Fabiano do Nascimento's guitar playing is characterized by exceptional precision, effortlessly navigating complex arpeggios and extensive chord progressions with remarkable accuracy. His preference for close-mic'd recordings accentuates his agility, making his virtuosic skill seem as inherent as breathing. Before embarking on his solo career in 2015, do Nascimento spent many years as a session musician in Los Angeles, utilizing his profound understanding of Afro-samba and choro musical traditions as a foundation to explore innovative stylistic territories. Even in his most elaborate pieces, do Nascimento allows ample space around each note, ensuring every pluck and strum retains its crispness and clarity.
This mastery of sonic spaciousness elevates 'Cavejaz' to one of his most inviting and imaginative creations. The album evokes a sense of vastness, from the impactful, Panda Bear-esque bass lines in 'Auguas Serenas' to the synthesizer textures that hover above his intricate fingerpicking in 'Berimba-Guitar.' A generous application of reverb washes over these tracks, yet it serves not to blur the sounds into an indistinct swirl, but rather to sharpen each element, imparting a subtle shimmer. Overtones unfurl at the periphery of the stereo field, with echoing decays overlapping to form ethereal clouds of harmonics. Do Nascimento and his collaborators maintain a sparse instrumentation, yet they adeptly interweave and amplify its effect, constructing rich, enveloping arrangements from a select few sounds. The album was born from three distinct recording sessions: one in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, with producer Leo Marques and percussionist Paulo Santos of the experimental group Uakti; another featuring excerpts from a live performance with tabla artist U-zhaan in Tokyo; and a final solo session in Oiso, Japan. Despite these diverse origins, the collection achieves remarkable cohesion, often feeling like the organic outcome of an extended, inspired improvisational session. While do Nascimento and his fellow musicians possess extraordinary technical talent, their most significant attribute lies in their intuitive interplay; no one overplays, each artist augmenting the other's contributions and gracefully receding when there's a risk of overshadowing the ensemble.
In contrast to much of do Nascimento's earlier work, the compositions on 'Cavejaz' lack a strict, linear development. They often commence in media res, embarking on circuitous explorations rather than adhering to conventional song structures. These pieces can be both repetitive and mesmerizing, or buoyant and free-flowing. Typically, do Nascimento introduces a central motif and then examines it from various perspectives, seeking ways to either reinforce or deconstruct it. For instance, in 'Olhos Luz,' he establishes a simple phrase, allowing it to loop while U-zhaan gradually builds a measured groove. As the track progresses, do Nascimento's soloing becomes playful and inquisitive, orbiting the recurring theme with occasional bursts of notes or syncopated accents. This approach effectively magnifies the repeated phrase, culminating in a brief doubling before an abrupt conclusion. It represents an artful method of structuring a song, subtly steering jazz toward a kosmische aesthetic to generate a sense of dynamic movement while fundamentally remaining rooted. The serene, dreamlike tracks on 'Cavejaz' occasionally verge on dissolving into a translucent haze. However, do Nascimento and his ensemble skillfully leverage the unique textural capabilities of their instruments, forging vivid moments that prevent the album from becoming a mere smooth, albeit pleasant, ambient drift. In 'Tranquilo,' do Nascimento employs a pitch-shifting delay to transform his guitar lines into glissandos reminiscent of Alice Coltrane; on 'Trilobita,' Paulo Santos' percussion sounds like a djembe producing Moog sine waves; and Jennifer Souza's airy, wordless vocalizations drift beneath do Nascimento's crystal-clear eighth notes in 'Maracat\u00fa.' The captivating solo piece 'Novo Dia' is immersed in plate reverb, a recording so intimately captured that one can perceive his fingertips lifting from the frets. All these elements position 'Cavejaz' as a crowning achievement in do Nascimento's extensive and adventurous discography, drawing upon the shimmering New Age sensibilities of albums like 'Das Nuvens' and 'Mundo Solo,' the jazz inclinations of 'The Room,' and the hushed intimacy of 'Olhos D'\u00e1gua.' Expansive yet subtly immersive, it exemplifies restraint as a potent instrument for artistic growth.
This album stands as a testament to the power of artistic collaboration and the innovative spirit that pushes musical boundaries. By embracing diverse influences and locations, do Nascimento crafts a sound that is both deeply rooted and boldly forward-thinking. It reminds us that true artistry often emerges from a delicate balance of technical prowess, intuitive understanding, and the courage to explore uncharted sonic landscapes, ultimately enriching our auditory experience and fostering a deeper appreciation for musical innovation.