Reviews that mention João Almeida
January 18, 2022
Garfo
Clean Feed CF 570 CD
Halley-Clucas-Reed-Halley
Boomslang
Pine Eagle Records 014
Perhaps it was ennui resulting from Covid and subsequent lockdowns, but the contrast in achievement projected by these similarly constituted quartets playing roughly the same number of tunes could charitably be attributed to their recording dates. Garfo, a Lisbon-based band consisting of young players trumpeter João Almeida, tenor saxist Bernardo Tinoco, bassist João Fragoso and drummer João Sousa recorded its session in December 2020 during the midst of pandemic uncertainty, The tunes mostly sound tentative and hesitant. Meanwhile Boomslang, recorded a year previously in Portland by mostly veteran stylists from the Pacific northwest soars with taunt, appealing FreeBop originals. Still considering that tenor saxophonist Rich Halley has been playing with bassist Clyde Reed and drummer Carson Halley for many decades and Los Angles cornetist Dan Clucas has been involved with creative music for at least that long contributes to the session’s quality. MORE
July 23, 2021
Solo Sessions* IIII
JARECORDS JAR001
Gijs Levelt
Spoken
Level T Records LTR 6711
Joe Moffett
Stress Positions
NeitherNor n/n 017
Expanding the solo trumpet paradigm, inventive players are advancing novel strategies coupling effects, electronics and extended techniques with improvisational strategies. Two brass stylists here build their advances acoustically, while the third uses a set of pedals to achieve personal effects. That’s Dutch trumpeter Gijs Levelt, known for his work with the Amsterdam Klezmer Band, who mated his trumpet with a Whammy Pitch Shifter, Echo 1 Delay, Ditto Looper, EHX Freeze and a Line 6 Filter Modeller during Spoken’s 11 tracks. In contrast the sounds on Solo Sessions* IIII by Portuguese trumpeter João Almeida, who has worked with Albert Cirera, uses only breath, fingering, valves, bell and tubing. It’s the same for Brooklyn brass player Joe Moffett, who plays with Carlo Costa and his five Stress Positions. MORE