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George Haslam / João Madeira / Pedro Castello Lopes / Mário Rua: Ajuda
ByWe can only guess how this came about. Haslam met up with old friends, drummer Mário Rua, with whom he had previously recorded the duo Maresia (Slam Productions, 2016), and percussionist Pedro Castello Lopes (Ensemble MIA, Variable Geometry Orchestra). The three became four with Haslam's introduction to bassist João Madeira and music making was suggested. Haslam might be best known for his baritone saxophone work, but he sticks to the tárogató here. While most listeners might associate this reed instrument with Peter Brötzmann's flamethrower sound, Haslam takes a kinder, gentler approach here. The meditative aspect is due to the quartet making no grandiose statements. The four lengthy tracks focus on minutiae and distributing the various facets among all the players. The impressive arco bow work of Madeira shines throughout and the percussion and drumming of Lopes and Rua is perfectly accented and never overcrowded. Some free jazz is meant to be heard only once in concert or on record. That is not the case here. Ajuda warrants repeated spins.
Track Listing
Ajuda (Help); Nice To Meet You; Who Are You? Pleasures And Needs.
Personnel
George Haslam
saxophone, baritoneJoão Madeira
bass, acousticPedro Castello Lopes
percussionMario Rua
drumsAlbum information
Title: Ajuda | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Slam Productions
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About George Haslam
Instrument: Saxophone, baritone
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