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Sara Serpa & André Matos: Primavera
BySerpa, whose seemingly uncomplicated vocal style, mates both wordless sounds with sung lyrics that are presented both in English and Portuguese. These fourteen compositions are all original to Serpa and Matos, except for Ran Blake and Jeanne Lee's "Vanguard" and Guillermo Klein's "Se Me Va La Voz." Serpa recorded two previous discs with her mentor, Blake. The pianist favors Serpa's stripped-down approach on Camera Obscura (Inner Circle, 2010) and a live date Aurora (Clean Feed, 2012). She maintains that understated style here. With Matos' accompaniment and a bit of Fender Rhodes piano, she sings the words of e.e.cummings' poem "Earth." The piece is part prayer, part utopian dreamland. Where other singers rush in, Serpa lingers. The echoey, wordless open track flutters like a a flock birds over Matos' incessant guitar. The pair welcome Greg Osby to perform on "Choro." Serpa had recorded with the saxophonist on his disc 9 Levels (Inner Circle, 2008), and here he returns the favor. Osby's soprano saxophone mimics the singer's wordless vocalese; both instruments are loquacious birds singing up in the forest's canopy. Serpa and Matos create rhythmically locomotive music, "Kubana," and ineffably beautiful Portuguese pieces, "Tempo" and "O Guardador De Rebanhos." But it is the wordless tracks, like 'Rios" and "Nuvem," that are the real gems here.
Track Listing
Primavera; Tempo; Rios; Choro; Kubana; Song For A Sister; Caminho; O Guardador De Rebanhos; A Realidade Das Coisas; nuvem; Vanguard; Gardening; Se Me Va La Voz; Earth.
Personnel
Sara Serpa & André Matos
band / ensemble / orchestraSara Serpa: voice, fender rhodes, piano; André Matos: guitar, electric bass, cymbal; Greg Osby; soprano saxophone (4); Leo Genovese; melodica, kosikas, bombo leguero, piano, toy guitar; Pete Rende: Prophet keyboard (7).
Album information
Title: Primavera | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Inner Circle Music
Comments
About Sara Serpa & André Matos
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
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