UNITY QUARTET

SAMBA OF SORTS

Sunnyside Records

Helio Alves, piano/composer; Guilherme Monteiro, guitar/composer; Gili Lopes, bass/composer; Alex Kautz, drums.

Brazilian musicians wear their music like a cultural badge. Four musicians from various parts of Brazil have joined talents to make this album.  Two hail from Sao Paulo (Alves & Kautz), while the guitarist, Monteiro, moved from Rio de Janeiro. The bassist, Lopes, joined them from London, but he’s originally from the Southern town of Porto Alegre. Together they formed Unity Quartet in 2021. Their goal was to compose original music, infuse it with their cultural roots, and produce an album called “Samba of Sorts.”

Not all of the music on this album is originally written.  There are some ‘covers’ like the opening tune by Milton Nascimento, “Viola Violar.”  The arrangement brightly features Monterio on guitar. Helio Alves presents a jazzy piano solo.  Next, the original composition by Helio Alves titled “Frenzy” catches my ear.  It is an energetic tune that has Gili Lopez walking his bass briskly beneath the chord changes and gives Alex Kautz a platform to add his drum technique to the mix with gusto.  This sounds more like a fusion jazz composition than a samba.

The title tune was written by the quartet’s drummer.  The Kautz arrangement starts out mysteriously, with the Lopes bass line pushing the tune forward.  This quickly becomes one of my favorites on this album.

Another favorite is Track #6, “Jogral” that’s a cover tune. The title translates from Portuguese to English meaning ‘minstrel.’ This tune is joyful and captures the rhythms and happiness I usually hear in Brazilian music. Another tune that encourages feet to move and fingers to pop is the Luiz Gonzaga composition “Pau de Arara.”

Gili Lopes has contributed a Latin-fused ballad titled “Paloma Plage” that is quite melodic. Monteiro delivers creative guitar improvisation and Alves follows suit on piano.  Then, Lopes appears stage-center to solo on his bass instrument.  This album is full of relaxing arrangements and features four talented Brazilian musicians and composers.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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