By Sean McCarthy

Misplaced in Translation Vol II is the second outing from
New York Metropolis based mostly Portuguese bassist Andre Carvalho and his trio with
saxophonist José Soares and guitarist André Matos. Persevering with the place their
earlier launch Misplaced in Translation (Outdoors In Music, 2021) left off,
the trio is again exploring a model new set of untranslatable phrases, which
Carvalho calls “an inexhaustible supply of inspiration”. The group creates
a meditative and atmospheric sound world contrasting Soares’ heat and
angular saxophone traces with Matos’ crystalline and sometimes reverb drenched
guitar and underpinned Carvalho’s usually unaffected pizzicato and arco
upright bass. The opening observe “Mencolek” runs the gamut of sonic
choices from probably the most textural and contemplative soundscapes to fuzzed
out bass and distorted guitar intersecting overblown chromaticism from
Soares. In a single observe Carvalho and crew lay their playing cards on the desk exhibiting
the listener precisely the parameters of this dynamic chamber ensemble.

Carvalho’s expertise scoring movies actually permeates the compositional
character of the report as every bit combines intelligent melodic hooks with
lengthy sections of slowly evolving atmospheres, texture with interaction take
priority over harmonic or melodic gravitas.

One may put this album on within the background and revel in it purely as sonic
texture, nonetheless this report rewards a detailed and thorough listening as every
piece affords a fertile floor for interweaving improvisations, satisfying
counterpunctual interactions and deep explorations of instrumental timbre
and combos.

The trio briefly ventures into the realm of a extra standard jazz
ensemble on the fifth observe “Gurfa” because the Carvalho settles right into a damaged
strolling bass really feel below Soares with Matos providing chordal interjections
between phrases. This choice manages so as to add some selection with out taking
away from the overarching feeling of the recording and, coming in simply
after the midway level, supplies a breath of contemporary air because the group
returns to the extra meandering method of the primary half of the report.

Misplaced in Translation Vol II is a worthy successor to Carvalho and
firms’ earlier effort, bringing the thought and feeling of untranslatable
phrases into the sonic realm with witty and contemplative items which might be
each open but satisfyingly self-contained. If you’re a fan of the primary
quantity of Misplaced in Translation or get pleasure from music that doesn’t rush and
rewards shut, repeated listens then you definitely gained’t need to miss this one.