Nó em Pingo D’Água & Cristóvão Bastos: Domingo Na Geral

Soccer & Choro – Nó Is Everything

Produced by Almir Chediak and with musical direction by Celsinho Silva and Mário Sève, Domingo na Geral is Nó em Pingo D’Água’s fifth album. The group’s formation for this recording remains unchanged from Nó na Garganta: Celsinho Silva (percussion), Mário Sève (sax and flute), Rodrigo Lessa (mandolin and guitar), Rogério Souza (acoustic guitar) and Papito (bass). Besides Cristovão Bastos on piano, there is one special guest: Paulinho da Viola. Arrangements for this release were done by the group as well as Cristovão Bastos. The beautiful and immediately recognizable cover art work is by Elifas Andreato, who has done similar projects for other Brazilian artists, from Paulinho da Viola — Andreato’s first album cover in 1972 for A Dança da Solidão — to Zeca Pagodinho. Andreato’s work elevates a CD cover to a piece of art.

With plenty of ginga(Brazilian swing) and vibe,Domingo na Geral unites one of Brazil’s premier arrangers and composers, Cristovão Bastos, with Nó em Pingo D’Água. The title track opens with all musicians celebrating Sunday at a soccer game (the album title refers to the general public area in a soccer stadium). Domingo na Geral is a fast paced album in which the addition of a piano blends in perfectly well. Special guest Paulinho da Viola appears in “Um Sarau para Rafael” playing cavaquinho and acoustic guitar. Sève’s soft soprano sax is very evocative of the earlier soirées common in the late 1800’s and beginning of the 1900’s in Brazil. Sève brings back his soprano sax again in the romantic “Pra Dois Amores” and in the piano/alto sax waltz “Valsa dos Peixes.” Another soft piece is “Oração,” with Souza’s acoustic guitar solo taking center stage. As they had done previously in Salvador, “Frevo Portenho” is one of those lively frevos that are more common in the Carnaval celebrations of Recife and Salvador in the northeast of Brazil.