Gustavo Assis-Brasil Chromatic Dialogues Review by Gary Hill
This new album is intriguing. It has some pretty amazing musicianship on display. It's basically a fusion set, but we generally put fusion under prog rock. After all, the difference between jazzy prog and fusion is the amount of jazz in the mix. All in all, I find this to be a surprising and yet compelling CD.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2016 Volume 5 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
Always Here (Prenda Minha)
More of a mellow, melodic fusion section begins this and carries it outward. I really dig the guitar soloing that comes over the top of it later. Keyboards take control for a bit after that. The cut keeps evolving as it pushes forward.
C.C. The guitar jamming that opens this is both crazed and impressive. They work out to more of an off-kilter fusion jam. Different instruments solo over the top as this continues. There are some intriguing changes near the end of the piece.
Dialogue 1 King Crimson meets fusion on the opening here. There is some pretty amazing musical interplay (dialogue, if you will) on this piece. It's not the most "song-like" thing here, but it has some particularly impressive instrumental work.
Olivia This is much mellower. It's melodic and quite pretty. It's no less impressive, though. It has some intriguing interplay, too.
S.M. I love the melodic interactions on this. There are some odd angles in some ways, but they work together quite well. There is some particularly cool bass work on display in this tune. A later section that makes me think of Al Di Meola is among the best musical passages of the whole set. It's impressive and powerful. That movement takes the track to the end.
Study 5
Mellower guitar work opens this and moves it forward. It makes up the main premise of the piece.
Dialogue 2
Percussive and a bit on the strange side, this is suitably cool, too. I really like this thing a lot.
Pro Sapo Bass and guitar work around one another in some angular ways. It develops into some pretty crazed fusion.
Dialogue 4 (About Allan) This is one of the weirdest things here. It's also one of the coolest. There is a trippy, spacey vibe to it. Yet the drums wail like crazy. I absolutely love this piece.
Dialogue 3 (Ola Rob) This piece is melodic and rather pretty. It's more of a grounding thing, making it a good closer.
