Search - Charlie Haden, Egberto Gismonte :: In Montreal

Egberto Gismonti Shines!

deepbluereview | SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA USA | 08/29/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD was recorded live at the International Festival of Jazz in Montreal on, get this, July 6th 1989. A mere eleven years later, ECM records decided that it would release this to the public. Thanks guys, even if a little belated.
The CD features the duo of Egberto Gismonti and the sensational Charlie Haden. However, while Haden is given the top billing on the CD, perhaps because he is so well known to Jazz fans everywhere, it is really Gismonti that shines throughout. Listen to the brilliant playing on "Em Familia" to remove any doubts. Gismonti graces us with his presence on the 10 string classical guitar as well as the piano, playing both with seemingly ease. A good example of his piano prowness can be found on "Loro" and "Frevo". There is no doubt that after listening to this, you will seek out other Gismonti CD's. I already have my eye on "Solo". Haden, not to be overlooked, is consistent throughout and offers a nice balance to Gismonti.
In any event, the listener is treated to 78:55 minutes of a remarklably fresh sounding blend of classical and jazz music.
My only knock on the CD has to do with the sound quality and not the concert or the performers themselves. You will find that you have to crank the volume somewhat to fully hear and enjoy the experience. If you are playing this on a multi-disc you will need to have the remote ready and turn down the volume just prior to the next CD. As such, I deducted one star from this otherwise flawless performance."

It's understandable why Charlie Haden gets top billing . . .

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 10/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

". . . but I agree with others that this is really Egberto Gismonti's record. And what a record it is!It's not that Gismonti's been underrecorded, but his last four or five records for ECM (Infancia, Meeting Poing, Zig Zag, etc.) strike me as being more than a little eccentric, and not in a good direction. Whatever happened to the magical music found on Magico, Folk Songs, Sanfona, Danca Das Cabecas, Sol Do Meio Dia, and Duas Vozes? Well, it's back, and in spades on this remarkable disc.One of the reasons I love this record so much is because almost half the songs ("Maracatu," "Em Familia," "Loro," and "Frevo") come from Sanfona, Gismonti's most accomplished recording, and one of the all-time greatest records in the history of jazz. They're given fresh readings here, and a couple of them approach or even surpass the originals ("Maracatu" and "Em Familia").By the way, the sound on this disc is some of the purist I've ever heard of a live recording. Not to be missed."

SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL MUSIC...

Larry L. Looney | Austin, Texas USA | 07/10/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...that is actually not so simple. The fact that there are only two musicians playing here, and that this is a live recording, with no overdubs, belies the complexity of the compositions. There's a lot going on here - Haden's reputation has been well-established, as has that of Gismonti, and they each live up to every bit of it in this performance. Gismonti's guitar work alone makes this disc worth the price - joined with Haden's stellar bass playing, the level of compositional achievement by both (Gismonti wrote or co-wrote seven of the nine tracks - Haden wrote the other two), the quality (crystalline, as always, from ECM) AND quantity (79 minutes) of the recording, it adds up to a disc that's hard to pass up.I agree slightly with one or two of the reviewers below - those who prefer Gismonti's guitar pieces to those that feature the piano - but I would hardly dismiss the latter as `Keith Jarrett knockoff'. Simply because there are similarities to be heard - or even influences - doesn't mean that Egberto's work should be slighted as `derivative'. The echoes of his Brazilian roots can be heard throughout most of his work - he has taken that foundation and built upon it a strong, individual portfolio of his own creativity. It shines with the unique qualities of his soul, as the work of any true artist does. His guitar playing - on a specially designed 10-stringed instrument - never fails to make my jaw drop. I would swear at times that there is more than one guitarist playing - but I know from listening to Egberto's other recordings that this is not the case.Even though Charlie Haden contributes only two compositions to this set, those two pieces are striking in their beauty and depth - his sense of melodic structure is breathtaking. His work - both writing and playing - places him in the highest ranks of performers and composers in jazz or any other genre. He has distinguished himself throughout his career as a sideman, composer and leader.This is a wonderful opportunity to hear two masters at work - or, considering the joy that is so obvious in this recording, `at play' - in a setting that is wonderfully uncluttered and honest."