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SSS-Q: Songs From My Backyard

By Eyal Hareuveni
February 21, 2014
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Portuguese, Porto-based trumpeter Susana Santos Silva emerged in recent years as one of the most original and articulate voices in the European avant-jazz and non-idiomatic music due to her part in the chamber Lama Trio, that already released two albums ( and Lamaçal, 2011 and 2013, Clean Feed) and her duo with Swedish double bassist Torbjorn Zetterberg (Almost Tomorrow, 2013, Clean Feed). Now she teams with her hometown drummer Jorge Queijo for a surprising, eclectic and eccentric set of duets that encompasses elements of free jazz, electronic, noise, African roots and much more.

This duo enjoys exploring sounds. They experiment in molding and mutating as these sounds arrive, without any conceptions. Every note is valid and relevant. Santos and Queijo dance with all sounds to connect intuitively and playfully through old, new and otherworldly sounds. All thirteen duets are concise and emphasize immediate, intimate and organic interplay.

A few selections like "Monstro das Bolachas" and "Water Pipe" focus on investigating the sonic envelope of drum skins, cymbal surfaces and reeds mouthpieces in a highly engaging mode. Other duets like "Festa da Aldeia," "Asfixia"and "Dia Mao" feature the urgent, fiery side of these inventive musicians, who storm with wild ideas from the first idea till the last. The addition of sound artist Manuel dos Reis on two songs, "Aliens Arrival on Planet Hearth" and "Não 'Tou a Brincar," adds a futuristic sonic palette and mysterious cinematic quality to these intense pieces. None of these tracks progress in a conventional narrative. The only ballad, "Fucking Ballad," stresses a delicate battle between the lyrical playing of Santos and the subversive percussion of Queijo. Roles switch on "Bode de Samba" where Santos distorts the fractured samba pulse.

No matter where these imaginative musicians may turn, any sonic output of Santos and Queijo is guaranteed to keep the listener's full attention.

Track Listing

Afre; Monstro das Bolachas; Water Pipe; Festa da Aldeia; Aliens Arrival on Planet Hearth; Elefantes a Acasalar; Fucking Ballad; Intruso; The Backyard; Bode de Samba; Asfixia; Dia Mau; Não 'Tou a Brincar.

Personnel

SSS-Q

Susana Santos Silva: trumpet, flugel, flute, percussion; Jorge Queijo: drums, percussion, flute, Electronics; Manuel dos Reis: electronic manipulation (5,13).

Album information

Title: Songs From My Backyard | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Wasser Basin

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