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... about the CD HUGO ALVES QUARTET GIVEN SOUL
(listen here!)
"... As in the case of trumpeter Hugo Alves,
whose CD Given Soul is a real breath of fresh air in the new Portuguese
jazz. Not because he is going for new grounds as others, or representing a
new facet of a certain Portuguese jazz. For years Hugo Alves comes across
our path as a soloist, an orchestra musician, and a teacher. What he
presents in all this humility is music well rooted in jazz, expressed
safely, with melodic invention, vivacity and absolute sense of jazz.
Accompanied by a sympathetic trio with it's concepts, especially the drummer
Michael Lauren, Hugo Alves, once again, affirmes to be a trumpeter of
international call." (classified with ****) Raul Vaz Bernardo, Expresso -
Revista Actual, 09.Fev.2008
Hugo Alves Given Soul among
the "Best National Jazz CDs". António Rubio, Magazine Jazz.pt,
Jan/Fev.2008
Hugo Alves Given Soul among the "10 Best National Jazz CDs ". António
Branco, Blog Improvisos Ao Sul, 03.Jan.2008
Hugo Alves Given Soul among the "8 Best National Jazz CDs". Manuel
Jorge Veloso, Blog O Sítio do Jazz, 01.Jan.2008
Hugo Alves Given Soul among the "Best National Jazz CDs". Raul Vaz
Bernardo, Website JazzLogical Jan.2008
Hugo Alves Given Soul among the "Best National Jazz CDs". Leonel
Santos, Website JazzLogical Jan.2008
Hugo Alves Given Soul as background music on the "Entre Pratos" program
on channel RTP2 (national TV), presented by: Henrique Sá Pessoa,
08.Dec.2007
"Hugo Alves is a type of lone wolf in the national Jazz panorama. He is
Algarvian, he was part of the Ze Eduardo Unit, he's the Lagos Jazz Orquestra
director and the Taksi Trio mentor. Hugo Alves is a bopper, with all which
can be said of boppers both good and bad: the boppers were the best
musicians in the world and their technique in many cases continues to be
insurpassable. Esthetically we can classify his playing as being
unsurpassable . All all one has to do is go to a concert performance to
understand that his music seems to have always existed and must never stop
existing. Hugo Alves is a jazz musician that likes his Jazz pure and hard:
his last CD, without a harmonic instument, was truely "raw" (I believe it
easier to listen to it in live concert) while on Given Soul Pablo Romero's
electric piano seems to have polished the edges and helped it become more
balanced. A CD that one can listen to with pleasure." Leonel Santos, Site
http://www.jazzlogical.net , "30 CDs for Christmas", Dec.2007
Hugo Alves Given Soul classified with**** (out of *****) by
http://www.jazzportugal.ua.pt José Duarte, JazzPortugal, Jun.2007
“Alves has once again made evidente his credentials not only as an
inspired instrumentalist but also as a gifted composer. With his clear and
structured sound he has put together a CD filled with a sunny, warm,
laidback atmosphereand includes an elegant swing... "Given Soul is a sober
and honest CD by a musician that cannot seem to stop surprising us and still
seems to have a lot to contribuite to tha national jazz scene. This is just
the beginning..." António Branco, Blog Improvisos Ao Sul, 22.Jun.2007
“Hugo Alves, an important figure in the national jazz scene, confirms
all of his inate talent on trumpet. The evolution which lead to this CD is
probably the most imporant of his carreer. The crystal clear sound of his
trumpet and the fluidity of the notes that come out of him can only be
produced by a mature musician that is completely aware and in control of the
secrets hidden within his instruments and therefore is able to produce all
the melody and harmony needed to show in such an exemplary form what can be
found here. A milestone" António Rubio in Correio da Manhã(national
newspaper), Êxito / CDs of the week, on 09.Jun.2007 Class. **** (out of
*****)
“Hugo Alves affirms himself as one of the sure things in the national
jazz panorama. We particularly appreciate the honest way he presents his
originals... with an extreme sobriety, capable, above all, of joining with a
sensibility which has very little if anything to do with jazz. The freshness
of the music, always a bit mainstream allowed him to conquer a space which
has no doubt been waiting for him: the esthetics of jzz is painted with a
palet of many colours and it is necessary that the spectrum have as many
different tones as possible... Hugo Alves' world of sound grabs us at first
listen." Rui Branco in Jornal de Notícias (national newspaper), Culture /
CD, on 02.Jun.2007 Class. 7/10
... about the CD HUGO ALVES TAKSI TRIO
(about tune Tema Só Para Ti) ”tune of beautiful clipping... supported by a
full sound on which the interesting improvisation of the trumpet evolves,
here demonstrating to a perfect instrumental domain and a controlled and
beutiful sound".
