|
Song Samples: See below for press on Vinicius |
Vinicius
Cantuaria vinicius Vinicius Cantuaria - vocals, guitars, percussion, keyboards with guests: Caetano Veloso - - vocal on Agua Rasa David Byrne - vocal, guitar on Rio Bill Frisell - guitar on Ele e Carioac, Quase Choro and Nova de Sete Brad Mehldau - piano on Quase Choro and Nova Sete Marc Johnson - bass on Ele Carioca, Quase Choro, Nova de Sete and Caju Joey Baron - drums on Cliche do Cliche, Agua Rasa, Rio, and Caju Paolo Braga - drums, percussion on Ela a Carioca, Ordinaria, Normal, Irapuru, and Caju Jenny Scheinman - violin on Cliche do Cliche, Oridinaria, Normal, Irapuru and Caju Michael Leonhart - trumpet on Ordinaria and Rio Peter Scherer - keyboards on Normal produced by Lee Townsend, Soli and Vinicius Cantuaria recording engineers: Soli and Joe Ferla TransparentMusic Song List:
|
|
VINICIUS REVIEWS With a past in pop songwriting and a resume that includes a stint as a Rio rock star, Cantuaria's positioned himself as a futurist from the get-go. 1996's Sol Na Cara introduced him to American audiences, and Arto Lindsay's production the subtle threading of gnarled atmospherics through meticulous samba designs helped establish his latest approach. 1999's Tucuma cultivated such experiments, but Vinicius is his most seductive disc so far. Balancing aura with melody, Cantuaria creates an erotic song cycle enhanced by experimentation. The music's level of intimacy is acute. Bossa nova and samba do their jobs in a hushed way, of course. Part of their attraction is the fact that, in the hands of experts, it only takes a murmur and a strum to elicit a visceral response. Cantuaria doesn't change that part of the deal. Caetano Veloso sings on "Aqua Rasa," and his exchanges with his partner are all breathy utterings. At one point a question is raised in the lyrics: "Where did sound go?" The picking of a guitar in the background suggests a tide pool filling up. A stellar cast assists the leader throughout the record. David Byrne coos, Bill Frisell glistens and Brad Mehldau tinkles. But no musician contributes as much or impresses as deeply as Cantuaria himself. Half of the enchanting "Cliche Do Cliche" is given over to the guitarist's thoughtfully parsed ruminations. A stretch of oddly arranged notes, all plunked in the lower register, all judiciously chosen without being fussed over, circles back on the subject at hand: a warning against prosaics swamping a romantic relationship. Cantuaria has definite thoughts about how his music should be built, and again and again, one action tips off another. Counterpoint is one way Cantuaria beats the old school system. "Ordinaria" has a galloping cadence provided by Paulo Braga's brushes as well as some well-placed thumps by the boss's bass keybs. But the tune itself-meaning the melody an the song driven by the melody- has a drifty feel. It floats. Behind that push/pull feel is Jenny Scheinman's earthy violin drones, italicizing various sections of the verse. The effect is sinuous and kaleidoscopic. The shifts are built into the forward motion. Such strategies prove why arrangements are at the center of Vinicius.
Cantuaria demands his unusual instrumentations and computer quackery
unite to enrich the mood at hand. Surprisingly, he doesn't miss once,
and that impressive success rate tells us that orthodoxy is ready for
a good goosing every once in a while. -Jim Macnie |
|
These
audio clips require that you have the free