The first album of the Portuguese trio of sax hero José Lencastre, bassist Hernâni Faustino and drummer Vasco Furtado, «Vento» (2020), was the first album of their newly founded label Phonogram Unit. The sophomore album of this fine trio, «Forces in Motion», was recorded with no audience an empty church, Igreja do espírito Santo in Caldas da Rainha, and was broadcasted live for a radio program in October 2020. As in a DIY label, Furtado mixed the album and Faustino contributed the cover image.

The atmosphere of «Forces in Motion» stresses the organic and democratic dynamics of this trio. Lencastre, who plays the alto sax, develops intriguing, melodic threads in a slow-cooking but always searching manner. Faustino, who plays here the electric bass uses cleverly the bass effects, together with Furtado color Lencastre’s musings with imaginative, fundamental details, and intensifying his mysterious, beautiful ideas. The six pieces correspond with each other, all offer enough space to breathe and improvise, and each piece introduces more nuances to the patient, natural flow of the music.

This trio has solidified its own strong identity, and the slow-percolating pieces like «Points of departure», «Cascade», the aptly-titled «Lava flow» and «Jellyfish sea» emphasize the risk-taking approach and the unique sound of this trio. The magical «End song» is a beautiful conclusion to a beautiful album.

Eyal Hareuveni

José Lencastre (as), Hernâni Faustino (e.b), Vasco Furtado (dr)