Ben Sher is a virtuoso jazz guitarist whose appearances around the globe have had an effect on his playing. He has developed and sustained an intercontinental sensibility that eliminates the unnecessary, thus highlighting the essential. It’s a gift that he shares on his latest album, Samba for Tarsila.

Samba for Tarsila is a musical tribute to Tarsila de Aguiar do Amaral (1886-1973), a leading Brazilian modernist painter. Her colorful, vibrant landscapes inspire Sher’s soundscapes in three Sher originals, two Brazilian classics, plus two jazz and pop standards. The musical journey takes the listener to the heart of Brazilian fusion jazz , but then continues to destinations unanticipated and just as sublime.

There really is such a thing as mood music. I know because I played Ben Sher‘s latest album, Samba for Tarsila, and it put me into the best mood I’ve been in for weeks. The man can take you where you want to go within the first three chords of his accomplished fingering. Add to that the underlying Latin vibe and the superb taste of the material, and you are there.

Album info: featuring Gary Fisher, Greg Jones, and Vanderlei Pereira, Recorded at Douglass Recording Studio. Engineered, Mixed, and Mastered by Peter Karl. Produced by Ben Sher and Kabir Sehgal. Executive Producer: Joachim “Jochen” Becker.

Track Listing: Anthropofagia; Samba for Tarsila; Twilight; Eu Vim da Bahia; On Green Dolphin Street; Never Can Say Goodbye; Mas Que Nada.