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Hugo Carvalhais
2010 sees the launch of his first record as a leader featuring saxophone player Tim Berne. “Nebulosa” was considered one of the best albums of the year by “Jazz.pt” magazine and received outstanding reviews by national and international press. The album was also chosen among the most representative records of Clean Feed label by their 10th anniversary.
In 2012 Hugo Carvalhais releases is second album called “Particula” with his regular band mates ( Gabriel Pinto, Mário Costa ) and the participation of Dominique Pifarély and Emile Parisien.
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Hugo Carvalhais: Ascetica
by Glenn Astarita
Venerable Portuguese bassist Hugo Carvalhais' Ascetica" is a mesmerizing journey into the depths of progressive jazz, offering a soundscape which is vast and immersive, crafted with meticulous attention to detail. Carvalhais and his ensemble, create a polygonal musical environment through a blend of electronic manipulations, ambient soundscapes, springy synth riffs, and forceful sax soloing, often raising the temperature and broadening the scope. With blossoming jazz improvisations amid pulsating rock motifs, they occasionally generate fluctuating time signatures and slippery phrasings.
read moreHugo Carvalhais: Grand Valis
by Neri Pollastri
Hugo Carvalhais, trentottenne contrabbassista di Oporto presenta il suo terzo disco (nel primo, Nebulosa, sempre per la Clean Feed, era presente Tim Berne) con una formazione assai particolare: al suo fianco, infatti, il tastierista Gabriel Pinto, impiegato soprattutto all'organo, e il violinista Dominique Pifarély, oltre a Jeremiah Cymerman all'elettronica. Come testimoniato già dai titoli (quello dell'album rimanda a un libro di Philip Dick) l'ispirazione della musica viene dal mistero del mondo, della sua nascita e delle sue manifestazioni ...
read moreHugo Carvalhais: Grand Valis
by Jakob Baekgaard
What happens when modern composition meets jazz in a science fiction universe? The answer is Grand Valis by Portuguese bassist and composer Hugo Carvalhais. Carvalhais tackles the great universal questions of meaning in a musical language. Titles like Exegesis," Logos" and Decoding Maya" point towards the philosophical nature of the music. Carvalhais plays bass and electronics, but here he is first of all a composer and musical thinker playing with the concept of sound. What is sound? ...
read moreHugo Carvalhais: Particula
by Eyal Hareuveni
Portuguese bassist Hugo Carvalhais creates a highly personal musical universe on this, his sophomore release. His compositions draw inspiration from the American free jazz of the sixties, the sonic experimentalism of saxophonist John Zorn and guitarist Fred Frith, and European chamber jazz, but do not surrender to any of these formative influences. Furthermore, Carvalhais chooses a distinct sonic structure for his band. He occupies the lower register with his bass, expanding it with delicate use of electronics and leaving only ...
read moreHugo Carvalhais: Nebulosa
by Mark Corroto
Fans of American saxophonist Tim Berne are often inclined to seek out his latest recordings. Two 2010 sessions finds him as a sideman--bassist Michael Formanek's The Rub And The Spare Change (ECM), and this superb discovery from another bassist, Hugo Carvalhais.The Portuguese bassist composed all the music, played by Berne and fellow countrymen Gabriel Pinto (piano) and Mário Costa (drums). With Berne and his distinctive alto, it might be assumed that the focus would shift towards the Portuguese's ...
read more"...the five musicians reach a level of contemporary chamber music and simultaneously demonstrate the vitality associated with spontaneous interaction..." Süddeutsche Zeitung by Karl Lippegaus - Germany
"....Each one of them impresses by the totally original individual sound quality....." RadioFrance by Alex Dutilh
"...Gorgeous sophomore release from Portuguese doublebassist..." Monsieur Délire by François Couture - Canada
"... A splendid record of what commonly is called contemporary jazz ..." Percorsi Musicali by Ettore Garzia - Italy