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1.
Alguidar 09:15
2.
Oneiros 03:42
3.
4.
Dr.No 04:57
5.
6.
7.
8.
Tarantino 03:42

about

The particularly dynamic and inventive Portuguese jazz scene has a new front with the trio LAMA.
Curiously enough, the project was born in Roterdam, where the double bassist and composer Gonçalo
Almeida and the trumpeter Susana Santos Silva were at the time (2008) studying in the jazz department of
the local conservatory. There, they met the Canadian drummer Greg Smith, who used to work in the
nearby dance school. Acting in the frontier line between the “mainstream” and the so called avant-garde,
“Oneiros” proposes a particular jazz vision for the 21st century, with an interesting use of electronics. The
double bass is assisted by a pedal box, and Almeida likes to loop his rhythmic lines once in a while. The
trumpet is sometimes digitally processed in real time, giving us different results than the ones presented
by Santos Silva with her own quintet or the Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos. Both are distinctive figures of
the Portuguese jazz circuits: Gonçalo Almeida as a member of the Luso-Italian quartet Tetterapadequ (still
living in Holland, he plays also with Atos, Spinifex Quintet, and the Michal Osowsky Collective) and Susana
Santos Silva integrating the above mentioned big band, which performed and recorded with people like
Lee Konitz, Carla Bley, John Hollenbeck, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner, Chris Cheek and Joshua Redman,
among others. In his turn, Smith is a groove master, active in the International bands such as Colonel Red
Live (England), Sandra St Victor's Sinner Child (US/NL) and Kori Withers (US). Smith has also recorded and
performed with NYC saxophonist David Binney. The main focus of the music here is in improvisation, and
you’ll be surprised with how fantastic it sounds.

credits

released December 28, 2017

Susana Santos Silva - trumpet, electronics
Gonçalo Almeida - double bass, effects and loops
Greg Smith - drums

Alguidar / Oneiros / Overturefor penguins / Dr. No * / Melodia minúscula / MyFucking Thesis ** / Thechimpanzee who told man how to cry / Tarantino

All music by Gonçalo Almeida except * by Greg Smith and ** Susana Santos Silva
Recorded in FORMA MUSIC SOLUTIONS studio by Paul Fitzpatrick, Rotterdam / Mixed by Greg Smith and Gonçalo
Almeida at BGS studio, Rotterdam / Mastered by Joaquim Monte at Namouche studio, Lisbon / Produced by Lama
/ Executive production by trem Azul / Design by Travassos / Photo by Valéria Cosi

Lama - Oneiros (Clean Feed, 2011) *****
By Paul Acquaro
Lama is an electronically enhanced acoustic drum, bass and trumpet trio that has delivered an excellent album with "Oneiros". The pieces fit together so tightly that there's hardly room for a wasted note, beat or breath as the musicians move gracefully through the set of songs, nimbly riding the contours between structure and freedom. For the most part, the instruments are used fairly conventionally, though the musicans are not prone to hold back from extended technique when the moment calls, or use electronic processing and real-time loops to create new possibilities. Trumpeter and group leader Susana Santos Silva plays mostly with a clean and dynamic tone. Bassist Goncalo Almeida's upright sound is perfect support for Silva, as he produces a rich sound that contracts nicely with the more subtle use of electronics. Greg Smith's drumming and percussion is an important connection between the other instruments, whether creating texture or coming up with a smart groove. The first tune, 'Alguidar' contains a little of everything, from a static-laden start that seques into an nonabrasive noise jam and then into a complex groove between Almeida and Smith. Silva delivers, over the elastic time, some possibly Ayler-inspired martial themes but goes far beyond them into a spirited improvisation. 'Overture for Penguins' begins with a simple but effective theme bowed on the bass. Electronics crackle and spit, and soon comes in Smith's colorful percussion and Silva's crystal clear and driving trumpet. A playful juxtaposition of light and dark rhythms help conjure a delightful tension, and as the tune unfolds, it takes on an almost rock-ish dimension. A tune whose title speaks to me, 'My Fucking Thesis', circles around in an echo filled chamber of angular ideas and passionate argument. The electronics are used here for texture and fill, like cross hatching in a sketch. The brittle fizzle and digital spittle adds depth to the acoustic lines. Moments towards the end of the song, and especially in the next tune 'The Chimpanzee Who Told Man How To Cry' remind me of Miles Davis, somewhere between the minimalist funk of Miles in the Sky and the sheer power of Bitches Brew. Quieter moments, like in the title track, display a sensitive and melodic fragility that exudes a certain melancholy. Overall 'Oneiros' is a dynamic album with a lot to offer the listener. It defies the conventional but is also quite accessible. Highly enjoyable and grows better and better with each listen.

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Gonçalo Almeida Rotterdam, Netherlands

Bassist and composer Gonçalo Almeida (Lisbon, 1978) lives in Rotterdam, Netherlands.He has been making a mark as one of Netherlands’s most interesting new generation bass players. His projects involve the forerunners of the Dutch and Portuguese jazz scenes, bridging modern jazz, free jazz, jazzcore and free improvisation. ... more

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