Global Warming

#8 Tempo de Amor - Smokey and Miho

I feel conflicted about posting this on an icy cold day. This record is the antithesis. It is dripping with warmth. My skin becomes golden by just listening to it.

Coincidentally, Papa and I discovered this band during a visit to Pa Senior in California. After reading an article about them in one of the local weekly papers, we were intrigued. Unfortunately, we read it a day too late and missed them playing at a local bar. We picked up this EP at Lou's and found sunny So. Cal. to be the perfect setting.

All of the songs are covers of Brazilian composer, Baden Powell, sung in Portuguese. It can be classified as "world jazz" but the beats are more reminiscent of latin dance. When listening, it is hard to resist the temptation to shake your hips. Miho Hatori's vocals slide up and down the scale in every song. The melodies are completely unpredictable, yet she sounds as if she could sing it in her sleep. She and Smokey Hormel make a perfect pair. Independent of her, he has composed music for two David Lynch films, The Cowboy and the Frenchman and The Straight Story. (All that I've heard of him seems the opposite of anything from Angelo Badalementi.)

As the predicted wintry mix has dwindled, and it begins to rain, I realize this is the perfect day to post this record. If we can't get any snow, I might as well be sitting on the beach sipping a salty margarita.