Egberto Gismonti Selected Recordings
CD, 2004, Compilation, Digipak

+ Charlie Haden, Jan Garbarek, Egberto Gis-
monti, Jan Garbarek u.v.a.

Egberto Gismonti's volume in the excellent ECM Rarum series contains material from seven of his ten albums for the label as a leader, none from the 124 recordings on his own label distributed by ECM. It hardly matters. Gismonti is the most enigmatic and mercurial of the artists on the roster. Being from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he has made a life of delving deep into his country's magical musical framework that draws into itself and expands upon the many cultures that have intersected with it from Africa, Europe, and the United States. The music contained here finds Gismonti, ever the shamanistic gadfly conjurer, singing and playing no less than eight instruments, from percussion to guitars to flutes. The settings range from the stunning solo guitar of "Cavaquinho," where classical and Indian notions dovetail one another, to more conventional quartets such as the one found on "Ensaio de Escola de Samba" with another guitar, cello, and double bass, or the string players on "10 Anos," which features his piano playing in a jazz quartet with saxophone. And then there is "Frevo," a work that reflects not only Gismonti's knowledge and frenetic approach to counterpoint as it manifests itself in Brazilian and European classical music, but the frenzy of Carnaval as it engages his pianism to a symphony orchestra. These selections are sequenced nearly perfectly and offer a radiant and ambitious portrait of one of the most revered and misunderstood musicians ECM has ever recorded. ~ Thom Jurek Stuart Nicholson wrote in the BBC Music magazine of the "Rarum" series: "... selected by the artists themselves, this series is of enormous importance in revealing the breadth of each artist's work, as much for the converted as the unconverted looking for a window into the remarkable ECM catalogue". The complexity of Brazil, its interweaving of cultures, finds its echo in the music of Egberto Gismonti who draws on resources both "sophisticated" and "primitive"- from European classical music to the samba school to the music of the Xingu Indians and the sounds of the rainforest, from folk musics, from jazz. Highly trained as a pianist, Gismonti adapted pianistic technique in innovative manner on his customised 8- and 10- and 14-string guitars. It is his guitar artistry which is at the forefront of his :rarum collection. Recorded in Norway, Germany and Lithuania between 1977 and 1995. Includes liner notes by Egberto Gismonti. Personnel: Egberto Gismonti (guitar, flute, wooden flute, piano, kalimba, surdo); Nando Carneiro (guitar); Naná Vasconcelos (berimbau, percussion); Jaques Morelenbaum (cello); Mauro Senise (alto saxophone); Zeca Assumpçao (double bass); Nené (drums). Liner Note Author: Egberto Gismonti . Recording information: Munchen (11/1977-06/1995); Oslo, Norway (11/1977-06/1995); Vilnius, Lithuania (11/1977-06/1995). Photographers: Allan Titmuss; Roberto Masotti; Ralph Quinke; Jim Bengston. Arranger: Egberto Gismonti . Personnel includes: Egberto Gismonti (vocals, wooden flute, piano, guitar, percussion); Gintaras Rinkevieius (conductor); Mauro Senise (alto saxophone); Nano Vasconcelos (berimbau, percussion); Nando Carneiro (guitar); Jacques Morelenbaum (cello); Zeca Assumpcao (acoustic bass); Nene (drums); Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra.