With this release, the British label Far Out more than lives up to its name. Normally, one would expect a live recording from 1981 to be reissued. But the concert recording of the Brazilian »wizard« and multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal with his band, simply called »O Grupo«, from the »Planetário da Gávea« planetarium in Rio de Janeiro is given its first official phonographic form in this version. Astonishing because the two hours, which allow you to travel not only a little back in time, but above all very far out into music, offer a sterling example of Hermeto Pascoal’s fearless fusion of jazz, Brazilian traditions and cosmic avant-garde. The first track »Paz Amor e Esperança – Homônimo Sintróvio«, which is a good half hour long, begins with harmonium sounds only for several minutes. Not played by Pascoal himself, but by keyboardist Jovino Santos Neto, who later switches to clavinet once his colleagues have taken up the beat. Lovingly energetic and peacefully out of it, with hope emanating confidently from every note, even in the concluding eruptive drum solo. And that only takes up a quarter of this cosmic delight. The inevitable Sun Ra comparisons, even if justified in the material, should be omitted at this point. Hermeto Pascoal is, after all, his own cosmos who needs no further justification for existing by other authorities. This document proves it once again, despite slight shortcomings in the sound quality, and the sound is not supposed to be some kind of fetish. It simply is.
José Roberto Trio
José Roberto Trio
Far Out