MOVE: Free Baile - Live in Shenzhen

Portugal-based trio Move's live album, Free Baile, is more than just a recording; it is an electric charge in musical form. Capturing the raw, unfiltered energy of saxophonist Yedo Gibson, bassist Felipe Zenícola and drummer João Valinho, this album propels listeners into a world where jazz, free improvisation and a kaleidoscope of genres collide and meld in real time.

Recorded live at B10 Live in Shenzhen, China, this production does not just push boundaries—it bulldozes them. The opening track, "The Wondrous Coalescence of Human Possibilities," sets the stage with an unrestrained display of Gibson's high-octane sax riffs, Zenicola's metallic unforgiving bass lines and Valinho's relentless drumming. The trio navigates through frenetic soundscapes and jagged rhythms, still finding time for Zenicola to turn the dial down to a simmer, only to reignite it all into a fiery tribal-like jam, which may leave listeners dizzy with delight.

Tracks like "Mescla Vento" and "Intercardinal Pathways" continue this audacious journey, blending melodic sensibilities with the sheer chaos of free form and emotive expressionism. The aptly named "Brutal Kindness" stands out as a sonic tour de force, where Zenicola's bass ripples like undercurrents in a storm, and Valinho's polyrhythms punctuate the sound with a controlled ferocity. Gibson, not to be outdone, weaves in Albert Ayler-type bursts that are as cathartic as they are unexpected.

The album culminates with the title track, "Shenzhen Free Baile," a piece that encapsulates the thrill of the live experience. Gibson's upper-register squeals and squalls are a fitting finale to an album that that does not just push the envelope—it sets it aflame.

In a world where musical conformity often reigns, Move's Free Baile is a refreshing defiance of expectations—a sonic daredevil that does not just ask for your attention, it wrestles it to the ground. The album cover, featuring the audience's sheer exuberance, hints at the raucous mindset contained within, like a party invitation one would be crazy to decline. Whether one is a fan of 'outside' modern jazz or just someone who thrives on music that breaks all the rules, this is not just an album; it is a wild exhilarating ride into the heart of unbridled creativity.

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