Label: Robalo, 2023
Personnel - André Matos: electric guitar; Jeremy Udden: alto saxophone.

Hailing from the same broadminded jazz generation, Portuguese guitarist André Matos and American saxophonist Jeremy Udden got together in Brooklyn for an intimate duo recording soaked in modern ambient stylization.

The atmospheric beauty of “As Far as Eyes Can See” sets the mood for the album, Wandering Souls, which consists of five improvised pieces. Unpretentious saxophone chanting is set against Matos’ droning escapisms made of aqueous and rippling guitar effects. Space is a must here, and clarity increases as the impressionistic sonic painting sharpens its edges through lyrical contemplation.

“The Rings of Saturn” is both ruminative and explorative in its infectious minimalist loops, whereas “Ceremonial” is not just what the title suggests; it’s also mysterious. The album’s chapters are kept light and cool with impeccable timing and sensitivity.

“Stoichiometry” implies a chemical reaction between two musicians who have known each other for years but never recorded together. Udden brings confidence and relaxation to his narrative prose; Matos dives into soundscapes that range from swooshing tremolos to atmospheric washes to textural meditations. The album concludes with “The Mind Wanders”, the shortest track on the record at two and a half minutes, and the most harmonically transparent.

This duo is encouraged to uphold their wanders of the soul.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - As Far as Eyes Can See ► 02 - The Rings of Saturn ► 05 - The Mind Wanders