Carlos Bica: 11:11

For Carlos Bica, ugly was never an option for his quartet release 11:11. Much like American guitarist Bill Frisell does in his music, the Portuguese bassist and composer draws on his experience with his country's folk heritage. For Bica, that tradition is contained in the song genre fado. The music is often about fate or longing, in other words, the blues. Like the blues, this music is not just about sadness, but the beauty of the human condition.

Bica might be best known for his ensemble Azul with guitarist Frank Möbus and drummer Jim Black. Still, his experiments have included DJ Illvibe and he has also reinterpreted the music of Ludwig van Beethoven. The bassist assembled a quartet here of alto saxophonist José Soares, vibraphonist, Eduardo Cardinho and guitarist Gonçalo Neto who doubles on banjo to negotiate this outing.

Bica's expressive hands pulling notes communicate his message in the same manner as if he were crooning his intentions. The gentle warmth of tracks like "Roots," with Soares' elevating saxophone, and the exploratory vibraphone of Cardinho "Blue In Grey" are a musical salve for Bica's bass. Bica taps out a pulse on "Pentimenti" with Soares' wordles vocalizing the composition's contrition. His bass can also take on a guitar-like sound, "Paris" or that of an advancing train, "Half Step." The beguiling sounds range from the dreamlike passages "A Place You Will Never See" and "Motiv" to the phoenix-like rise of the title track. Of special note is the quartet's cover of José Mário Branco's "A Noite" with a sampling of the musician's voice. Even for those unable to comprehend the Portuguese language, the message of freedom and democracy comes through.