Andre Mehmari: Afetuoso

The music that pianist Andre Mehmari presents on Afetuoso is a true amalgamation of jazz, classical and Brazilian forms. Mehmari, who's worked with everybody from trumpeter Randy Brecker to Brazilian icon Hermeto Pascoal, is a poised and thoughtful player who covers the whole emotional spectrum on this trio date. He's wrapped up in a world of wonder, joy, passion and peacefulness, and he vacillates between these moods, marrying diverse emotions with surprising ease.

"Suite Clube Da Esquina," the four-song suite that opens the album, is the perfect single-track representation of the Andre Mehmari aesthetic; this music ebbs and flows, taking on a life of its own as Mehmari explores the highs and lows that inherently exist in these songs. Rhapsodic notions, tip-toeing strains, and bounding phrases all make an appearance as Mehmari engages in some emotional foreshadowing.

As the program continues, the pianist digs deeper into each emotional topic that he references on the opener. He delivers vibrant music, like "Veredas," that bounces along in sunny fashion, but he also takes a turn toward the introspective, as on the emotionally draining "Nascente." He brings a musing quality to the work of Robert Schumann on "Sehr Langsam, From The Youth Album," explores darker territory with "Lachrimae/E Doce Morrer No Mar," and receives a visit from Ivan Lins, who adds some fetching vocals to his own "Maos De Afeto."

Mehmari is the focal point during the large majority of this album, but the role of his trio mates shouldn't be overlooked. Ze Alexandre Carvalho's bass can get to the heart of the matter with just a few notes and Sergio Reze's drumming perfectly mirrors and predicts the tidal shifts of Mehmari's making. Together, they make for a tight-and-flexible unit that captures the imagination by casting a wide emotional net.

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