CD of the Day - "Carlos Pontual: Instrumental Social"

CD of the Day

Carlos Pontual: "Instrumental Social" (Curve Music) 2007

"An exciting new reality in modern Brazilian music, Instrumental Social mixes the new urban sounds of Brazil using technology, with a unique dose of live instrumentation where ‘60s soul-jazz form the basis of well-crafted compositions... But, needless to say, this is no revival work. Electronic beats and subtle hip-hop rhythms mesh naturally with live drums and percussion, vintage keyboards and nylon guitars, with the jazzy trumpet of Brazil’s samba funk maestro and founder of legendary samba funk group 'Banda Black Rio' - Mr. Barrosinho. The global influences are vast, but they’re merely the springboard from which Pontual jumps to create his absurdly cool musical universe," writes Vince Medeiros in the liner notes for Carlos Pontual's second solo album.

What could I add?

Firstly, that such global influences are very very vast. And very welcomed too.

Pontual's mind is a globetrotter one.

Secondly, I must advise that the listeners don't need to be afraid of the album title. The happy/cool/hip musical content doesn't relates to the so called "Brazilian instrumental music" that often sounds pretentious, arrogant and excessively pseudo-intellectualized, despite the techical skills of its practitioners.

From the first to the last second of "Instrumental Social", it's clear that Pontual had a lot of fun doing the album. Therefore, it's not surprising that it also brings a lot of fun to the listeners, no matter if they are or not familiar with Pontual's outstanding debut album from a decade ago, "Miolo do Som", which was more Frank Zappa-oriented on its self-discipline, full of captivating poetry.

In that sense, "Instrumental Social" represents a departure of the previous effort. Of course, like for everyone who once was touched by Zappa's genius, FZ will forever be an influence.

But Pontual's new trip is a jazzier one. Nu-jazz at its best. Like Oliver Belz' The Bahama Soul Club project "Rhthm Is What Makes Jazz Jazz", another attractive album that came out recently. Btw, both could share the same title, since both capture the listener through the groove.

Yeah, the grooves...! And Pontual's sharp acid grooves are really infectious, floating inside a "musical collage", in the best sense of its meaning. Wes meets Deodato and Turrentine in the "De Onda" strut, that could have been a WRVR-NY radio hit back in 1974. Pontual doubles on electric guitar and fretless bass, while Claudio Andrade swings on the electric piano. Kudos also to Vitor Motta (tenor sax), Fernando Jacutinga (drums) and Ricardo Siri (percussion), the same team heard on the bouncing "Outra Dança".

Time flies and suddenly you are in 1992, listening to some unreleased track from "Doo-Bop", Miles Davis' posthumous (and last) revolution. Actually, "Algumas Lembranças", featuring Barrosinho on muted trumpet, would make Miles' proud. Davis meets Johnny Hammond, Pete Cosey meets Wah-Wah Watson. And we are all happy. Pontual is the one-man session (overdubbing on bass, nylon & electric guitars, electric piano, organ and synth strings) on another killer track, "R-Ra-Ta-Ta", updating Grant Green's approach on "The Main Attraction".

"Bossa Black" (with the help of Cacá Colon' drums) and "Pilha Forte" travel in the same road of Fabio Fonseca's new-millenium fusion. Jeff Beck goes East flirting with Bizet's "Carmen" on the rotating sensual groove of "Total 'Vai, Brother!'" (Walter Villaça on guitars, Lan Lan on percussion). Carlos Pontual, the multiplex weaver, completes the scenario with "Beijo de Cinema". The (Happy) End!

ps: engineered by Rodrigo de Castro Lopes, Daniel Cheese, Alexandre Schinelli, Carlos Fuchs & Daniel Vasquez; mastered by Carlos Freitas