Dazzling guitar craft here but it's not only that: it's the mood and setting, an album that seems to scoop up a lifetime of playing and then say something about what's been gained or lost along the way. From Belgian guitar master Philip Catherine with fellow guitarist Paulo Morello and bassist Sven Faller it's fairly stripped back and yet there is a lot of momentousness in the feel of the record which is led off by Catherine piece 'Pourquoi'. Most of the tracks are by Catherine or Morello with a version of Frédéric Devreese's 'First Waltz', 'Frontera' by Nicola Andrioli and Jobim's 'Inútil Paisagem' in addition. Overwhelmingly there's a certain lostness, whether it is the jazz you don't often hear any more or the memories of a time gone by, that the music seems to convey beautifully here, an exquisiteness in the bittersweet feel to 'Frontera' for instance that's captivating. A must.
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