Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Fail Better!: OWT

15

Fail Better!: OWT

By

Sign in to view read count
Fail Better!: OWT
Taking Samuel Beckett's exhortation from Worstward Ho as a moniker—and a highly appropriate credo for improvisers to aspire to—Portuguese co-operative ensemble Fail Better! proffer their second release, following Zero Sum (JACC, 2014), as a limited edition LP on the Lithuanian NoBusiness label. Of the five proponents, likely the most familiar will be trumpeter Luis Vicente and guitarist Marcelo Dos Reis, both increasingly visible on the European scene and previously heard in fine style on the excellent Chamber 4 (FMR, 2015). Their countrymen alto saxophonist João Guimarães, bassist José Miguel Pereira and drummer João Pais Filipe complete the unchanged lineup which trades in spontaneous constructs full of quiet intensity but with a lyrical center.

As with the aforementioned disc, a collective ethos prevails as the participants focus on the overall effect rather than individual glory. Consequently the two horns frequently intertwine echoing each other's phrases, with Guimarães sharing Vicente's predominantly tuneful disposition, although not his sputters and growls. Dos Reis veers between a ringing consonant undertow and insistent rhythmic patterns which ground the improvisations. It's those occasionally surfacing fragments of melody and tempo which serve to keep the invention accessible.

A favored gambit is to contrast fast rhythm against slower horns to create a timeless drifting feel. "Former Times" establishes the template, whereby Vicente's muted murmurings are mirrored by Guimarães' alto saxophone to generate a languid mood, but pitched against Filipe's faster paced cymbal chatter and Pereira's rapid sawing bass, which conjures an underlying tension. With its powerful groove, stuttered trumpet imprecations, and electric guitar posturing, the incantatory stew of "Circular Measure" resembles something from Miles Davis' electric era, while on "Stellar" the droney atmosphere and distant whinnying trumpet bring a more ambient spirit to the fore.

Track Listing

Former Times; Sidereal; In Between; Circular Measure; Stellar.

Personnel

Marcelo dos Reis: electric guitar; Luís Vicente: trumpet; José Miguel Pereira: double bass; João Guimarães: alto saxophone; João Pais Filipe: drums.

Album information

Title: OWT | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: NoBusiness Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.