It may be hard to believe but «Impermanence» is only the sophomore solo album of Portuguese trumpeter Susana Santos Silva. She is one of the most interesting voices to rise in the European scene in the last few years, busy working with the LAMA and De Beren Gieren trios, frequent projects with Swedish double bass player Torbjörn Zetterberg and Slovenian pianist Kaja Draksler, as well with fellow countrymen drummer Jorge Queijo, the ensemble Coreto and the Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos.
The limited-edition «Impermanence» was created in her hometown, Porto, with the local jazz musicians association Porta-Jazz, augmented with Zetterberg, and released by this association label. Silva states about this album that «in music, as in life, the impermanence of things is the only truth that feeds the development and creativity of our existence». This realization leads to the conclusion that answers «why this music recreates and transforms itself at every moment and never repeats itself».
Silva succeeds to balance her qualities as a musician with a personal voice of her own, a commanding leader and her skills as a distinct, quite varied composer who know how to sketch intricate, melodic textures, full of intriguing tension and an expansive interplay. She builds on her prior experiences with her group musicians. Her immediate understanding with Zetterberg feeds most of the compositions. It is highlighted on the long piece «Oblivious Trees», that begins with the two alone in an intimate, associative talk, later in the restless, rhythmic «Geringonça», the moving ballad «No Trees Left» and concluded on the mysterious sounding «Sound of Thought».
The rest of her group – sax player João Pedro Brandão and pianist Hugo Raro, with whom she played in the Coreto ensemble (including the recent «Sem Chão – ao vivo na Porta Jazz»), drummer Marcos Cavaleiro, who played on her debut album, «Devil’s Dress», and sound and visual designer Maile Corbert, with whom she performed before – flesh out her compositions with great detail and colors. Silva unique language as instrumentalist and improviser is demonstrated best on the elegiac «Imaginary Life».
Highly recommended.
Eyal Hareuveni
Susana Santos Silva (trumpet, flugelhorn); João Pedro Brandão (alto saxophone, flute); Hugo Raro (piano); Torbjörn Zetterberg (double bass); Marcos Cavaleiro (drums); Maile Colbert ( field recordings (1, 8)
