José Lencastre/Hernâni Faustino/Andrew Lisle RIFFS (Phonogram Unit)
José Lencastre tenor saxophone
Hernâni Faustino double bass
Andrew Lisle drums
“Riffs” is the debut album of this new trio featuring saxophonist José Lencastre, double bassist Hernâni Faustino and drummer Andrew Lisle. This is the first time the trio has played together. This album is an exciting and fascinating exploration of boundaries between free jazz and free improvisation, the tight interplay that drives the music is astonishing. Lisle’s rhythms constantly shaping the dynamics, Faustino’s engagement with abstract forms, and Lencastre’s lyrical and melodic contributions promise a compelling blend of sounds and styles.
The music of this trio provides a rich backdrop and musical experience for the listeners.
Recorded live at Cossoul, Lisbon 18th May, 2023 by Eduardo Morais
Mixed and mastered by Andrew Lisle
Cover foto: Hernâni Faustino
Art work : Hernâni Faustino
Producted by José Lencastre, Hernâni Faustino and Andrew Lisle
Executive production by Phonogram Unit
All music by Lencastre, Faustino and Lisle
Bruno Santos & Hernâni Faustino Spontaneous Music Sounds (Robalo)
Bruno Santos electric guitar
Hernâni Faustino double bass
Uivo Zebra & Horns Sombras (Bocian)
Jorge Nuno electric guitar
Hernâni Faustino electric bass
João Sousa drums and percussion
Luís Vicente trumpet
José Lencastre alto saxophone
Paulo Galão tenor saxophone
Pedro Arelo baritone saxophone
Recorded (9 December 2018) and Mix by Joaquim Monte at Namouche Studios in Lisbon
Assisted by Jerome Durand and Bernardo Centeno
Mastered by Simon Wadsworth
Artwork by Joanna John
Band photos by Nuno Martins
Produced by Jorge Nuno and Hernâni Faustino
Executive Production by Grzegorz Tyszkiewicz
Uivo Zebra wants to thank Rui Eduardo Paes, Nuno Martins, Grzegorz Tyszkiewicz and a sincere big thank you to Luís Vicente, José Lencastre, Paulo Galão and Pedro Arelo for playing with us.
Garuda + Rodrigo Pinheiro Tongues of Flames (A New Wave of Jazz)
Hugo Costa alto saxophone
Hernâni Faustino double bass
João Valinho drums
Rodrigo Pinheiro piano
Recorded at Namouche studios in Lisbon, July , 2022 by Joaquim Monte
Mixed & Mastered by Daniele Martini
Sleeve notes : Guy Peters.
Layout : Rutger Zuydervelt
Executive label director : Dirk Serries
One of the most persistent presumptions about ‘free music’, is that it is supposed to be an attempt at total freedom, with at its very core a form-less mass of sound that remains shapeless, without references and devoid of coherence. Of course, it couldn’t be any further from the truth. Granted, free improvising musicians claim different kinds of freedom – the freedom to disregard some conventions and the freedom to opt for a different course are two key examples -, but the term ‘freedom’ usually gets a productive interpretation. While less bound to rules and limitations, the best free music out there is usually an act of collective construction. Applicable point in case: this second release by the Portuguese Garuda Trio, for which they are accompanied by pianist Rodrigo Pinheiro Rotterdam-based alto saxophonist Hugo Costa previously appeared on this label with Philipp Ernsting, one of his band mates in the pulverizing trio Albatre. Work with this band or his trio with Onno Govaert and Raoul van der Weide shows he’s also a highly personal and nuanced player, equally comfortable in more introspective, totally acoustic surroundings. In bass player Hernâni Faustino and drummer João Valinho, he finds two impressive foils. While Faustino recently impressed with Manifesto, a trio with Susan Alcorn and José Lencastre, he has been a cornerstone of Lisbon’s free music community for years. He’s a modest artist playing with effortless authority. Valinho, on the other hand, made his entrance onto the scene only a few years ago, but is already one of the most adaptive players of the moment. Look no further than the two extremely divergent Clean Feed-releases he appeared on in 2023 (with MOVE & Bruno Parrinha’s Vine Leaf). Extra guest this time around is pianist Rodrigo Pinheiro, another crucial member of Lisbon’s creative music community and, like Faustino, also a RED trio member and founder of the Phonogram Unit-label. Together, these four expertly navigate through divergent waters, from the sparse and introverted to the kinetic, with a keen sense of tension and an eye for detail. Opener “Raw” is an exercise in musical bonding that manages to remain free and unfettered throughout a turbulent course while never losing its tight focus. The shorter “Tongue Of Flames” immediately packs a punch and slowly releases (some of) its tension in the second half, turning it into an alluring mirror image. “If We Dance” perhaps stays closer to the jazz tradition, without losing an unpredictable fickleness. Listen how these four move – perhaps dance is a more appropriate verb, indeed – around each other, and work with volume, density, textures, iridescent atmospheres and a finale in which lava-like energy morphs into something hypnotizing. The quartet somehow merges gravity with playfulness and never settles for conventionality, putting the act of spontaneous creation front and center. That another Portuguese line-up pops up on this label is, admittedly, a cause for personal joy, but it also shows that this international scene is a supportive environment. More than ever before, international collaboration might offer the best way forward. We have all witnessed what artificial borders can lead to. Guy Peters