The past year found the whole world waiting. Singer/songwriters Jesse Harris and Vinicius Cantuaria took the time provided by the lull to record a project that had been evolving over the previous few years. 'Surpresa' is the enchanting culmination of their efforts and it shows that some things are well worth the wait.
Both artists are well-known for their superior songwriting abilities. Harris came to the attention of the music world as a member of Once Blue and, later, writing hit songs for Norah Jones, Melody Gardot, Solomon Burke, and more. Beginning his professional work as a member of Caetano Veloso's band, the multi-instrumentalist and composer Cantuaria has made a name for himself with his unique approach to the music of his native Brazil and his intriguing collaborations with artists as diverse as Ryuichi Sakamoto and Laurie Anderson.
The majority of the tunes were written collectively, or separately by Harris or Cantuaria, with the exception of Gilberto Gil's "O, Maria." They recorded most of the instruments themselves, bringing in a handful of special guests to add to their work. Having worked with Melody Gardot for years, it was only natural that Harris invited her to add her vocals and a little piano. Guitar wizard Bill Frisell was also brought into wonderful effect on a couple of tunes. Other guests included vocalist Gabi Hatmann, horn arranger CJ "CARM" Camerieri, percussionist Jeremy Gustin, and Will Graefe.