JUNE 2020 | Adam Brown | Passáro de Madeira
JUNE 2020 | Adam Brown | Passáro de Madeiraby RAY PICOT
Adam Brown has produced yet another superbly sequenced album of solo guitar music, in Passáro de Madeira (Wooden Songbirds), which in his own words, ‘presents the musical migrations, freedom and creativity of Latin America’. I must admit that this collection of Latin Americana has been on and off my CD player for the last few months, having been seduced by the very subtle and undemonstrative playing, which allows the melodies to flow from one to the next in seamless melodic charm. Time I reviewed it!
This album is the natural successor to Gladios, reviewed on these pages in October 2014. I’d not heard this recording, but my colleague had high praise for Adam Brown, so that was something I had to rectify. Very impressive (if you’ve not heard it) taking a quite different route through Latin America, to its successor, with an engaging collection of popular and classical pieces.
The simple fact is that if you heard Passáro de Madeira without knowing who the guitarist was, it would be easy to place his nationality somewhere between Brazil and Venezuela, Infact Adam Brown is a rising British star who has made a very interesting and individual collection of now 5 albums. He has consistently garnered critical praise for his tonal beauty and technical ability, though he never allows the latter to show.
In an interview, Brown expresses his intention to introduce a musical world that the listener may not have experienced. I did wonder whether this album achieved that, then I realised the easy familiarity I’d acquired of the pieces, concealed the fact the familiar is carefully interlaced with less well known works. What Brown presents is a collection of original pieces and outstanding arrangements, which features contributions from Ángel Villolda, Simone Iannarelli, Barrios, Horacio Salgan, Nazareth, Villa-Lobos, Matos Rodríguez, Lauro, Joaquim Callado, Carlos Ortíz and Jorge Morel.
If I was to select two tracks to illustrate how good Brown is listen to Nazareth’s Corocao qui Sente, followed by Villa-Lobos’ Schottisch - Chôro. The style is carefree, and in the Nazareth the melody achieves a languid songful lilt, contrasted by the more rhythmically complex Villa-Lobos. A contrast between the nocturnal and sunlit street music.
This is not music that has been put down to challenge the mind but rather to take it to another place, a complex world no doubt, but one where dance rhythms illuminate moments of happiness, sadness and nostalgia.
Brown has an acute understanding for the rhythms that underpin these pieces and the phrasing just lifts the simplest piece out of the ordinary. Do not take my word for it, just listen to Brown via his website adambrownguitar.com which features album extracts and some excellent live performances. The album’s sound quality is exemplary and does justice to Brown’s outstanding technical skills. The album also includes the guitarist’s straightforward programme notes, aided with an attractive digipak design, helps make this a most desirable acquisition.
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