Cris on the Farm (Adventure), from the Marcos Amorim Trio, is yet another revelatory Brazilian release. This trio can very well be the premier of its kind. They vary their sonic imprint a bit, as the leader plays several types of guitars, as does Ney Conceicao with his basses. Robertinho Silva takes care of percussion and drums. The guitarist and leader wrote nine of the compositions. His writing, as does his evolved playing, models tension and release strategies conceived with engrossing melodic, rhythmic and harmonic sophistication. Even briefer ditties such as “Trenzinho Para Vera Cruz (Little Train to Vera Cruz),” where Amorim doubles on guitar, divulge a strummer of attractive tonality, execution and smarts. “Bons Amigos (Good Friends)” features saxlike tonal runs from Amorim, who doubles on rhythm guitar. “Sodalita (The Blue Stone)” finds them heavily steeped in a steady and simple groove, although this tune lacks the depth shown elsewhere on this enriching date.
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