Pianist Paul Harrison releases Encontros, a personal celebration of the music of Brazilian composer Egberto Gismonti’s music, on Friday 5th September.
One of the leading players on the vibrant Scottish jazz scene, Harrison was first attracted to Gismonti’s work after hearing Choro, Gismonti’s homage to the popular, intricate musical style that originated in 19th century Rio de Janeiro.
“The music got under my skin,” says Harrison, who decided to explore Gismonti’s work and found vast resources of diverse musical riches. “I was particularly taken by the fact that Gismonti offered alternatives to samba and bossa nova, much though I like these styles, and that he was showing that Brazil had so much more music and so many rhythms. Each piece presented a challenge but in a good way and I quickly grew to love the diversity involved.”
Along with Scottish-based Brazilian bassist Mario Lima Caribe and drummer Stu Brown, Harrison formed Trio Magico specifically to play Gismonti compositions. The group became popular, earning return bookings at festivals but while the trio is at the heart of Encontros, the album is more than a Trio Magico recording.
“I wanted to highlight a variety of sounds and textures,” says Harrison. “I was very conscious that I’m not Brazilian and that as a jazz musician I might be expected to present this music in a standard jazz form of melody, solo, melody. But Gismonti’s music isn’t jazz in that sense, so I approached it in a way that – I hope - reflects its interesting structures and its various moods and dramatic qualities.”
Each track on Encontros has its own personality. As well as his colleagues from Trio Magico, Harrison invited Paris-based Brazilian percussionist Edmundo Carneiro, a long-time friend of bassist Mario Caribe who has played with major Brazilian artists including Tania Maria, Ivan Lins and Baden Powell, to add his nous and musical colour.
Harrison also invited Glasgow-based saxophonist Laura Macdonald, an enthusiastic admirer of Brazilian music in particular and South American music in general whom he has known and worked with for many years, to play on three tracks.
“Laura has worked with the Venezuelan pianist Leo Blanco, whose music, like Gismonti’s, has its own idiosyncrasies, and that helped to bring out the richness of the saxophone-piano duo Palhaco and the very delicate Meninas,” says Harrison.
Vocalist Rachel Lightbody added her way of negotiating intricate melodies, which Harrison describes as “untouchable”, and cellist Sua-Le brought another dimension, as did Fraser Fifield, whose low D whistle playing features on the ethereal Bianca.
As well as shining a light on Gismonti’s genius, Encontros is a showcase for Harrison’s skill and sensitivity across a range of music from the exuberant Karate, on which he adds melodica, to the tender, mysterious closing solo piano piece A Fala Da Paixão, which Harrison captured in the brief period before the other musicians arrived.
The album comes with an endorsement from Egberto Gismonti himself, with the Brazilian master noting, "it has humour, has grace, has freedom to play".