This song began as an instrumental composition. As I listened to the opening three-note motive I kept thinking of the Portuguese word "abraço" which translates as "hug" or "embrace". I knew this word because my friend and pianist Fabiano de Castro from São Paulo, Brazil often closes his emails with an endearing "Abraço, Fabiano". The rest of the lyrics soon fell into place and I was inspired to dedicate this song to him. To create a recording we enlisted vocalist Luciana Nóbrega who Fabiano had recorded with previously. They recorded the vocals and piano in São Paulo, then I added alto saxophone and we mixed it all together to create the final product. This song was composed and recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic when we all longed for actual "abraços"! My thanks to Fabiano and Lu for their amazing performance.
From the album After The Dust Has Settled. Sheet music for this composition is available at the Original Music page. Streaming on all platforms including YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Music.
From the album After The Dust Has Settled. Sheet music for this composition is available at the Original Music page. Streaming on all platforms including YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Music.