Far Out, yet again, set out a stall of wonderful Brazilian nuggets and this time what's on offer is very, very special indeed. "Visions Of Dawn" is the original 'lost' Brazillian album recorded in Paris in 1976. This set was rescued and meticulously remastered by Far Out's very own Joe Davis. I am a big fan of Joyce Silviera. She has a gorgeously expressive and rich voice, and she also strums a darn good acoustic guitar to boot. Joining Joyce on this set are 2 giants of the Brazilian music scene. Nana Vasconcelos is a talented percussionist and the multi-talented Mauricio Maestro not only produced this set, but contributed electric bass, vocals and guitar. The album, I have to say is quite psychedelic in places and I can imagine fitted in well with the somewhat bohemian artistic scene in the mid 1970s. The cover artwork, courtesy of Andy Votel manages to encapsulate the warmth of the Brazilian vibes, as well as allowing a level of psychedelia to sneak in too. Very nice.
This album is like nothing you have ever heard. I LOVE it, and been playing it a lot - makes the jolly old ironing seem much less of a chore, that much I can tell you! LOL. The opening song definitely does NOT slip you up! "Banana" is a track that would have been a real sought-after gem on the jazz scene in the 80s and 90s had it already have been released and long-since deleted. Gilles Peterson's excellent show would have latched on to this a long time ago. So Brazilian it hurts, this is Joyce at her very best. Fans of Toco, Azymuth, Jorge Ben, Arthur Verocai or Marcos Valle will love this. Talking of Toco, fans of his wonderful "Outro Lugar" CD for Schema Records will adore the duet "Metralhadeira" - a track that would not be out of place on that album - even though there are 33 years separating them! "Nacional Kid" is another short but sweet affair, plenty of guitar and timbales showcasing Joyce's beautifully pitched and matched vocals. Simply stunning as a piece of music and as a vocal performance. I can easily imagine relaxing on Ipanema Beach (in fact, I'd probably need placing on a leash!) when I hear "Tudo Bonito". So goes the album. The suite "Memorias Do Porvir / Visões Do Amanhecer", "Carnavalzinho" are simply wonderful...the brooding and melancholic giving way to the sheer carnival flavours and then into the superb "Jardim Dos Deuses". This is a real must-have for fans of Brazilian music. A real gem.
The Vibe Scribe
