Serenata

Mike Marshall (Artist), Jovino Santos Neto (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 16, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Adventure Music
• ASIN: B0000D1FJB
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #420,541 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Sertão Alagoano (The Hinterland of Alagaos)

2. Quanto Mais Longe, Mais Perto

3. Serenata

4. July 17

5. Saudades Do Brasil (Modinha)

6. Hino Da Princesa Eterna (Hymn For The Eternal Princesa)

7. Os Guizos (The Bells)

8. Tertúlia

9. Joyce

10. Roseando

11. Sept. 1

12. Floresta

13. Santa Catarina

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The premise here is an interesting one: versatile American mandolinist Mike Marshall (whose roots are in bluegrass) and Brazilian pianist Jovino Santos Neto (who is a Hermeto Pascoal disciple) team up with an occasional guest for an album that surveys 13 of Hermeto Pascoal's 2500 compositions. Giving the official stamp of approval, Pascoal himself is on hand to play on a few of the tunes. But whereas the composer's own performances can be quite playful and even chaotic, Marshall and Neto find a more romantic, somber and harmonically rich vein in the master's Brazilian jazz pantheon while touching on Western classical (particularly the title cut) and other Latin styles. That it seamless blends together is tribute to the top-shelf musicianship of the two principals. The production quality is excellent as well, capturing the delicate timbre of the acoustic instruments and allowing the listener to savor each note of this exquisite music as if sipping from a glass of fine wine. --Tad Hendrickson

Product Description

Co-founder of the label Adventure Music, Mike Marshall (guitar, mandolin) has teamed up with one of Brazil's preeminent pianists on a new album featuring the music of Hermeto Pascoal. Marshall, one of the original artists of the Windham Hill label, member of the original David Grisman Quintet, Psychograss, and Montreux, fell in love with Brazilian choro music on a trip to South America in the mid-nineties. Throughout his 25 year career, this master string instrumentalist has continued to push the boundaries of acoustic instrumental music.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting crosscultural acoustic jazz album, May 25, 2004

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Serenata (Audio CD)

Following a trip to Brazil in 1995, Newgrass mandolin whiz Mike Marshall decided to tackle an entire album of Brazilian "choro" music, the zippy, propulsive instrumental style pioneered in the late 1800s, alongside it's better-known musical cousin, the samba. On this album, Marshall delves deeper into his love of Brazilian jazz, exploring the work of avantnik multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal, one of the most original and more challenging modern Brazilian jazz players. On the whole, I would say this set is far less "out there" than most of Pascoal's own albums, but the interplay between mandolinist Marshall and pianist Jovino Santos Neto reveals a strong intuitive link, both between the performers and the music they're tackling. Interesting album with some remarkable moments. Pascoal himself adds a flute solo to one track, giving the album that extra bit of authenticity...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pascoal Tamed yet His Melodies Flow, June 30, 2011

By 

Dr. Debra Jan Bibel "World Music Explorer" (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Serenata (Audio CD)

Before discussing this particular disc, I need to note that the duo of piano and mandolin needs to be heard more often. The contrast of timbre delights the ear, and there is something cheerful about the sound of a mandolin. That said, I find that Mike Marshall and Jovino Santos Nero are splendid musicians, but I find the overall arrangements of these works by Hermeto Pascoal are the direct opposite associated with the wild man of Brazil, that is, tame and mellow. The guest appearance of Pascoal on flute on track 2 indicates the difference in style. Santos Neto is well familiar with these selected works because he performed for 15 years with Pascoal's group and is curator of his over 2,500 compositions. Marshall, who came from bluegrass, later mastered the choro. For a listener who is challenged by the intensity and oddness of many of Pascoal's recordings, this album will be comfortable, for it is rich in melody and smooth in sensation. Perhaps too much so at times. Track 4, "July 14" stands out with its interesting jagged rhythm, and track 8, Tertulia, has a tango-like urgency, but the general tone of the album subdues these highlights. For instance, the final track, Santa Catarina, has a playful fast Bach-like introduction but rapidly melts into a slow current of notes. However, we should differentiate Pascoal as avant-garde performer versus his being composer, and these musicians were more concerned with the score and the lovely tunes. Serenata is a fine album, but I would prefer some more spunk. Others may be attracted to the relaxed style.