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Musica Brasileira Review of the Tucan CD
2003.
Brazilian music truly covers the globe. We've all heard of Brazilian music being made in all corners of the world, but
I guess there was one corner almost overlooked. I found that out when I heard Tucan Trio. Hagai Rehavia (guitar), Joca
Perpignan (percussion, vocals) and Amir Milstein (flute) are based in Tel Aviv, Israel, but listening to their magnificent
and vibrant album Tucan does not give that away. It is no wonder that Brazilian artists, such as master guitarist Ulisses
Rocha finds this trio truly authentic. Their music is clearly what you would hear on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo
or anywhere else in Brazil. Tucan Trio is so good that Hermeto Pascoal has said he'd like to write a tune for this trio of
accomplished musicians.
How come these guys came to like -- or even hear about -- Brazilian music? Their story is very simple. Rehavia lived in
Brazil for a while, and while there, he studied and played with artists including Edu Lobo and Jane Duboc. Perpignan is a
native Brazilian who studied at Berklee in Boston, MA. As for Milstein, he is a graduate of the Rubin Academy of Music in
Jerusalem and is a member of the world music ensemble Bustan Abraham. That is Tucan in essence. Their "curiosity, respect
and love for Brazilian music," as they explain in the liner notes, was the motivation to form the trio in 1998.
 The repertoire chosen for their debut album clearly shows how well these guys know Brazilian music. They play their own
songs as well as others by Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Marco Pereira and Joao Pernambuco, and they show how in tune they
are with current Brazilian guitar masters as indicated by Rehavia's "Choro para Guinga." The opening track, "Bola de Futebol",
starts off with a strong introduction featuring Milstein's flute, which will also dominate the rest of this fast paced samba.
Without skipping a beat and maintaining the same gusto, "Coconut" is the next track, a mixture of baiao and afoxe. Another very
danceable baiao is Marco Pereira's "Bate Coxa" with Rehavia's impressive guitar solo. However, Rehavia will really take your
breath away with his tribute to Guinga. The first time I heard "Choro para Guinga," I was so surprised by its delicate chord
structure that I believed I was listening to a Guinga composition. Following this beautiful tune, we find a very upbeat arrangement
for "A Ra." Here the group has a chance to expand their horizons and showcase their talents as vocalists and instrumentalists a
lot more. One great feature in the arrangement is the use of chords with Middle Eastern sound influences and a subtle citation of
Duke Ellington's "Caravan." The combination of all these features is fantastic.
One distinct characteristic of Tucan is its ability to balance samba, baiao and ballad with remarkable ease. Just as they
finish playing Joao Pernambuco's lively choro "Interrogando," the group goes into an evocative rendition of Jobim's
"Olha, Maria." Also very moving is Vinicius de Moraes medley, just before the closing of this album. The medley is a solo
feature for Rehavia's extraordinary guitar work. Particularly, his performance of "Tomara" shines above all others.
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