Although it weighs in at just over a half-hour,
On the Way
is an impressive solo debut from the
Brazilian jazz
guitarist
Daniel Santiago
. A member of mandolinist
Hamilton de Holanda
's quintet, the Rio-based
Santiago
, who plays acoustically, works here with bassist
Andre Vasconcellos
and drummer
Marcio Bahia
on a set of songs composed and arranged by
; the guitarist also co-produced, along with
de Holanda
and
Marcos Portinari
. The album, reportedly cut over a mere few days without rehearsal, aims to showcase
in a multitude of settings and spans a gamut of environments, skipping directly from the rhythmic and ebullient opener,
"Viewpoint,"
to a pair of moodier, more relaxed pieces, the title track, and
"Memory."
's intuitive interactions with his musicians are never less than striking, while drummer
, in particular, displays an acute sense of split-second timing, not only following
's frequent rhythmic and melodic shifts with ease, but leading the guitarist into tributaries he might not otherwise have drifted. On
"Tribute to Baden"
(that would be
Baden Powell
, the revered Brazilian composer/musician),
hints at
flamenco
with his bold flourishes, while
"Homesick,"
which follows it, finds the guitarist repeating a looping, circular pattern that shapes into a
trance
-like
ambience
.
is undeniably a technical wiz kid, but more importantly, his music leaves an emotional mark. ~ Jeff Tamarkin