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Fail Better!

Born in 2012, Fail Better! is a quintet that brings together musicians living in different cities (Porto, Coimbra and Lisbon). The base is the union of two pre-existing projects: the duo formed by João Guimarães (saxophone) and João Pais Filipe (percussion), which in 2012 produced one of the most interesting free jazz records made ​​in Portugal (Ancestral, Sonoscopia Records) and the trio THE NAP, which joins Marcelo dos Reis (guitar), José Miguel Pereira (bass) and Pais Filipe. Luis Vicente (trumpet) completes the “pentagon”, adding richness of timbre and increasing the expressive possibilities of the quintet, whose music is able to drive to distinct territories. Sometimes more jazz, sometimes making use of collage of different sources apparently irreconcilable, post-rock, free improvisation and contemporary music.

If this group had some pronouncement, it could be summed up in the desire of producing a group language in real-time without any pre-written musical notes. From here comes the reference to Beckett in the group’s name: “Ever Tried. Ever Failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”.

In 2014 the group has edited ZERO SUM (JACC Records).

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Fail Better!
5
Album Review

Fail Better!: The Fall

Read "The Fall" reviewed by John Sharpe


For its third album following Zero Sum (JACC, 2014) and Owt (NoBusiness, 2016), adventurous Portuguese improvising outfit Fail Better! presents selections from a 2017 concert in the city of Coimbra. Although the instrumentation remains the same, this time out drummer Marco Franco and Lisbon-based Catalan saxophonist Albert Cirera join core members trumpeter Luis Vicente, guitarist Marcelo dos Reis and bassist Jose Miguel Pereira. Of the newbies, Franco is the more regular collaborator with Vicente, as can be heard on the ...

15
Album Review

Fail Better!: OWT

Read "OWT" reviewed by John Sharpe


Taking Samuel Beckett's exhortation from Worstward Ho as a moniker--and a highly appropriate credo for improvisers to aspire to--Portuguese co-operative ensemble Fail Better! proffer their second release, following Zero Sum (JACC, 2014), as a limited edition LP on the Lithuanian NoBusiness label. Of the five proponents, likely the most familiar will be trumpeter Luis Vicente and guitarist Marcelo dos Reis, both increasingly visible on the European scene and previously heard in fine style on the excellent Chamber 4 (FMR, 2015). ...

16
Album Review

Fail Better!: Zero Sum

Read "Zero Sum" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni


The name of the Portuguese quintet Fail Better! is inspired by Samuel Beckett who advised: “ever tried, ever failed, no matter, try again, fail again, fail better." This saying, together with the one of Miles Davis who claimed that there are no mistakes in music, capture the very essence of the process of free improvisation. And, obviously its real-time sense of experiment and discovery, a walk on a thin line between magic and the sonic equivalent of psychodrama. ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

OWT

NoBusiness Records
2016

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Zero Sum

JACC Records
2014

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