Ricardo Silveira & Luiz Avellar - Play the Music of Milton Nascimento (Live)

As part of Rio de Janeiro's Great Encounters concert series, guitarist Ricardo Silveira teams up with pianist Luiz Avellar to pay tribute to Milton Nascimento, working out on songs written by and associated with their colleague and longtime employer. At first, when the two play together, the ambience is tasteful to a fault, restrained, almost sleepy, lacking the sense of occasion promised in the liner notes. There is, however, one interesting passage on "Gypsy Cloud" where Avellar generates some bebop licks as Silveira assumes the dual role of bass and rhythm on his guitar. Each then gets a solo number — an attractive solo guitar rendition of "Bridges" for Silveira and an "On the Wings of Panair" for Avellar, that opens rather plainly and veers toward North American jazz by the close. With "Vera Cruz," the concert at last picks up some steam as the veteran percussionist Robertinho Silva joins the duo, and "Blind Faith, Sharp Knife" ratchets the energy level up on a two-chord vamp. Now they're rolling — and with the inventive Silva mixing up his rhythmic pitches, the momentum continues all the way to the end, even through the expansive treatment of Nico Assumpção's "The Color Pink." ~ Richard S. Ginell, Rovi