No Strings Attached cs775

Further, there's No Strings Attached, also virtuosically oriented (& recorded in February 2023), a trio adding Hernâni Faustino as a second bass (& with Ernesto on violin for the later of what are two different sessions...), also appearing (unusually so far...) in 24bit sound, a much longer final track (in this case recorded live a few days earlier) following a series of etude-like interactions, all featuring richly detailed counterpoint, as indeed typical of recent (lengthy) albums with Madeira.... Todd McComb's Jazz Thoughts

No Strings Attached presents the Portuguese free improvising string trio of Rodrigues, who focuses here most of the time on violin, with two double bass players Madeira (who, again, was responsible for the recording, mixing and mastering) and Hernâni Faustino, known from the RED trio and Rodrigo Amado Wire Quartet. This trio was recorded in a studio and live at Cossoul, Lisbon, during the Creative Sources Cycle in February 2023.
The eight short studio pieces offer different kinds of intense and stormy dynamics that emphasize the strong personal voices of these experienced improvisers, and, obviously, variations of detailed counterpoint. The last, 32-minute live piece, which was recorded three days before the studio session, with Rodrigues back on the viola, sitting with Madeira and Faustino standing on his right and left sides, suggests a different atmosphere. It develops its dynamics patiently, and its interplay is still powerful but alternates with introspective and poetic modes, and, obviously, features different and personal kinds of extended bowing techniques. Eyal Hareuveni (Salt Peanuts)

This a kind of "classical" Rodrigues family output: a string trio led by Ernesto with the two double basses, played mostly with the bows. The album was recorded in February 2023: Tracks 1-8 at some studio somewhere in Lisbon, while Track 9 live in February 2023 at Cossoul, Lisbon, during the Creative Sources Cycle. Recording, mixing, and mastering were realized by João Madeira. The trio plays a suite "Expecting Strings Expression" in 8 movements. The same suite is then interpreted as a single live track 9, lasting 32 minutes.. This is an absolute top level and peak of contemporary string music, whether you qualify it as free improvised, freecomposed, or free chamber music. A really beautiful recording, very touching and convincing. Maciej Lewenstein