Tropical Jazz Duo

This is where my professional career started. When I moved to San Diego, I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue my career as a life extensionist (another story). The local Reader classifieds had an ad looking for a sax/flute player to form a duo. I replied and the rest is history.

I am forever grateful to Paul Montesanno, for not only the gigging opportunity, but he introduced me to MPB. Música popular brasileira is a trend in post-bossa nova, urban, pop music in Brazil that revisits typical Brazilian styles such as samba, samba-canção and baião and other Brazilian regional musical styles, combining them with world influences, such as jazz, rock, and world rhythms.

I don't feel it is my place to include any of his songs that we performed here, but Paul was a proficient composer of original songs. His example convinced me that I could write songs, myself, when the time came — and also being able to play guitar in the Brazilian style.

Tropical Jazz Duo - Live

The view from the "bandstand"

These songs were recorded live at a resort in Baja California where we took up summer residence for two seasons. We performed outdoors standing on some pyramid-like steps that formed an amphitheater overlooking the pool and grounds of the resort. You can hear the noise of the wind from the ocean in the microphones.

The whole place was situated on a cliff that featured a truly magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean. Good memories playing swaying music as the sun dipped into the sea in late afternoon.

In addition to soloing, my role was to provide "instant arrangements," in other words, I improvised a kind of backing orchestration to the vocals on the spot.

NOTES
  • Paul Montesanno: vocals, guitar, drum machine programming
  • Kevin Cornwall: saxes, flute
  • The sound was typical of the early days of electronic music, chorus on everything and a drum machine.
Tropical Jazz Duo