"Listening to the stimulating work of Samuel Pompeo, I was transported to an unusual place full of pleasant surprises. With confident strides, he takes us on a journey through various styles and transforms them into unique, impeccably performed music with exquisite arrangements and compositions.
Samuel brings the baritone saxophone to the forefront as a soloist with outstanding fluency and sound. He also reveals exuberance in the melodies and solos on the bass clarinet and soprano saxophone. The musicians accompanying him deserve special mention for their sound, their improvisations, and their top-tier virtuosity.
What catches my attention are the melodies sometimes doubled; the harmonies, with their modulations; the counterpoints between the players, “questions” and “answers” in a beautiful conversation; and, above all, the rhythm, with transitions of extreme complexity, yet sounding very natural, moving between jazz, choro, samba, Brazilian tango, and various other rhythms and styles. It’s as if John Coltrane and his group met Pixinguinha, Radamés Gnattali, and even Ernesto Nazareth.
The arrangements are elaborate, conveying a sense of meticulous care in every detail, every phrase, every modulation. This is without forgetting the quality of the compositions, ranging from Radamés Gnattali, Pixinguinha, Benedito Lacerda, Laurent Hess, João Cristal, and Samuel himself.
Another relevant point is the sound quality of the project. Well-mixed. Well-recorded. Everything is in place, thanks to the recording and mixing engineers and also to the commitment and quality of the musicians involved. The guitar, in harmonious coexistence with the piano (only those who play know the difficulty), and the solidity of the bass elegantly guides us through this harmonic and rhythmic ballet. With much creativity and precision, the drums propose rhythmic transitions from jazz, samba, maxixe, and choro to afro-jazz! All of this is "sewn" together by the sound of Samuel Pompeo, who manages to bring sweetness, smoothness, intensity, and virtuosity in a unique performance. Very in tune and highly inspired.
Some highlights: the free beginning, with intriguing intervals, and the polyrhythm of the track “Dodecafonando”; the mix of a “Brazilian Tango” à la Ernesto Nazareth with Jazz, in the song “Cliff Cliff”; the lyricism of “Valsa Triste,” with the theme presented in the lows of the Baritone and Bass; the complexity combined with delicacy in the track “Pé de Moleque”; and, closing the album, “Naquele Tempo” brings a beautiful conversation, full of rhythmic transitions, and the stunning improvisations of Piano, Guitar, and Soprano.
Passos Largos is, definitively, a celebration of choro and jazz, with touches of classical music, a necessary sonic journey for these challenging times.
Long live Brazilian music! Long live Brazilian musicians!"
Otavio de Moraes
