaimed by critics as one of the best LPs of 1976. Shortly after its market debut, the album had already sold 10,000 copies, a considerable feat for an instrumental record at the time. It is recognised as a classic LP, destined to become a sought-after work in the future, underlining its lasting importance in Brazilian music. The album has had several re-editions over the years, being released on LP in Japan in 1979 and in the USA in 1988, in addition to a CD version also in 1988. These re-editions and the average rating of 4 out of 5 stars based on multiple reviews on specialised platforms indicate its continuous value and recognition by collectors and music lovers.
Rankings
Tracks
Credits
Carlos Guarany
Wagner Tiso
Paulo Moura
Gilda Horta, Isauro Tiso, Miucha
Julinho
Rosinha de Valença, Toninho Horta, Valdir Silva
Paulo Moura
Altamiro Carrilho, Ary Silva, Cacau, Joãozinho, Lloyd McNeill, Marcio Montarroyos, Maurilio, Mauro Senise, Nivaldo Ornelas, Paulo Bombardino, Pirulito, Raulzinho, Ré Menor, Toninho
Mané Do Cavaco, Neco
Paulo Moura
Jamil Joanes
Papão, Paulinho Batera
Wagner Tiso
Doutor, Elizeu, Geraldo Bongô, Gilberto D'Avila, Luna, Nilton Delfino Marçal, Paulinho, Raphael Corderdos, Serginho, Zeca Da Cuica
Elifas Andreato
Paulo Moura
GianCarlo Pareschi, José Alves Da Silva
Luiz Carlos T. Reis, Mário Jorge
José Oswaldo Martins
Luiz Carlos T. Reis
Martinho Da Vila
Jaqués Frydman
Books
Analyses
G. Álbuns: Paulo Moura | Confusão Urbana, Suburbana e Rural (1976) - Na ...
namiradogroove.com.br
É importante a menção e a produção de Martinho da Vila no que se configurou Confusão Urbana, Suburbana e Rural: ele faz prevalecer a aura popular do disco. Então com 42 anos, Paulo Moura já tinha grande experiência com gafieira, maxixe e choro.
Festa do Disco celebra a genialidade de Paulo Moura e seu "Confusão ...
radios.ebc.com.br
O Festa do Disco deste domingo (10) homenageia o legado de Paulo Moura, um dos maiores nomes da música brasileira instrumental, com um mergulho em seu álbum "Confusão Urbana, Suburbana e Rural" (1976).
O Púbis da Rosa: PAULO MOURA - Confusão Urbana, Suburbana e Rural (1976 ...
opubisdarosa.blogspot.com
PAULO MOURA - Confusão Urbana, Suburbana e Rural (1976-1989) APE (image+.cue), lossless Even though instrumental choro has been jazz-influenced for decades, reedsman Moura really falls somewhere between choro and jazz-samba.
Cliquemusic : Disco : CONFUSÃO URBANA, SUBURBANA E RURAL
cliquemusic.com.br
3 Bicho papão (Wagner Tiso, Paulo Moura, Martinho da Vila) 4 Tema do Zeca da Cuíca (Rosinha de Valença) 5 Carimbó do Moura (Folclore) 6 Se algum dia (Martinho da Vila) 7 Peguei a reta (Porfino Costa) 8 Amor proibido (Cartola) 9 Dois sem vergonha (Wagner Tiso, Paulo Moura) 10 Eu quero é sossego (K-Ximbinho) 11 Dia de comício (Paulo Moura)
Paulo Moura - Confusão Urbana Suburbana E Rural (1976)
toque-musicall.com
Trata-se de um álbum excepcional que gosto muito e talvez por isso mesmo o considere o melhor trabalho de Paulo Moura nos anos 70. Como uma caixa de bombons, este disco vem recheado de delícias musicais variadas.
Discogs
Confusão Urbana, Suburbana e Rural – Discogs
discogs.com