“From the first few notes, my ears were greeted by great compositions,
genuinely intuitive group improvisation, and some highly skilled risk
taking by all the band members. Throughout the recording, I couldn’t
escape the feeling that this music might have been made during the
Golden Age of Jazz Rock Fusion.
Even though Mateus is
a recent graduate of The Berklee College [Summa Cum Laude and majored
in performance] the entire bands use of space and dynamics make them
sound like long time pros with a very distinct style all their own. In
fact, the choice to make the Cd with all musicians in the studio at the
same time create some of the best listening and reacting I’ve heard in
a long time.
Mateus himself plays well-chosen notes with tremendous feeling. He
shows no fear of getting out there when he is improvising, and no ego
to limit his ability to demonstrate his delicate touch when the music
calls for it. In fact, everyone in the band completely sacrifices
individual playing for the sake of the music in the moment. I
especially like the fact that Mateus also knows when NOT to play. That
is a truly unique gift in this age of the dominating ‘guitar shredder’
that has sadly become the signature sound of modern fusion.
It’s hard to believe that this is the bands first recording and I’m eagerly awaiting more from Mateus and mates.”
Rick Calic – Jazz Rock World.
