Livio Almeida – ACTION & REACTION: It’s definitely your ears (not to mention your soul) that will be doing leaps (action) & bounds (reaction) as you listen to this brilliant young sax player, originally from Brazil, & now based in NYC! I didn’t realize it until I read the promo sheets a bit more closely, but his excellent sax work has been reviewed here before, as part of the Arturo O’Farrill sextet… in fact, Arturo helped him produce this release, and as you listen to ultra-lively tunes like “Agony“, you will realize why Arturo wanted to help him shine!
Though there are only seven songs on the album, their length still ’rounds the CD out to just under an hour of splendid jazz listening… just scope out Livio’s superbly rich-toned reeds on the opener, “Sambasus“, to get a sense of his bubbling, roiling creativity! I’m hoping that his next release will have (at least) a couple more tunes on it, of course.
I always pick a personal favorite for any album I am reviewing, and in this case it is the title track & closer, “Action and Reaction“, that is the clear winner…. not only because it’s the longest composition on the album, but also because it is absolutely VOLCANIC, energy-wise. I give Livio a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) rating of 4.99… I also predict that you will be hearing MUCH more from this talented young player in the months to come. Get more information on this superb artist at Livio’s website.
