Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Caetano Veloso: Ce

345

Caetano Veloso: Ce

By

Sign in to view read count
Caetano Veloso: Ce
is not a jazz album, but it's not really a pop or samba or world music record, and despite its vocals/guitar/bass/drums format, it's not a rock album either. So why am I reviewing it here? Well, first because it's by Caetano Veloso, the reigning genius of Brazilian popular music, and therefore worthy of study. On the realz, the man is responsible for more haunting beauty, discordant craziness, avant-garde poetry, and overall visionary-itude than anyone else living anywhere in the world. So it needs to be at least listened to and argued about and cranked up.

Secondly, because Veloso really is kind of a jazz singer. He's 64 years old, but his nimble and supple voice still sounds like it did when he was 34. More angry melancholy is packed into his crooning on "Não Me Arrependo" ("I Don't Regret") than in many acts' whole careers, and his tense voice gets one of its greatest features in the slow nervy tribute "Waly Salomão."

Thirdly, the songs are stirring and stunning no matter what kind of music you ostensibly like. Veloso's legendary wordplay is in overdrive here; while it loses a little, the English translation of the opener "Outro" will show you what cards Veloso's playing with here:

A happy and cruel look on my face
Happy and cruel as a hard on
Lighting itself up in the dark
Rattlesnake
Bristling in the bushes

The guy is not messing around here; these songs are all about life and death and sex and frustration and anger and happiness and, y'know, life. This album is not the freaky psychedelic punkery of his Tropicalia days, nor the experimental groove of his late 1970s period, nor even the complex knotty sort of thing he perfected with Livro (Nonesuch) in the late '90s—but it is just as intense and dramatic as anything he's ever done, and a lot more personal too.

But I would guess the best jazz-related reason this album should be reviewed here is the flat-out amazing performance turned in by guitarist Pedro Sá. The whole band (all two other members) is plenty tight, with Ricardo Dias Gomes and Marcelo Callado forming a potent rhythm section, and heir apparent Moreno Veloso—but Sá is killing it all over the place with his electric guitar work. He gets everyone through "Minas Lágrimas" with his tense squibbling, but when he gets the chance to open it up it's lookout time. His solo on "Rocks" is straight out the garage rock/hair metal intersection; his slashing runs on the closer, "O Heroiy," bring home the bacon and fry it up in the pan. The man just might be the guitar hero we've all been waiting for all this time. Who would deny that that is worth hearing, even if you're a big old jazz snobbington, or if you haven't liked much Brazilian music before now? No one!

Yes, this album does in fact rock, especially on tracks like "Waly Salomão" and "Outro." But that doesn't mean we cannot learn from it and embrace it. Old dog, new tricks, all that crazy stuff. It all makes it a must-hear for all music lovers, aficionados, casual fans, and people with working brainstems and/or beating hearts.

Track Listing

Outro; Minhas L

Personnel

Caetano Veloso: vocals, guitars; Pedro S

Album information

Title: Ce | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Nonesuch Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.