Album Review-11 Cabeças.
The very name of this Brazilian jazz fusion act, 11 Cabecas (or ‘eleven heads’ in English),
promptly tells you that we are talking a large group format. On this eponymous album, it also
represents the combined brain power of its players for this is a record chock full of ideas as
the musicians weave their way through a variety of different styles. At times they groove like
a funked-up seventies Blaxploitation soundtrack (all wah-wah guitars and Fender Rhodes
piano); at other points they could be a Latin version of Yes, with their quirky time signatures
and stop-start dynamics. The occasional whiff of early Steely Dan also permeates in places
too but their dominant motif throughout is lite jazz-funk.
There’s no doubting that this is an album of skill and accomplishment. The arrangements are
intricate and highly textured in places. The standard of musicianship is, as one might expect,
exceptionally high, although the playing sometimes errs on the overly polite (one wishes they
would occasionally cut loose and let things get a little wilder).
From a bass perspective, the goods are masterfully delivered by Bruno Migliari. He shows
versatility in his playing and is at ease on both the electric and the acoustic basses. The solo
in ‘Too High’ is sufficiently slippery. There’s a great riff being slapped at the beginning
of ‘Funky Connection’, which also has a tasteful voice/bass duet, and ‘Little Sunflower’ has
some cheeky double bass work on it.
My chief complaint is that the album does sound resolutely stuck in the 1970s and – as such
- one is left with the air of the familiar, the sensation of having heard much of what is played
before without being able to pinpoint precisely where. Nonetheless this a fine record and if
you like your jazz smooth with a splice of funky, then this will not disappoint.
7/10
Richard Scarr
Hi Richard, thanks for reviewing this album. It’s a landmark of sorts in Rio’s jazz scene, and something I’m proud to have taken part in the making.
All the bass,
Bruno.
The album’s cover is amazing! I’ll be looking forward to hear it in Youtube…txs for suggesting!
If you wanna hear us live on YouTube, search no further:
http://www.youtube.com/user/migliaribass#grid/user/6A2DD47F2BDA0429
That’s a dedicated playlist on my YouTube channel (migliaribass), containing a short interview (in portuguese) and several videos of a TV concert from 2005.
And here’s a link for those of you interested in giving “11 Cabeças” a thorough listen:
http://soundcloud.com/bruno-migliari/sets/11-cabe-as