Rodrigo Amado, Wire Quartet

by Icrom Bigrad

Filled with romping excitement, Rodrigo Amado and Wire Quartet are positively exhilarating and will not disappoint, supported by a wonderful line up that features members of the Red Trio and the rewarding, Manuel Mota.  Wire Quartet consists of three extended pieces. "Abandon Yourself" which opens the album with slow building introduction where each member moves gently with well place focused notes. The piece moves into its second structure when Amado and Mota both let loose and Faustino and Ferrandini follow making this section of the piece the most chaotic while beautiful at the same time.  The mood settles in the latter stages as each musician has their own moment to rise above. The compositional strength is strong, yet Amado allows the members the freedom to craft the passages within the outlying structure.

On “Surrender” a bluesy artistic vibe, yet still encompassing sense of moving far beyond, with an abundance free movement with Mota's guitar screaming like Branca, Bailey or Thurston Moore rolled into one. Ferrandini’s atmospheric brush-work adds a nice polish to the track. While on the closing number, "To the Music," Amado opens wide with pounding tones and patterns that are reminiscent of Ayler or Braxton. Mota's guitar wails but never overpowers the piece.

Wire Quartet is a significant addition to the jazz rock moniker; it is fierce, searing and rasping like any other Amado record. Similar to Amado's work with Luis Lopes, but with the profusion that a quartet offers to the sound, adding a level of muscularity to Rodrigo Amado's compositions, this is hard to believe, as his brilliance was already in abundance. 

Players:  Rodrigo Amado (sax), Gabriel Ferrandini (drums), Hernâni Faustino (bass), Manuel Mota (guitar).

Label:  Clean Feed; 2014