À Deriva: Móbile

Beautiful Freedom

With their fourth album the guys from À Deriva once again show their originality and their drive for innovation. The band is together in the same line-up ever since their self-titled debut album in 2006. And that shows. It’s a fact that changing line-ups can add new perspectives, but in the case of À Deriva the chemistry between the musicians prevails. Such a chemistry can only grow when you work together for several years. Musical ideas are worked out in a free form by the four band members; one title can lead to different performances. It’s the power of a long collaboration that make things happen for À Deriva.

À Deriva is Rui Barossi (bass), Daniel Müller (piano, accordion), Guilherme Marques (drums, percussion) and Beto Sporleder (saxophones and flutes). For this new album, Móbile, the band found inspiration in the work of the late American sculptor Alexander Calder (1898 – 1976). Calder was mainly known for his mobiles, the kinetic sculptures that gently move in the air. The approach for the music À Deriva delivers on Móbile follows that art form in a figurative way. Each song tells its own story. Like a mobile, most of music gently rocks through the air. At moments more turbulent but it never crashes; despite its free form, the music is remarkably accessible. With his lyrical, almost poetic style, pianist Daniel Muller provides us with beautiful reflective moments. The reeds and bass form an unisonous couple, following each other in the melody lines before going their own way. Guilherme Marques on drums spices up the conversations in a very motivating way. Six of the musical ideas for the songs are by his hand (two are co-written with bassist Rui Barossi, who wrote the rest of the ideas). The sound of the drums is really perfect. Well, in fact, all instruments are perfectly recorded (live in studio) and sound as clear as they can sound. Listen to the sound of the accordion, for instance, in “Música pra um Primeiro Ato.” To add odd colors to the music and to dedicate to the work of the French artist Marcel Duchamp (1887 – 1968), À Deriva also uses recycled materials. Duchamp was among the first to turn everyday objects into art. The recording studio was decorated with various objects hanging down from the ceiling (like mobiles). At appropriate moments the four musicians used the objects as alternative instruments. It adds surprising accents to the music.

The CD is accompanied by a series of ten photographs. They might inspire the listener to form an idea about the music, but that’s not their main purpose. À Deriva wants the listener to form her or his own idea about what the music tells. The ten songs started with one idea which led to sometimes completely other ideas. Therefore it’s no use to give information about the birth of the songs. Basically the pictures are a non-related extra feature. But at any point of the CD any picture might serve as an illustration. It’s all worth the effort.

Móbile is an album that intrigues from the beginning till the end. The art of freedom sounds great in the hands of these four seasoned musicians. They continue to impress with new ideas and their outstanding craftsmanship. By now they’re a settled name in the Brazilian jazz-scene. Or at least, they should be, also internationally! Highly recommended if you’re looking for an hour of truly beautiful and progressive jazz.

ALBUM INFORMATION

À Deriva
Móbile
À Deriva Discos ADVA0009 (2013)
Time: 361’01”

Tracks: