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Rio Con Brio: Caprice
Caprice is an album by a guitar and mandolin duo playing mostly choro standards. It could be a challenge to make this fly. Rio Con Brio have pulled it off.
CD Tracks
- Floraux (E. Nazareth)
- Cadência (J. Maciel)
- Desvairada (Garoto)
- Eu Quero é Sossego (K-Ximbinho)
- Carinhoso (Pixinguinha)
- Assanhado (J. Bittencourt)
- Ingenuo (Pixinguinha)
- O Vôo Da Mosca (J. Bittencourt)
- Odeon (E. Nazareth)
- A Ginga Do Mané (J. Bittencourt)
- Vibraçoes (J. Bittencourt)
- The Godfather Medley (N. Rota)
Published by Rio Con Brio 2012
By Reidar Falch
This is the third album by the duo Rio Con Brio since they formed in 2005. They released Whispering in 2008 and Vignettes in 2009.
Making this album, the idea was to feature fado singer Alexandrea Coutinho on half the tracks. As they recorded, they realised that they had material for two separate albums. Alexandrea Coutinho's Fado/Fate was released simultaneously with Caprice.
Each melody is approached differently. Mike Burdette's guitar seems to change personality between the tracks. Tim Connell is a playful and dynamic musician with an unique style. This keeps the duo and the musics fresh.
Ben Blechman contributes violin on Carinhoso and Vibraçoes. This is adding a new tasteful dimension. Simon Lucas plays percussion on the same two tracks and Cadência. This is an added bonus.
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This album is sophisticated urban pop played with a combination of acoustic instruments usually found in bluegrass bands. Any further references to blugrass is hard to find on the album.
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Radim Zenkl, the Czech-born, California-based magician of the mandolin has been on the road and onstage since he arrived in the USA more than twenty years ago. He recently swung through my hometown of Portland, Oregon and performed his eclectic solo show to a packed house of enthusiastic fans.
Rio Con Brio started out to make one CD. As they recorded tracks, they realized they had two albums on their hands. One is their third choro album, the other is the debut of fado singer Alexandra Coutinho.
Luckily, Alexandra Coutinho and Rio Con Brio decided to make this a stand alone album. The plan was to feature Alexandra Coutinho on some tracks of Rio Con Brio's Caprice.







