Track Listing

1. Sert�o Alagoano (The Hinterland of Alagaos)
2. Quanto Mais Longe, Mais Perto
3. Serenata
4. July 17
5. Saudades Do Brasil (Modinha)
6. Hino Da Princesa Eterna (Hymn For The Eternal Princesa)
7. Os Guizos (The Bells)
8. Tert�
9. Joyce
10. Roseando
11. Sept. 1
12. Floresta
13. Santa Catarina

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #214499 in Music
• Released on: 2003-09-16
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
The premise here is an interesting one: versatile American mandolinist Mike Marshall (whose roots are in bluegrass) and Brazilian pianist Jovino Santos Neto (who is a Hermeto Pascoal disciple) team up with an occasional guest for an album that surveys 13 of Hermeto Pascoal's 2500 compositions. Giving the official stamp of approval, Pascoal himself is on hand to play on a few of the tunes. But whereas the composer's own performances can be quite playful and even chaotic, Marshall and Neto find a more romantic, somber and harmonically rich vein in the master's Brazilian jazz pantheon while touching on Western classical (particularly the title cut) and other Latin styles. That it seamless blends together is tribute to the top-shelf musicianship of the two principals. The production quality is excellent as well, capturing the delicate timbre of the acoustic instruments and allowing the listener to savor each note of this exquisite music as if sipping from a glass of fine wine. --Tad Hendrickson

Customer Reviews

An interesting crosscultural acoustic jazz album
Following a trip to Brazil in 1995, Newgrass mandolin whiz Mike Marshall decided to tackle an entire album of Brazilian "choro" music, the zippy, propulsive instrumental style pioneered in the late 1800s, alongside it's better-known musical cousin, the samba. On this album, Marshall delves deeper into his love of Brazilian jazz, exploring the work of avantnik multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal, one of the most original and more challenging modern Brazilian jazz players. On the whole, I would say this set is far less "out there" than most of Pascoal's own albums, but the interplay between mandolinist Marshall and pianist Jovino Santos Neto reveals a strong intuitive link, both between the performers and the music they're tackling. Interesting album with some remarkable moments. Pascoal himself adds a flute solo to one track, giving the album that extra bit of authenticity...