Star Ledger NJ

For this couple, love is set to a Brazilian beat by Zan Stewart/The Star-Ledger Thursday March 19, 2009, 2:25 PM Paul  Yashmin Abler AMANDA BROWN/THE STAR-LEDGERYashmin Charnet-Abler and her husband Paul Abler will be performing at Trumpets in Montclair tomorrow night. Yashmin Charnet-Abler and Paul Abler. When: 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Where: Trumpets Jazz Club, 6 Depot Square, Montclair. How much: $15 cover; $10 minimum. Call (973) 744-2600 or visit trumpetsjazz.com. Singer and lyricist Yashmin Charnet-Abler and her husband, guitarist and composer Paul Abler, have two rock-solid affinities that bond them: their deep affection for each other and their love of Brazilian music. The couple, who met in November 2003 and were married about six months later, did their first gig together in New York in January 2004. Naturally, the music was all bossa novas and sambas. "That was the only thing we had musically in common," says Rio de Janeiro-born Charnet-Abler, 48. "I had always wanted to play with someone who had that authentic Brazilian expression," says Saginaw, Mich., native Abler, 51. He's also an ace modern mainstream jazz guitarist who plays as a leader and with the Jersey-based Spirit of Life Ensemble -- with which his wife sings. The musically dynamic pair perform Saturday at Trumpets in Montclair. They both fell in love with the music they share when they were children. For Abler, it was visits to his grandfather's home in Pontiac, Mich., and hearing such records as Stan Getz's breakthrough "Jazz Samba." Of course, growing up in Rio, Charnet-Abler was surrounded by sambas and bossas. Abler dug deeper into Brazilian after "being hit" in the 1990s by greats like singer-songwriter Milton Nascimento. Charnet-Abler grew musically by working in groups in her native clime before moving to the United States in 1987. Today, both find Brazilian sounds irresistible. "It's something that's very magical, has character, is fun and can reach people," says Charnet-Abler, whose latest CD is "Remember Me" (Bossa Nova Music) and whose website is yashmincharnetabler.com. "I love the rhythms, the subtleness of the music, and the sound of vocals in Portuguese," says Abler, whose fourth CD is "Fearless" (also on Bossa Nova Music) and whose website is paulabler.com. "And it's very melodic, too," adds Charnet-Abler. At Trumpets, the couple will delve into numerous originals with music by Abler and lyrics by his wife. His tunes -- which unfold for the composer in an organic fashion, one phrase leading to another -- and his guitar sound inspire his wife to write. "Paul has a very expressive way of playing. It's like he's saying words, like his guitar is singing," she says. One song they will offer will be "Remember Me," which Charnet-Abler, a lyrical alto, sings in English. "It's about how different people who have been in one's life add something, and even now they will be remembered with tenderness, with gratitude." Then there's "Cinco Minutos ("Five minutes"), which Charnet-Abler says, "was the amount of time I could stay away from Paul after we first got together." Also on tap will be classics by Jobim and others. Sharing in the festivities will be the first-rate rhythm section of pianist Tomoko Ohno, bassist Santi DeBriano, and drummer Sylvia Cuenca. The Ablers also produce free jazz events at Whole Foods markets in New Jersey and New York. Charnet-Abler is an executive for the grocery chain. For lineup information, visit bossanovamusicproductions.com. "I feel really happy to be able to do this for the community, for new fans, people who don't go to clubs," she says of the store events. Zan Stewart may be reached at zstewart@starledger.com or at (973) 324-9930.

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