Berklee School professor and cellist, Catherine Bent, informs her take on this traditional Brazilian musical form dating back to the late 1800's which mixed European forms like the polka and schottische with indigenous music. She takes choro further with her own original compositions, playing cello along with a group of musicians who bring in Western instruments such as flute, trombone, guitar, flugelhorn and clarinet as well as Brazilian ones like cavaquinho, pandeiro, and zabumba.

No FCC's; Favorite tracks: 1, 3, 7

*1—A boa filha partiu – 4:17 – “a good girl leaves” – moves right along in full choro style with the horn and cello trading on melody and lots of lovely flourishes mixing treble strings and cello

2 –Chinderlandia –3:43 – starts fast and slows in the middle for some minor-sounding jazz riffs

*3 –Inseguranca na gafieira –9:05 – jazz riffs in beginning and then clarinet picks up choro tune and walking rhythm; cello comes in with lots of little percussive doodads in the background; some nice woodwind harmony and pretty guitar; keeps evolving

4—Quebrando Tudo – 4:51 – starts off with a march rhythm and wind instruments played with the light choro touch; pretty!

5—Maos Abertas –6:28 – starts with somber cello solo; opens up a little bit with some bossa nova style guitar chords underneath and light percussion;

6 – Valsa Pro Francisco –4:34 – starts with slower rhythm; clarinet carries melody with guitar chords underneath

*7—Fazendo as malas – 5:23 – cello starts solo; flute picks up melody with guitar chords; interesting interlude with more Spanish sounding variation; keeps evolving

8 – Som de Seilerei – 5:01-- starts with cello giving light, bouncy motif, picked up by flute and then back to cello with string oom-pah,oom-pah, simple and happy until dissonant breakdown midway and then back to happy rhythmic place

9-- Zona Franca—6:46-- solo cello starts out; then a string-laden call and response; a little edgy and neo-classical sounding; more choro sounding at the end

10-- Aviacao – 8:06 – starts with cello over bossa nova sounding chords; moves up the scale and lightens up; vocalizations at end