Mágico - Carta de Amor (Live)

Mágico - Carta de Amor (Live)

The hard-to-classify trio Magico—with Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek, Brazilian guitarist/pianist Egberto Gismonti, and American bassist Charlie Haden—put out two studio LPs on ECM at the dawn of the '80s. In 2012, the venerable German label released Carta de Amor, a double album of previously unreleased live performances from a 1981 concert in Munich. Carta opens and closes with two versions of the Gismonti-penned title track, which has a Spanish tinge. Both cuts feature arpeggiated patterns on acoustic guitar, subtle arco bass, and nuanced tenor-sax statements. (You can occasionally hear Gismonti singing wordless phrases on the first version.) Even more Spanish-flavored is Haden’s “La Pasionaria,” which has lovely guitar fingerings, distinctive soprano sax, and the moving, always warm-toned sound of his bass. “Two Folk Songs,” arranged by Garbarek, spotlights piercing soprano sax ringing out over fluttering 12-string guitar and rolling bass. Haden’s “All That Is Beautiful,” with Gismonti on piano, finds Garbarek in a particularly expansive mode on soprano, and there’s a gem of a bass solo, too.

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada