Album Review-8VB – Amicizia
8VB (the name of whom, I am guessing, should be pronounced ‘Octava Bassa’, the musical term from which their sobriquet derives) are an international duo containing Italian jazz guitarist Chester Harlan and the Brazilian bassist (and 11 Cabecas member), Bruno Migliari. However this is not a collection of guitar/bass duets (although there is one rather tender one, ‘Couleurs’), but is instead a fuller bodied affair as the duo have surrounded themselves with some first-class players to accompany them on this selection of self-penned tunes.
The band clearly have their chops. Both of the drummers – Marcelinho da Costa and Xande Figueiredo – can groove like demons and they know their be-bop stop/start rhythms inside out, for example on ‘5 Dias’ with its slippery 7/8 time signature. Tenor sax player Henrique Band also shines every time he makes an appearance.
Migliari is clearly a player of note. His bass tone is rich and warm, the aural equivalent of being cuddled by a large and friendly cartoon bear. His solos are smooth and elegant, such as on ‘Miss Freyer’, or on the thoughtful and flowing ‘Me Visite Em Sonhos’. His nifty fretwork on ‘Gengis’ highlights his dexterity and – like all good bass players – he knows how to hold things down, when to reign the showy playing in, and when to let it out too.
Overall the album is a pleasant enough listen but one which it is difficult to get excited over. Migliari’s bass work is a treat throughout but the record – as a whole – just needs a little more fire in its belly to really stand out from the crowd.
7/10
Richard Scarr
Thanks for the review. I’m currently working on that “belly fire”…
For those of you interested on digging deeper, here’s a dedicated video playlist on my YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/migliaribass#grid/user/4471D21146165602
Cracking version of ‘Teen Town’, Bruno!
Thanks, Richard. I’m glad you liked it!
And here’s a link for those of you interested in giving “Amicizia” a listen:
http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/3468998