Reviewed by
March 2007

Mike Marshall & Hamilton de Holanda
New Words - Novas Palavras
Adventure Music AM 1029 2 (2006)
Total time: 60'00"

Can it be overwhelming when two exceptional artists join forces to release a new album? Most definitely not in this case. Mike Marshall and Hamilton de Holanda have come up with a dynamite duet album that is bound to leave listeners in pure ecstasy. On mandolin, mandocello and tenor guitar, Marshall gets plenty of enticement from Holanda, who clearly takes the top spot as Brazil's number one10-string bandolim player. In addition to the 10-string bandolim, Holanda also plays the Irish Bouzouki on three pieces. The electricity generated by these two musicians must have been more than enough to keep Gatorland Studios charged up for a whole lot more. Featuring music by Jacob do Bandolim, Ernesto Nazareth, Garoto, Hermeto Pascoal and Pixinguinha as well as originals by the two artists, New Words is full of excellent music done superbly. Even if the repertoire includes well-known compositions, the album lacks no surprises. Take, for example, the unexpected medley of "Blackberry Blossom/Apanhei-te Cavaquinho." U.S. and Brazilian traditions melt together in a most exquisite rendition. Truly amazing! As for the original compositions, Marshall adds two of his while Holanda contributes with three. The mandocello and Irish Bouzouki duets in "Brejeiro" and "Ham & Mike" are fascinating. Outside the Brazilian songbook, New Words also features Bela Fleck's "Big Country" and the classic "Autumn Leaves." The latter gets special treatment: it's very touching in the beginning and then changes into a lively romp. Enough of surprises? Not yet. To imagine these musicians in the studio in one thing. To see them actually performing some of these numbers is an entirely different story. It is fascinatingly beautiful to see Marshall and Holanda in love with their instruments and music they perform. They have a great time, and it shows it clearly. Feast your eyes with the bonus DVD including three live tracks recorded at the Savannah Music Festival in March of 2006. New Words is classy, dynamic and pure fun to hear and watch.

You can visit Mike Marshall, Hamilton de Holanda or Adventure Music for more information about this release.