Fragments of Always

Pinheiro and Lencastre chase each other up to the abyss, then let out a final squall of notes. The final track 'Axis Mundi' begins with Lencastre and Pinheiro feeling around the furthest edges, slowly gaining in confidence. Then Faustini, with a simple and effective bass line, shows the way while Joao's percussive prowess colors his brother’s lines and pushes the group to a quick ending.

Alto saxophonist José Lencastre seems to be reaching for something just beyond himself, straining into keening altissimo as a signifier of a sincere, if slightly hackneyed yearning. He’s ably aided by pianist Rodrigo Pinheiro and bassist Hernani Faustino and his drummer brotherJoao Lencastre – who unfurl fluid shimmers grounded by the drums’ keenly controlled brush and snare battery. Yet, for all his otherworldly intent, Lencastre sounds best when his horn is dealing out pugnacious blats.