Flora Purim's Encounter: Voices and Rhythms in Conversation
One of Flora Purim's finest all-around jazz recordings, blending her voice with sharp horn work and layered keyboards.
Encounter opens with warmth and immediate presence—Purim's voice floats over rippling keyboards and tight rhythm section work, the kind of recording where every instrument occupies its own space without crowding. This is a date built on conversation: her wordless vocals trade phrases with Joe Henderson's saxophone, while synthesizers and electric piano create texture underneath. The rhythm section—Leon Ndugu Chancler on drums, Ron Carter on bass—anchors everything with a swing that never feels rushed, giving the horns and keyboards room to stretch. Raul de Souza on trombone adds warmth and slight brass weight without pushing the sound toward anything slick or overproduced.
What sets this record apart from Purim's other work in the mid-1970s is its restraint and clarity. She's singing jazz here—not fusion showcase, not avant-garde experiment—in the company of serious players who know how to listen. McCoy Tyner and George Duke share piano and keyboard duties, and Hermeto Pascoal adds color on electric piano. This is ensemble playing where the vocalist is one voice among others, not the obvious center. Purim's technique remains strong, her phrasing inventive, but the album's real strength is in how naturally everything breathes together.
AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow recognized this as one of Purim's finest all-around recordings, and the judgment holds. It's not a signature work, and it sits comfortably in her catalog rather than standing apart. But it's the sound of a mature artist in confident company, making a record that moves without pretension.
Who's playing
Byron Millerbass
Ron Carterbass
George Dukepiano
Hermeto Pascoalelectric piano
McCoy Tynerpiano
Joe Hendersonsaxophone
Raul de Souzatrombone
Hugo Fattorusosynthesizer
Leon Ndugu Chanclerdrums
Airto Moreirapercussion
Where next?
More by Flora Purim
All 27 albums →
The musicians on this record
Fly With The Wind 1976
McCoy Tyner
plays piano here
plays piano here
Mirror, Mirror 1980
Joe Henderson
plays saxophone here
plays saxophone here
A Brazilian Love Affair 1980
George Duke
plays piano here
plays piano here
Third Plane 1978
Ron Carter
plays bass here
plays bass here
