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Jazz | Oct 2011

Reviews

Fo
Reviewed 2011-10-16
SARA SERPA: Mobile
Inner Circle, 2011

VOCAL JAZZ – Portuguese vocalist/composer Sara Serpa is truly unique. Serpa’s near-ethereal scatting is predominant here, with her supple, crystal-clear voice soaring in a realm of pure (but angular) melody. Great literary works with voyaging themes are the inspiration for ten challenging pieces. She’s backed by a fine modernist quartet including Kris Davis on piano and Andre Matos on guitars. Cool stuff.

Fo’s Picks: 1, 2, 4, 7, 8

1. 8:09 – spoken intro, then vocal floats over evolving quartet, guitar soars
2. 7:23 – rhythmic piece with twisty vocal lines, careful piano & tumbling drums
3. 6:22 – unfolds slowly: calm vocal, acoustic guitar & keyboard build up
4. 7:23 – builds from a circular pattern: agitated piano solo, excellent vocal
5. 6:08 – e.e. cummings poem: slow, drawn out and billowing
6. 4:23 – spare: voice & acoustic guitar work in unison, become untethered
7. 4:40 – aching fado vocal in a hall of mirrors, full of mystery and depth
8. 5:57 – spiky zig-zagging rhythm, geometric piano & vocal, turns crunchy
9. 4:47 – slow march into darkness: Portuguese lyrics, melancholy solos
10. 3:46 – eerie multi-tracked vocal, rumbling piano, very quiet improv

[ Fo ] - October 2011

Recent airplay

Gold Digging Ants
Sem Razão, If
RebopDec 13, 2011
Gold Digging Ants
RebopDec 06, 2011
Ahab's Lament
RebopNov 29, 2011
Sem Razão
RebopNov 22, 2011
Sequoia Gigantis
No Cover, No MinimumNov 18, 2011

Charting

2011-10-16 — 2011-12-18 Jazz
Week EndingAirplays
Dec 18 1
Dec 11 1
Dec 4 1
Nov 27 1
Nov 20 2
Nov 13 1
Nov 6 2
Oct 23 3

Track listing

1. Sequoia Gigantis
2. Ulysses's Costume
3. Pilgrimage To Armanath
4. Ahab's Lament
5. If
6. Traveling With Kapuszinsky
7. Sem Razão
8. Gold Digging Ants
9. Corto
10. City Of Light, City Of Darkness