EPISTOLA@jazz.pt-Portugal

Epistola heard by the only Jazz Magazine in Portugal - Jazz.pt:

"Os temas são cantados em Crioulo, Português, Francês e Inglês, seguindo precisamente o espírito do world jazz. Além dos fundamentos africanos e dos formatos do bop e do pós-bop (na promoção do CD são mesmo reivindicadas as influências de John Coltrane e Ornette Coleman), são também detectáveis referências na MPB, um ou outro padrão rítmico latino e algumas das atmosferas do jazz português, ou não tivessem as carreiras de Souza e Pascal arrancado no nosso país....nunca jazz e Cabo Verde estiveram tão juntos como aqui desde que Silver lembrou as suas origens." 

Rui Eduardo Paes, jazz.pt

http://jazz.pt/ponto-escuta/2015/04/07/carmen-souza-theo-pascal-epistola-jazz-pilon/

EPISTOLA advance reviews....

First Reviews for EPISTOLA:

"Theo Pascal and Carmen Souza are plainly on a roll and long may it continue…

throughout “Epistola” Pascal is superb whether on electric or upright bass; the album ends with a cover version of “Moonlight Serenade” that is just wonderful. This old chestnut by Glenn Miller with lyrics by Mitchell Parish dates from a period in jazz that is much derided but with Souza’s hushed, heartfelt vocals and acoustic guitar, Pascal’s melodic electric bass combined with percussion that keeps tempo much faster than previous versions such as Sinatra’s, this closing track showcases these musicians at their incandescent best. To sum up, the music on “Epistola” is inventive, joyous, characterised by lightness of touch leaving virtually everyone else in the shade."

Ben Robertson, Africanjazz.net (UK)

“This new album is “a letter with sound addressed to anyone who is ready to receive it”; I say we all need to be ready to receive if only to feel we have listened to a magnificent rendition of how music and words can work together so well, they create poetry...another collaboration between Carmen Souza and Theo Pascal - Praise the Heavens for that! With a voice like Carmen and the bass playing like Theo, we cannot go wrong."

Erminia Yardley, UKvibe.org (UK)

“Carmen Souza and Theo Pascal reveal with majesty and rhapsody the radiant beauty of this music…Such is the visceral intensity of this music-making that a certain girding of the loins may be required before you listen (to this music) again and again… and again…”

Raul da Gama, Latin Jazz Network (USA)

"Carmen Souza et Theo Pascal nous écrivent de merveilleuses

cartes postales musicales..."

Jean-Jacques Dikongué, Tribune2Lartist (FR)

PSK TRIO@ST.ETHELBURGAS_REVIEW

Great Review of PSK Trio@St.Ethelburgas by Ben Robertson at africanjazz.info

"...The trio format enabled the listener to form a clear impression of each of the three members. Theo Pascal is a genuine virtuoso on both double and electric bass and a truly afrocentric musician - he seems to have worked and recorded with musicians from every Lusophone country in Africa. Inevitably, this raises the question of whether or not he is inspired and/or influenced by the great Gito Baloi. Certainly, when his lyrical bass runs combine with Souza’s vocals there is a comparison to be made and it would be simply wonderful to hear them do some sort of tribute to the great Mozambican and or for them to cover one or more of his compositions. Elias Kacomanolis impresses too. He uses a carefully arranged array of drum kit and percussion that enables him to play both simultaneously which he did to great effect especially when evoking the sound of those African trains.  Combined with Carmen Souza’s increasingly competent accompaniment on keyboards and guitar the trio provided a perfect backdrop to her magnificent vocals in a performance marked by characteristic humour and delightfully unpredictable flights of fancy leading to a thoroughly deserved standing ovation. The set was full of pleasing surprises such as a beautiful cover version of Paul McCartney’s 1968 masterpiece “Blackbird” and culminated with a sing-along rendition of “Afri Ka” during which Pascal played a kwassa kwassa bass line that would have thrilled Afrigo’s revelers at the Royal Regency; followed finally by cover version of Miriam Makeba’s “Pata Pata” during which Elias Kacomanolis continued the Congolese vibe on drums."

Full review here: http://www.africanjazz.info/reviews2015.html#Afrigo40