Label: Timbuktu Records

Personnel - André Santos: guitar; José Soares: alto saxophone; Francisco Andrade: tenor saxophone; Diogo Alexandre: drums.

Portuguese guitarist and composer André Santos shows he’s not afraid to experiment and venture into new sonic territories, seamlessly navigating through contemporary jazz, Portuguese folk, alternative rock, and avant-garde styles. Vereda captures this adventurous spirit and features a dynamic ensemble of like-minded collaborators: saxophonists José Soares and Francisco Andrade, and drummer Diogo Alexandre.

The extended title track, “Vereda”, guides listeners through uncharted soundscapes brimming with beauty, wonder, and mystery—evoking the intricate forest paths of Madeira island, Santos’ birthplace. These sonic landscapes are vividly rendered with brushed drums, Tarantino-esque Western guitar chords (occasionally conjuring images of American prairies), and folk-inspired melodies delivered in harmonious unison by the saxophonists. Before trotting along the final section with more harmonic definition, the quartet presents darkly atmospheric passages characterized by enigmatic guitar work and brooding saxophone tones layered over spunky drumming. Bursts of agitated saxophone sets the bridge.

“Corneta” fuses the raw energy of punk rock with the experimental edge of avant-garde jazz, topping it off with a resonant folk-inspired melody. Meanwhile, “O Nuno Está Todo Fu Doido” steps out as a reflective ballad, only to transform into predatory rock playfulness with the horns in ecstasy. Santos’ Vereda is a positive, fearless embrace of genre-defying experimentation.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Vereda ► 03 - O Nuno Está Todo Fu Doidos

André Santos: guitar; Matt Adomeit: bass; Tristan Renfrow: drums.

Portuguese guitarist, André Santos, uncompromisingly defies boundaries in his latest CD, “Vitamina D”, recorded in Amsterdam with a trio composed of Matt Adomeit on bass and Tristan Renfrow on drums, both American.
The album has an electrifying opening with “Rainstorm”, a tune that initially suggests patchy drizzle through the soft textures created, but gradually takes the proportions of a menacing deluge that comes accompanied by gusts of distortion and harmonic amazement.
The title-track, on the contrary, brings us balmy sunrays and the fresh air of the morning, aiming to our senses with a tactful melody surrounded by floating tones. Following a gradual crescendo, it goes into an effusive vamp that resounds with vigorous chords and Renfrow’s ebullient drumming.
Santos implies bluesy undertones in “Super Mario”, but goes beyond that. The trio spends some time working the dynamics toward a finale that sets free the adventurous drummer who excels over a guitar-bass ostinato.
“Buzzlightyear” is a short yet rhythmically rich passage that makes the bridge to “Francamente”, an imaginative pop-rock song that skews into a charming waltz during a brief moment, only to return to robust zones and fill our ears with its ear-catching guitar riff.
“BrokeBad” is pure indie rock and benefits from the multiple rhythmic disruptions. I imagine it playing in some dirty Western movie directed by Tarantino. The suave “Espanta Espíritos” closes the album, breathing both warm and melancholic breezes.
You’ll still need the sun to get the vitamin D, however, Santos, who reveals an astounding compositional maturity and a laudable spirit of adventure, assures moments of fun, insight, and energy.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Rainstorm ► 02 – Vitamina D ► 05 – Francamente