Tunico

アントニオ・ネヴィス、ブルーノ・ベルリに続くFAR OUTからの新鋭!
気鋭マルチ奏者トゥコのデビュー作は、現代版クアルテート・ノーヴォともいえる会心の一枚。画家の父を持つなど、芸術家一家に生まれ育ったトゥニーコことアントニオ・セッチン。幼少の頃よりギターを弾き始め、18歳の頃にはサックスを習得。完全独学でバンドを率い、リオ中のライブハウスやストリートで演奏しスキルを身に着けたというミュージシャンだ。本作はそんなトゥニーコの待望となるデビューアルバムだ。
録音にはシコ・ブアルキの孫で、カルリーニョス・ブラウンの息子であるシコ・ブラウンや、一昨年のデビュー作が大きな話題になったアントニオ・ネヴィスなど、リオで活動する気鋭の音楽家たちがこぞって参加。サンバだけでなくマラカトゥやシャナドゥといった伝統リズムをグローバルなジャズの手法で現代化するその音楽は、クアルテート・ノーヴォ、エルメート・パスコアル、タンバ・トリオやドン・ウン・ホマォンといった系譜にあると言えるだろう。

Tunico is the eponymous debut album by Brazilian composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist Tunico (aka Antonio Secchin). A guitarist since childhood, he taught himself saxophone at 18, but he still composes on the stringed instrument. Tunico leads his own performing sextet, and is also a member of Ana Frango Eletrico. His complex but welcoming harmonic approach weds contemporary jazz, fusion, and MPB to Brazilian core rhythms such as maracatu, samba, forro, and afoxe. Over six tracks and 35 minutes, Secchin displays a compositional sensibility that reflects important influences ranging from Tamba Trios Luis Eca and Azymuths Jose Roberto Bertrami to Hermeto Pascoal and Manfredo Fest. His ensemble is populated by aces from the Rio jazz community. Over six tracks and 35 minutes, they offer tunes containing funky electrified charts and instrumentation, intimate acoustic guitars, percussion, keys, and horns. Each track is rendered with care, precision, and resonance. Seven-minute opener "Galope" is the sets first single. Its introduced by Haroldo Eiras nylon string guitar stretching a jazzy samba to MPB. Electric bassist Giordano Gasperin joins in just before drums and percussion flow in under pulsing synths. Bernardo Schaeffers swooping flute gives ballast to Katarina Assefs warm, wordless vocals (unfortunately, this is the only track she appears on). The tempo increases, and this union of elegantly funky fusion and samba is complete, creating a ground for killer solos from Chico Browns electric guitar and Tunicos soprano sax. "Sambola" is a stone groover. Its jaunty tempo swings thanks to Chico Liras deliberately Walter Wanderley-esque B-3 atop bubbling hand percussion, cascading breakbeats, acoustic guitars, and a boss trombone solo from Antonio Neves. Its swaggering groove is eternal. Tunico displays virtuosic acoustic guitar skills on "Decolagem." Hes joined by percussionist Boka Reis, drummer Gabriel Barbosa, and bassist Giordano Gasperin in seamlessly interlocking interplay. Illan Beckers keyboard textures and musical saw join subtle electronic effects from Julio Santa Cecilia to color an expansive timbral palette with gloriously warm tropical overtones. Halfway through, everything but Tunicos guitar drops out. He fingerpicks, strums, and plucks harmonics in a languid folk melody that he sings along with wordlessly. The band returns two minutes later with a samba rhythm to buoy him in carrying it out. "Saudade do Sucupira" features Tunico on acoustic guitar and soprano sax. The graceful samba rhythm is juxtaposed with polished contemporary fusion, keyboard effects, a biting electric guitar break, and lovely flute and soprano solos. "Solar das Hortencias" follows. Framed in electronica, the syncopated jazz chart flows across maracatu rhythms, and Tunicos alto sax grafts post-bop and modal jazz in his alto solo before a scorching electric guitar break from Haroldo Eiras refracts it into Tropicalia, then jazz-rock. Closer "O Que Vira" is a ballad cum lullaby played solo with quiet tenderness by Tunico on nylon string acoustic guitar and soprano saxophone. Tunico is an auspicious debut. Its musical sophistication is almost perfectly balanced by its welcoming accessibility, captivating melodies, and infectious rhythms. ~ Thom Jurek

気鋭マルチ奏者のデビュー作が良質なブラジル音楽を量産するUKのレーベル、FAR OUT RECORDING Sからリリース。完全独学でリオ中のライブハウスやストリートで演奏しスキルを身に着けたというトゥニーコことアントニオ・セッチンが、リオの気鋭のミュージシャンたちと繰り広げる珠玉のアンサンブル。それぞれの卓越した演奏スキルが光るソロ・パートも聴きどころ満載。パーカッシヴなアコギから始まり、早いパッセージのリズムをベースに、エレピやフルートなどによるインタープレイが繰り広げられるM1《Galope》の爽快感が素晴らしい!
intoxicate (C)栗原隆行