Back in the 50s and through the 70s, Blue Note Records put out albums that guaranteed a certain quality to the listener. With a coterie of musicians that rotated around serving as leaders, and with periodic newcomers coming into the family, the label put out literally “The Finest Jazz Since 1939” representing the best improvisation that the East Coast had to offer. Well, Adventure music, based here in the states, consistently releases the highest level of modern music from (mostly) Brazil. I’ve been listening to their material for close to a decade, and haven’t heard a disc yet that wasn’t worth keeping and cherishing.
Acoustic guitarist Ricardo Silveira has played and recorded with stars ranging from Pat Metheny, Milton Nascimento and Ernie Watts, and here teams up with Honduras born Roberto Taufic for a cozy and intimate collection of lyrical duets. Except for Caymmi’s “Voce Nao Sabe Amar” and Henry Mancini’s “Moon River,” all of the tunes are written by the two gents, and all of them have a lovely relaxed lyricism to them that would be like a calming balm if it weren’t for the delicate dexterity that they each deliver. A reflective “Her Eyes” is velvety, while “Depois da Chuva” exudes gentle warmth. The interplay between the two is like listening to old comrades conversing over an iced coffee. Wonderful!
Completely different is the material released by 19 year old guitarist Pedro Martins. He teams up with a forward looking band of Felipe Viegas/p, Jusue Lopez/ts, Andre Vasconcellos/b, Alex Buck-Kiko Freitas/dr and Daniel Santiago/g for a mix of material that has its roots in Brazil, but its eyes to the future. Pieces such as “Anos Luz” mix Pat Metheny-esque complex rhythms with flowing lyricism. His guitar work can range from assertive to gentle and subdued, with double guitars with Santiago on “Nas Nuvens” and “Sonhando Alto” as embracing as calmly crashing waves on the shore. Impressively sophisticated composing as well, all of it done when he was 16. What was he thinking when he put out “Caminhos”? This guy is going places!
Adventure Music