In the near-decade since my first Fabiano do Nascimento review (of 2017’s Tempo dos Mestres), his catalogue has expanded in beautiful ways. With preternaturally nimble fingers blazing, he has dabbled with electronic loops, collaborated with other luminaries (most notably saxophonist Sam Gendel, with whom he recorded atmospheric The Room), and always held strong to his carioca roots in making music inspired by Brazilian folkloric idioms and popular forms. His new album Vila is the latest and fullest addition to his oeuvre. Made with the 16-piece Vittor Santos Orquestra, Vila is an ensemble piece in full bloom from start to finish, 17 musicians at their sweetest.
A trombonist and arranger, bandleader Santos has worked with many of the greats of bossa nova and samba–Elsa Soares, Marcos Valle, João Donato–and he and his ensemble put their familiarity with these genres’ foundations to work here. Strings, percussion, horns, and keys all swirl together in rosy nostalgia, evoking the most mellifluous parts of the 1960s and 1970s. They offer Nascimento a sumptuous backdrop for his intricate playing, which remains the most dazzling single element of the assemblage–although, of course, he is inextricable from the orchestra that supports him through the entirety of Vila.
The album begins with a sweeping new version of “O Tempo”, a song that has long been in Nascimento‘s public repertoire. It’s a poignant piece, its brief lyrics a simple meditation on the healing power of time. Here, violins and flutes soar, vibrant additions to the mix grounded by Nascimento’s rippling guitar and understated vocals. With this triumphant introduction and without another word across the whole of the album, the ensemble sails forth.
Ten tracks follow, each one stunning. The breeze is light and steady on “Spring Theme”. Nascimento picks up the pace on alluring “Tema Em Harmônicos”, melodically aflutter; Santos follows this lead ably with staccato trombone. Simple strumming makes up the backbone of “Uirapurú”, a track on which the violins sing. Finishing the first half of the record is “Trenzinho Imaginário”, a fantasy in motion.
Vila’s latter half continues to twist and turn in invariably gorgeous ways. Slow “Valsa” leads into the quick gliding of “Floresta Dos Sonhos”. Another longstanding track of Nascimento’s, the luscious “Plateau”, gets a more languid treatment than he gave it as “Planalto” in 2017. The low end of “Prelude 5” gives it a consummate bossa bounce. “Vittor e Fabi” goes even deeper in that regard. The LP ends here; the CD and digital editions offer a final gem: an orchestra-less version of “Tema Em Harmônicos” that serves as a reminder of how exceptional Nascimento is as a guitarist, how seductive his playing is when laid totally bare, accompanied only by light percussion.
Fabiano do Nascimento is capable of incredibly dense guitar work that has been, and continues to be, a joy to listen to on its own. The addition of the Vittor Santos Orquestra on Vila, though, allows him to explore new textures. A gated courtyard inspires the title of Vila in Rio de Janeiro, where Nascimento spent significant time in his youth. The Orquestra bring Nascimento’s urban nostalgia into dialogue with the natural atmospheres he evokes in his playing. This music is organic, tender. It is breath after breath of fresh air in sonic form.