Diego Figueiredo (guitars) + Cyrille Aimee, Janis Siegel, Chiara Izzi (vocals).
(Review by Steve T)
Diego Figueiredo is an award winning Brazilian guitarist, a veteran of some twenty three CDs, has played with Gilberto Gil, Larry Coryell, Lewis Nash and others, and is a fine guitarist and, I'm reliably informed, significantly more than fine.
On this album he plays solo guitar, mostly acoustic, accompanied by three female singers, interspersed with two instrumentals.It's a very low-key affair which I guess he's entitled to with his pedigree, but making it hard to identify highs and lows.
Cyrille takes the first four, kicking off with Jobim's Once I Loved (singled out by the notes so a possible high) followed by a decidedly undanceable version of the My Fair Lady classic I Could Have Danced All Night. She has the twang of Billie Holiday but with a thoroughly modern sound, so Madeleine Peyroux may be a more appropriate comparison.
Following the instrumental Sexta Feira (also recommended by the notes), Janis Siegel takes four, including two more from Jobim. She sings it more straight and, as a member of Manhattan Transfer, is the most successful of the three singers as far as I can make out.
A solo guitar version of Like Someone in Love is followed by two from Chiara Izzi: Nardis by Miles Davis (some say Bill Evans), complete with Portuguese lyrics by Yanina Lombardi, and Moon River. For me, she's the least successful of the three singers and I regret that, at times, I find it a little cringeworthy. in the same way that I find Adele cringeworthy.
I can't imagine anybody getting terrible excited by it but it's a perfectly nice, relaxed listen which may be of interest to aspiring guitarists and female vocalists.
Out now on CD and digital.
Steve T
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