Masha Campagne, Alegre Menina Review

by Stamish Malcuss

With Alegre Menina, vocalist‑arranger Masha Campagne presents a nine-song program filled with Brazilian songcraft blending with contemporary jazz finesse. Released May 30, 2025, on Impetus Records, the album traverses selections ranging from choro and bossa nova standards to fresh originals, each setting illuminating Campagne’s gifts as an interpreter and composer. Supported by an ensemble of celebrated players, this recording succeeds in honoring tradition while pushing harmonic and rhythmic freshness.

“Bahia Com H” opens the set with a refreshed choro vitality: Frank Martin’s natural pianistic voicings and Ricardo Peixoto’s nylon‑string counter‑lines infuse the air as Campagne’s voice offers Denis Brean’s classic melody with relaxed Latin colors. Rafael Barata’s drums, alternating between pandeiro‑inspired brushes and a steady ride pattern, lock in with Scott Thompson’s electric‑bass swaying rhythm. The tutti section frames Campagne’s crystalline vocals with impeccable pitch and articulations between her voice and the instruments. On “Coração Vagabundo,” Campagne brings an elegant romance to Caetano Veloso’s bossa nova, each phrase growing over Galvão’s acoustic‑guitar harmonies to evoke a beautiful Latin‑jazz atmosphere. Campagne’s placement of the beat the last time through the form deepens the song’s lyricism.

Campagne’s original, “Samba Carioca,” shines as an example of her emotive writing. Her memorable vocal motif weaves across a classic contemporary Latin-Jazz groove. The rich horn parts add a modern sheen with voicings and counterpoints. Campagne’s “So Mad So Young” flows with contemporary world jazz pulse and colors.  Campagne transitions into English lyrics. Her scatting captures the Brazilian jazz sound. Martin’s solo is building and emotive. The double‑time cymbal pattern propels the vocals to a flowing ending and expressive scatting.

The album’s world jazz moment arrives on “Di Menor,” where Campagne and the ensemble engage in a multi-voice tutti that demands precision and Latin jazz feel, sixteenth‑note runs are delivered with crystalline clarity. Mary Fetting’s flute solo has a rhythmic drive and a strong interaction with the ensemble, showcasing the chemistry between them. “Alegre Menina,” the title track by Dori Caymmi/Jorge Amado, features Campagne’s building vocal lines voicings and connecting with Rice’s cuíca‑inspired percussion under Campagne’s ornamented melody, culminating in a texture of voice and ensemble that flows naturally.

Alegre Menina is a vivid statement of artistic vision that places Campagne’s voice front and center.: Campagne and her ensemble deliver nuanced interpretations of Brazilian classics alongside compelling originals. Campagne channels the bittersweet ache of saudade—that simultaneous presence of joy and longing—so persuasively that even non‑Lusophone listeners can feel its pull in every melismatic turn and breath‑borne rubato. Technically clear and emotionally resonant, Campagne’s Brazilian jazz captures the soul of Rio.