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Rodrigo Amado: Wire Quartet

By Mark Corroto
May 14, 2014
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It is possible that Portuguese saxophonist

Rodrigo Amado

saxophone, tenor
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Rodrigo Amado's earlier releases caught your attention because of the names of his playing partners. Chicago trombonist

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeb Bishop recorded two discs with Amado's Motion Trio, The Flame Alphabet (Not Two, 2012) and Burning Live At Jazz AO Centro (JACC Records, 2012). There was also Searching For Adam (Not Two, 2010) with cornetist

Taylor Ho Bynum

cornet
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Taylor Ho Bynum, drummer

Gerald Cleaver

drums
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Gerald Cleaver, and bassist

John Hébert

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">John H��bert and The Abstract Truth (European Echoes, 2009) with bassist

Kent Kessler

bass, acoustic
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Kent Kessler, and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love. Obviously, he keeps good company, like bassist

Ken Filiano

bass
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">Ken Filiano, guitarist

Luís Lopes

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Lu��s Lopes, and trumpeter

Peter Evans

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Evans.

With that curriculum vitae, his working bands sans guests, are worthy recorded outings. Here we find Amado's Wire Quartet, which is made up of two-thirds of the RED Trio, drummer Gabriel Ferrandini and bassist Hernani Faustino, who also perform with saxophonist Nobuyasu Furuya. The fourth member is guitarist Manuel Mota, who has collaborated with the likes of

Noël Akchoté

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">No?l Akchot�� and Toshimaru Nakamura.

The three pieces presented have a nonchalance about them. The quartet strips away the requirement for excessive bravado and musical macho often heard in free jazz. It's not that they don't rev their engines, it just that they appear to have no need to beat each other (or the listener's ears) into submission. The opening track, "Abandon Yourself," saunters in on Amado's tenor and Mota's guitar sounding like mellowed and less frenetic versions of

Evan Parker

saxophone, soprano
b.1944

" data-original-title="" title="">Evan Parker and

Derek Bailey

guitar
1932 - 2005

" data-original-title="" title="">Derek Bailey. Amado prefers a blues thread running through his sustained solos. The quartet picks up the pace fueled by Ferrandini's merry- go-round of percussive activity. But even at its most frenetic, the fever of this band is manageable and controlled by the players. Half way through, the band pulls the brakes for some introspective exploration. Amado serves some hushed, overblown tenor and Faustino bows clement bass passages—all entirely within the structure of the piece. The remaining two pieces, both much shorter in length, continue the ennobled theme. This quartet has no need to invite guests musicians to draw attention to their most excellent music making.

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Track Listing

Abandon Yourself; Surrender; To The Music.

Personnel

Rodrigo Amado

saxophone, tenor

Rodrigo Amado: tenor saxophone; Manuel Mota: electric guitar; Hernani Faustino: double bass; Gabriel Ferandini: drums.

Album information

Title: Wire Quartet | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Clean Feed Records

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