Miguel Angelo: I Think I'm Going To Eat Dessert

Miguel Angelo is a Portuguese bassist whose main occupation is keeping the beat going for other musicians in various groups. If playing in bands is his "bread and butter" job, then it follows that a solo bass recording would be his "dessert."

For most of this effort, Angelo plucks and bows with a deep, resonant tone that has little embellishment. He presents a rich and profound pizzicato sound on pieces such as "I have a dream," "Never and never again" and "Lullaby" carving out measured phrases at slow and fast tempos. "Farewell song" and "Just go!" are both touching ballads that show Angelo's ability to create lovely and emotional melodies that rival the grace and nobility of Charlie Haden's writing.

There are other tracks where overdubbing comes into play to create bigger, more involved sounds. "Politics talk" has a mass of slow, solemnly bowed lines rising above agitated slaps and plucks. "Alliens exists!" has distorted low notes popping in a pattern that somehow suggests the bass line of The O'Jays's "For The Love Of Money." "Children's playground" is a circular, galloping riff combined with lines of thick, twanging melody with a depth that suggests an entire string section.

This is a relatively short but rich disc that shows off Miguel Angelo's bass playing abilities far more than his group work. His solo playing conveys emotion and mood with a real sense of beauty.