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Kick Off Your Shoes is the debut CD of brazz jazz. Our CD represents the union of two musical legacies, mainstream jazz and Brazilian music. These historic artforms have many similarities including their colorful and complex harmony which creates the foundation for exciting improvisation and beautiful arrangements. These styles also share fascinating and exquisite melodies. Where Jazz music and Brazilian music differ is their rhythms. Kick Off Your Shoes expresses our vision of how these two styles can be united. Our project embraces the similarities and differences of each style and celebrates the combination that is created. One of the CD's many strengths is its repertoire. Ayrton Martini, a music critic from Brazil writes that the songs were chosen with good taste and originality. He further states that the repertoire choices are not the usual jazz standards and that brazz jazz escapes from bossa nova as the obvious translation of Brazilian jazz. (Correio Popular November 15, 1998). Each of the ten songs explore different musical elements such as rhythm, tempo, attitude and style. In addition, the arrangements highlight each songs individuality. The end result is a CD that is never repetitious or boring and flows easily from track to track highlighting the refined, sophistication of the Duo (tracks # 4, 7, 8 and 9) and encompassing the versatility of the Group (tracks # 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 10). Kick Off Your Shoes begins with fire. We start with a fresh take of the acclaimed song, My Favorite Things. My Favorite Things displays the intensity and musicality of brazz jazz. Our arrangement features the Brazilian rhythms of samba and afoxe which is a Brazilian marching rhythm. As Kick Off Your Shoes progresses the listener is taken through a musical journey that captures powerful but lesser known Jazz standards such as the title track Kick Off Your Shoes and Charlie Parkers tune, Cheryl. Woven into the tapestry are two listener favorites, the hauntingly yet beautiful ballad Good Morning Heartache (performed here in a striped down version featuring guitar and voice), and a wonderful gem from Antonio Carlos Jobim entitled Bonita. The CD ends on a high note with Milton Nascimento's song entitled Nothing Will Be As It Was ( Nada Sera Como Antes). This poetic masterpiece is sung in English and its original language, Portuguese. Kick Off Your Shoes pays tribute to these two fundamental musical legacies and honors them with this colorful and vibrant CD. With our first CD we invite you to Kick Off Your Shoes and get in the swing!