Rodrigo Amado Quartet Recordings

[Steve Reynolds]

Search out any or all 3:

The Flame Alphabet

Searching for Adam

This is Our Language

former features local cellist and drummer with Jeb Bishop as Amado's foil, middle recording features NYC dudes Taylor Ho Bynum(or maybe from a little north of the city - not sure), John Hebert & Gerald Cleaver with the great drummer as powerful as I've ever heard him - on record or even live

the newest - last on the list - I've only listened to twice and it has a shot to be comparable to these other awesome records. Initial highlight is Joe McPhee - rhythm team is Kessler & Corsano

Amado's style or language is very unique in that it is essentially groove based free jazz inprovisations that eschew the more detailed small improv *and* free jazz blowout screaming escatic style. No sheet music here and always focused group improvisation often with both horns in play simultaneously 

these 3 recordings are the works of a major tenor (sometimes baritone) saxophonists recorded with sympathetic world class musicians - all recordings are edited to somewhat short lengths - both The Flame Alphabet & This is Our Language have LP running time (low 40 minutes or so) so there is little or no filler. Not a track on any of these records I'm ever thinking of skipping

plus the sound quality on all three of these is as good or better as anything I own. 

For the audiophiles here, I say try The Flame Alphabet first  - hard choice as the sound that Cleaver makes on that record is like he is in the room. The only label I've heard that makes current recordings that sound this good are Nessa and maybe Hat Art (when they made a few more new recordings!) 

Edited May 3, 2016 by Steve Reynolds

[king ubu]

Just got a few Amado albums last week, will be while before I get around to listening though ... but lest I forget: I bought an LP from him via Discogs a few months ago and realizing he was the seller (it was a Brö LP by Brötzmann), I asked what he'd recommend me to check out his stuff. The first two you mention were on the list he mailed me, further he included "Burning Live", "The Freedom Principle", "Live in Lisbon", and the Wire Quartet (on Clean Feed, not sure there are others).

(And just so he doesn't sound too full of himself ... after all I did ask, and he did add a note that it's not easy for him to give such recommendations about his own work.)