Carioca (Instrumental)

Wonderful instrumental release by renowned composer/violonista (Brazilian acoustic guitar player) Nonato Luiz and composer/keyboardist Túlio Mourão (writer of songs turned into hits by Milton Nascimento, like "Teia de Renda," present here). The album doesn't explore innovative or revolutionary directions, but it is quite an achievement as a development of several influences absorbed in the Brazilian musical idiom. Its warm, sometimes delicate, sometimes impetuous musicality is quite pleasurable. The improvisations aren't that creative, never stretching away too much from the theme, which is in part a consequence of the high quality of the themes themselves. The use of keyboarding, even if discrete, doesn't add anything to the music though. "Carioca" has Caribbean influences, "Grande Otelo" is a lyrical tribute to the great Brazilian comedian (where the duo is joined by Nivaldo Ornelas' flute, who also plays in "Um Dia, Um Sonho" and "Depois Da Paixão"), and "Mouro Blues" is a thrilling blues with Iberian overtones reflected in Nonato's mordentes and grace notes. "Baião Cigano" is another composition full of transnational references, and it is one of the most beautiful melodies. "Teia de Renda" also has Caribbean accents in its rich melody, and "Viola Violada" has Spanish guitar and Ravel influences.