Ithamara Koorax, the Brazilian lady singer has teamed up with Swiss trumpeter Peter Schärli who himself demanded the cooperation with pianist Hans Peter Pfammatter and bassist Thomas Dürst to be able and fit to form a strong and supportive trio for the vocal artist. What has finally resulted in this group effort appears less like a singer accompanied by an instrumental trio, but as an obviously seldom-heard but amazingly promising formula for a quartet.

Even though totally in command of things, Mrs. Ithamara Koorax delivers her duty within the group and not above the accompaniment, which lends a very special and intense flavour to the interpretation of the music. Notice her impeccable intonation, her almost vibrato less, but just the same emotional and flexible delivery of each and every title as well as her ability to submerge her talent as well as her wide range into the feeling of the group. Which shows being all the more delicate and demanding, because the four work in the absence of a drummer, a usually most important element of Brazilian music.

Die brasilianische S�ngerin Koorax sei 'die neue Elis Regina', sagte einst Antonio Carlos Jobim, und bei den 'Down Beats Critics Polls' fand man sie immer ganz oben bei den besten S�ngerinnen. Ihre pr�gnante, fast vibratofreie Stimme und ihr hoch emotionaler Ausdruck kommen in dieser feinen, schlagzeuglosen Besetzung besonders gut zum Ausdruck. Dabei ist diese CD keineswegs eine 'S�ngerin mit Background-Band'-CD - im Gegenteil: sensibel gehen alle Beteiligten aufeinander ein. 'O Grande Amor' ist weit weg von einer Bossa-Nova-Produktion von der Stange.