[Pet Health Admin]

Those who love the quiet jazzy groove of bossa nova and the delicate voice of Caetano Veloso probably know about Vinicius Cantuária. A Brazilian songwriter who has written hits for Veloso and other countrymen, Cantuária's own music favors spare but by no means safe bossa nova-based arrangements that gently push at the music's edges without making a stink about it. Like the classics, nothing is rushed; there is no shouting. Here there is the whispered voice, gentle percussion, swingin' guitar, bass and a few other bits of sound filigree that float in and out. While recent efforts have an arty electronic sheen on the surface, Horse and Fish is almost all acoustic, the notable exception being Cantuária's airy Bill Frisell-like electric guitar tone on some material. Highlights include the gutsy remake of Gilberto Gil's "Procissao," the upbeat "Cubanos Postizos" and "Look The Sky." This one will creep inside you with the subtlety of osmosis. --Tad Hendrickson
Customer Review: Another off-center set by this Brazilian experimentalist
Another lowkey, jazz-tinged outing by this well-regarded Brazilian expatriate... Cantuaria has come a long way since his days as a percussionist in Caetano Veloso's late '70s band, and from his clunky early solo albums, where he tried to be a New Wave-y Brazilian answer to The Artist Formerly Known As Prince. Here he settles deep into a mellow world-jazz mode, as heavily influenced by his recent collaborations with guitarist Bill Frisell as by the hovering, angelic spectre of the late Miles Davis. Longtime collaborator Paulo Braga anchors the album's percussive end, with Mauro Refosco and other folks in the Rio-by-way-of-NYC axis. Most of the songs are Cantuaria originals, while some well-chosen cover tunes -- moody renditions of Roberto Menescal's "O Barquinho," Gilberto Gil's "Procissao," a couple by Jobim -- highlight Cantuaria's ability to reimagine and refashion the visions of other artists. This is an album that will grow on you: songs that at first may seem slick and overly informed by commercial jazz styling take on a subtle gravity, as his profoundly calm, quiet approach slowly asserts itself. Give this disc a couple of tries, and it will richly reward you.


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