Tunico is the eponymous debut album by Brazilian composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist
Tunico (aka
Antonio Secchin). A guitarist since childhood, he taught himself saxophone at 18, but he still composes on the stringed instrument.
Tunico leads his own performing sextet, and is also a member of
Ana Frango Eletrico. His complex but welcoming harmonic approach weds contemporary jazz, fusion, and MPB to Brazilian core rhythms such as maracatu, samba, forro, and afoxe. Over six tracks and 35 minutes,
Secchin displays a compositional sensibility that reflects important influences ranging from
Tamba Trio's
Luis Eca and
Azymuth's
Jose Roberto Bertrami to
Hermeto Pascoal and
Manfredo Fest. His ensemble is populated by aces from the Rio jazz community. Over six tracks and 35 minutes, they offer tunes containing funky electrified charts and instrumentation, intimate acoustic guitars, percussion, keys, and horns. Each track is rendered with care, precision, and resonance.
Seven-minute opener "Galope" is the set's first single. It's introduced by
Haroldo Eiras' nylon string guitar stretching a jazzy samba to MPB. Electric bassist
Giordano Gasperin joins in just before drums and percussion flow in under pulsing synths.
Bernardo Schaeffer's swooping flute gives ballast to
Katarina Assef's warm, wordless vocals (unfortunately, this is the only track she appears on). The tempo increases, and this union of elegantly funky fusion and samba is complete, creating a ground for killer solos from
Chico Brown's electric guitar and
Tunico's soprano sax. "Sambola" is a stone groover. Its jaunty tempo swings thanks to
Chico Lira's deliberately
Walter Wanderley-esque B-3 atop bubbling hand percussion, cascading breakbeats, acoustic guitars, and a boss trombone solo from
Antonio Neves. Its swaggering groove is eternal.
Tunico displays virtuosic acoustic guitar skills on "Decolagem." He's joined by percussionist
Boka Reis, drummer
Gabriel Barbosa, and bassist
Giordano Gasperin in seamlessly interlocking interplay.
Illan Becker's keyboard textures and musical saw join subtle electronic effects from
Julio Santa Cecilia to color an expansive timbral palette with gloriously warm tropical overtones. Halfway through, everything but
Tunico's guitar drops out. He fingerpicks, strums, and plucks harmonics in a languid folk melody that he sings along with wordlessly. The band returns two minutes later with a samba rhythm to buoy him in carrying it out. "Saudade do Sucupira" features
Tunico on acoustic guitar and soprano sax. The graceful samba rhythm is juxtaposed with polished contemporary fusion, keyboard effects, a biting electric guitar break, and lovely flute and soprano solos. "Solar das Hortencias" follows. Framed in electronica, the syncopated jazz chart flows across maracatu rhythms, and
Tunico's alto sax grafts post-bop and modal jazz in his alto solo before a scorching electric guitar break from
Haroldo Eiras refracts it into Tropicalia, then jazz-rock. Closer "O Que Vira" is a ballad cum lullaby played solo with quiet tenderness by
Tunico on nylon string acoustic guitar and soprano saxophone.
Tunico is an auspicious debut. Its musical sophistication is almost perfectly balanced by its welcoming accessibility, captivating melodies, and infectious rhythms. ~ Thom Jurek
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