There is no reason why music needs to be at all costs homogenic and follow a sole sonic flow, on any record, although often some artists prefer not to digress on a style that might have made their commercial fortunes, just to ensure not to lose either fans or record revenues.
There are, rather fortunately though, other artists that like to follow their instincts, compose and play music based on flows of spontaneity which, in our website’s opinion, always pays off, because it reveals the true soul of an artists unhidden by any calculated plan.
The latter is the case of the collective called Quadro Nuevo, which through their brand new album just released and called Happy Deluxe, has been able to create a timeless record that travels across musical oceans with effortless and almost ethereal beauty, from Greece to Brazil or from Eastern Europe to the Caribbean Island, with remarkable grace and enormous musicianship.
Quadro Nuevo is a project that was born back in 1996, thanks to the idea of childhood friends Mulo Francel (Tenor sax, Clarinets, Mandolin, Whistle, Flute, Tenor Recorder) and Didi Lowka (Bass, Percussion), later joined by another talented and effervescent musician such as Andreas Hinterseher (Accordion, Vibrandoneon, Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Trombone), with the premises of creating a musical melting pot that would absorb the sonic cultures of the places they visited through their live touring with their Jazz skills, creating, in this way, a crossover between Ethnic, Latin, Jazz and Avant-Garde that would leave total freedom to the band to apply improvisation of any level and at any point.
The story behind the making of Happy Deluxe goes back to few years ago, when Quadro Nuevo’s band members found themselves touring the world and being particularly influenced by the sounds and the rhythms of countries like Greece and Brazil. During their journey, the collective called in some truly talented Guest Musicians like Tim Collins (Vibraphone, Voice, Drums, Shaker), Marco Lobo (Brazilian Percussions), Chris Gall (Piano, Harpejji, Pandeiro), Philipp Schiepek (Jazz Guitar, Spanish Guitar) and Paulo Morello (Cavaquinho, Spanish Guitar, Jazz Guitar) to support Quadro Nuevo to recreate those sounds that so much captured the collective's imagination, during their journey around the world.
The outcome of those recording sessions generated 16 brand new instrumentals, 14 of which are originals plus two covers (Pharrell Williams’ Happy and Bobby McFerrin’s Don’t Worry, Be Happy), where Quadro Nuevo were able to unleash a superb and eclectic musical kaleidoscope that incorporates tunes that embrace Jazz layers with either Gitano’s sounds, at times, or other times fragments of nostalgic Parisienne melodies, Bossanova, Lounge, Avant-Garde, with even little touches of Ethnic Music here and there.
Every tune included in this inspired record has its own soul, played superbly by a collective that shows an understanding, appreciation to music at 360 degrees and a craftmanship second to none, as evidenced especially, in our view, on moments of pure magic like the tracks called Ilha Grande, Ada’s Song, Caipirinha and Bei Den Jupau, among others.
Happy Deluxe is a breathtaking and refreshing journey not only in the music culture of several world countries but is also, more than anything, the opulent result of a band whose talent, vision, instinct and intuitions has generated one of the most interesting and highly elegant and creative albums of the year so far.
Happy Deluxe is out now and can be purchased via Quadro Nuevo’s Official Website
