Hermeto Pascoal - Zabumbê-Bum-Á (1979)

Almost 30 yrs old, this recording is a revelation to Hermetologists that did not have access to it before, and for newcomers to the sounds of O Bruxo, this cd contains some of Hermeto's most accessable and most abstract compositions, blended together like a delicious feijoada!
Electric and acustic instrumentation,spoken word improvisations and poesia--nordestino ritmos flows to metamorph into odd meters and "fractured" time. Melodies and improvisations move like a great river , placid and glassy one moment, swiftly running rapids then, at times culminating into a freefalling waterfall- a musical Foz do Iguassu!
The compositions, "cousins" *Sao Jorge" and the "cosmic baiao" *Santo Antonio* recall Hermeto's roots in the Alagoas state. The musical patterns of the ladies asking for donations to prepare the food for the Festa do Santo are counterpoint to the melody and "suinge" of the composition. "Sao Jorge" is for Hermeto's father- a moving tribute.
"Suite Norte, Sul, Leste ,Oeste" has 4 obvious movements, one for each "direction". It is a powerful statement, and one of my FAVORITE Hermeto compositions. All the parts effortlessly follow, a song about distinct situates has no musical "borders", hehehe!
The rolling marcha of "Alexandre, Marcelo e Pablo" expands into a mini-symphony, with Cacau overdubbing flauta and woodwinds, Hermeto scats with his clavinete in an inspired solo.
"Rede"and "Mestre Mara" ( in which Hermeto invokes "O Mestre", the embodiment of the Maracatu ritmo) --these tracks take a more abstract approach.
"Suite Paulistana" is a COMPLETE cacaphany of sounds--Hermeto's impressions of Sao Paulo,the business and industrial city of over 12 million people from all over Brasil and the world!--you are in perpetual rush hour traffic/ street scene confusion with your Paulistano brothers and sisters on this recording,NO DOUBT you will "feel" this track!

Tracklist:

1.São Jorge
2.Rede
3.Pimenteira
4.Suite Paulistana
5.Santo Antonio
6.Alexandre, Marcelo E Pablo (Nenê)
7.Suite Norte, Sul, Leste, Oeste
8.Susto
9.Mestre Mará

Personnel & info:
Cacau - flute, tenor sax & bariton sax
Jovino Santos Neto - keyboards & percussion
Antônio Celso - guitarra & mandolin
Itiberê Zwarg - bass
Nenê - drums, percussion, keyboard in track 6
Pernambuco - percussion
Zabelê - vocal, percussion, guitar in track 6
Mauro Senise - flute & alto sax
Parents of Hermeto, Mr. Pascoal and Mrs. Divina - voices (mother in track 5, father in track 1)
Hermeto - piano, keyboards, guitar, tenor sax, soprano sax, voices and percussion.

Compositions by Hermeto, except "Alexandre, Marcelo y Pablo" by Nene.

Sin duda uno de los mejores discos de su carrera, Zabumbê-Bum-Á es, además, uno de sus trabajos más "jazzísticos" y el primero registrado por un grupo que, con mínimas variaciones, lo acompañaría durante años: Itiberê Zwarg en bajo, Jovino Santos en piano y flauta, Pernambuco en percusión, Zabelê —única presencia femenina— en instrumentos varios y voz, Nenê en batería y Cacau en saxos y flauta.
Producido por el propio Hermeto, Zabumbê es el primer álbum cien por ciento Pascoal. Redondo y coherente por donde se lo mire, reune en su escaso tiempo de vinilo lo medular de la magia albina: su riqueza melódica, sus improvisaciones febriles y una exhuberancia rítmica cubriéndolo todo.
Santo Antonio; Alexandre, Marcelo e Pablo —tema del baterista con un conmovedor solo de Hermeto en unísono de clavinet y voz— el cuasi bop Susto y esa especie de himno ecológico que es Rede, son sus puntos más altos. El extraordinario desempeño de Nenê en batería se suma a sus virtudes, sin olvidarnos, claro, de la increíble Suite Paulistana, una creación solista improvisada, con Hermeto en flauta dulce, saxos, pitos, palanganas, ceniceros, mesa de cedro y cinturones.