Livio Almeida: Brasília Sessions

This is a good recording by a very good instrumentalist. Livio Almeida is a Brazilian saxophonist living in New York, but whether or not Almeida sounds particularly "Brazilian" is for others to say. Frankly, his tenor playing is straight ahead and while there are Latin rhythms galore, Almeida's "Brasilia Afro Samba" really recalls the guitar riff from Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water" more than anything else. But never mind. His phrasing is muscular and aggressive, and he does not respect bar lines.

Misael Silvestre on keyboards matches Almeida stride for stride while Daniel Castro on bass and Pedro Almeida on drums prod him along. "Folhas Secas" is a lovely ballad with overtones of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and if Almeida manages to conjure up a little Paul Gonsalves, well, so much the better. At over eight minutes, the tune never drags. "Rocks in My Path" shuffles along briskly with an especially nice keyboard solo that circles back on an insistent sax break framed by an E major vamp. "Ditmas Avenue" is the record of a journey for those lucky enough to know Brooklyn, full of funky images that Almeida coaxes out of his horn. "Girasol Da Cor" is a reflective conversation between Almeida and bassist Castro that ends on another of those repeated figures that Almeida favors. "Q Train Samba" is loosely built around an "A Train" contrafact, appropriately enough.

Almeida has recorded two previous albums and is a busy and visible artist in the New York area. He is one of an upcoming generation of Brazilian players, like Ademir Jr, who are set to continue the legacy that celebrated figures such as Hermeto Pascoal have brought to North American (including Mexico!) ears.