Nate Najar, Daniela Soledade, and crew bring their Bossa Nova groove to the Independent.
Nate Najar brings his Bossa Nova guitar chops to the Independent Bar in Seminole Heights
I am an adamant fan of Bossa Nova. At a young age, while my friends were listening to pop music, I was tuned into the likes of Stan Getz and my favorite, Antonio Carlos Jobim. Bossa Nova guitar master Nate Najar and his talented partner Daniela Soledade played the Independent Bar Saturday night with an all-star band of Joe Porter on bass, Patrick Bettison on keyboard, harmonica, and percussion, and Jean Bolduc on drums. It was fantastico!
Najar sometimes gets lost in his guitar. With his head down, he tunes everything out and becomes one with the instrument.
Najar sometimes gets lost in his guitar. With his head down, he tunes everything out and becomes one with the instrument. It’s when his finesse shines the brightest. His complex jazz chords dominate the entire length of the neck, but subtlety is his strong suit in the single notes and triplets that go into his solos. It’s where his virtuosity stands out. I’ve also seen a video of his electric blues playing. I mean, the guy can crank it!
Daniella Soledade, Brazilian born vocalist, sings with the Nate Najar group at the Independent Bar
Daniela Soledade’s understated voice accents the finesse of this brand of music. Though her sound is unique, there’s a warm undertone of Astrud Gilberto that unifies the band’s sound with the 1960s Bossa and Samba movement. A native of Rio de Janeiro, home of Bossa Nova, her Portuguese lyrics shine. Her period fashion also emulates the colors and prints of the ‘60s when Bossa was king.
Joe Porter on bass at the Independent Bar in Seminole Heights
Joe Porter’s bass playing is fat when it needs to be and polished when it doesn’t. One can tell he and Najar have played frequently. They just fit together. Patrick Bettison’s keyboards are outstanding, and his talent shines when he solos on his chromatic harmonica. The sophisticated tones he coaxes from that harp are a perfect fit. Jean Bolduc holds the entire group together with his rhythm.
Patrick Bettison plays harmonica at the Independent Bar
Jean Bolduc rounds out the 5-piece group on percussion at the Independent Bar
Nate Najar, Daniela Soledade, and crew play the patio at the Independent Bar in Seminole Heights.
I want to tread lightly here because the Independent Bar is a Seminole Heights staple, serving good food and a great craft beer selection. In addition, they provided the Najar show for free, and he doesn’t play in Tampa that often. But it’s a challenging venue for this type of act. Several times during the show, during a quiet moment of decrescendo highlighting the dynamics of the music, cars with loud mufflers roared down Florida Avenue, interrupting any beautiful flow the quiet moments tried to produce. It sucked. The band played on.
The performance took place on the street corner patio of the Independent Bar on Florida Avenue in Seminole Heights.
Najar’s 2022 album Jazz Samba Pra Sempre, marking the 60-year anniversary of Charlie Byrd and Stan Getz Jazz Samba, is a clinic in Samba style. He collaborated with a talented group of musicians to reimagine the original seven tracks of the Byrd/Getz work in the self-produced album. Soledade guests on two of the tracks. Even the cover art for the album looks familiar since it was created by abstract expressionist painter Olga Albizu, who did the work on the original album. It’s available for streaming and purchase at most services and outlets.
If you are a Bossa Nova or Samba fan, or you just like primo jazz, you must catch up with this group. They tour a lot, but you can see their schedule here: https://natenajar.com/shows or https://danielasoledade.com/home#concerts
Nate Najar Jazz Samba Pra Sempre album cover