(about the tune Moínhos de Arroz)"... it represents a remarkable aesthetic
jump, in what concerns the evolution of improvisation and its relation with
a structure previously defined. MANUEL JORGE VELOSO on National Portuguese Radio Show “UM TOQUE DE JAZZ”,
RDP Antena 2, 12/05/2005
“...I highly recomend it!” (about the CD) ANABELA RIBEIRO on National TV Show “MAGAZINE” , RTP Canal A2, 28/02/2005
“The expectations were high, but Hugo Alves once again proved the excellency
of its compositions and sound. This recording locks up jazz free from
catalogations or labelings. A cool air gust. Do not lose it of sight."
BLOG IMPROVISOS AO SUL, http://improvisosaosul.weblog.com.pt/ , 21/03/2005
“The second CD of original compositions... confirms what the predecessor had
brought: a safe musician and with good fine taste... The trio works as a
small machine, with perfect empathy. In prominence, of course, the
improvisations of Hugo Alves, as on trompete, or on flugel, finds solutions
that arrive to surprise..." RUI BRANCO in JORNAL DE NOTÍCIAS, “Pré-Escuta”, em 12/03/2005
... about the CD HUGO ALVES ESTRANHA NATUREZA
“... style
mainstream 70, with some contemporary phrasing . It is a conscientious
choice, and there is no reason to believe that portuguese jazz is drifting.
Hugo teaches and shows that, without going looking for notes to the four
winds, he dominates his his instruments from where he extracts sounds of
some naturality which we are no longer accustomed in jazz… one should not
exclude that Hugo Alves will impose himself shortly in the jazz world.”
PATRICK DALMACE in JAZZ HOT Nº 612 July/August 2004 – França ( translated )
“...
a complete
musician dedicated to contemporary jazz... plays in a relax manner and well
elaborated, almost unconcerned but with all elements of jazz. His way of
playing is smoothly fluent, almost seductive, as dynamic and vigorous.
A very good
record...”
in JAZZ DIMENSIONS, 18-02-2004 – Alemanha ( translated)
“..., a
record that leads us to the surprising sound maturity of a trumpet player
constantly evolving,… Risking, with courage and technique, a series of
originals inserted on neo-mainstream grounds, Hugo Alves reveals articulated
and aggressive enough on trumpet – knowing well and where to “double” tempo,
for example in Um Outro Céu de Prata – but also controlling to a round sound
on flugelhorn on Dois Velhos or specially in No Castelo da Catarina, pece
where looks me to reside his best side as a composer”
MANUEL JORGE VELOSO in National Portuguese Newspaper DIÁRIO DE NOTÍCIAS “A
várias vozes” suplement DN Mais, 30/01/2004
...about ORQUESTRA DE JAZZ DE LAGOS (concerts)
“... (concert) that had the special guest
Bobby Medina ... OJL, the responsable for this revolution and invasion (of
public), that left astonished with the quality of presented music.” In Canallagos, http://www.canallagos.com , 08/03/2005
“The work of the orchestra head-man and the sense of delivery found on the
musicians provided an unexpected artistic dimension... Either on solos, or
in the global sound of the orchestra, was well express the will and the
capacity to make things good... Tunes of Duke Ellington, Billy Martin, Sonny
Rollins and others, took the room to fire. Reference for excellent solos...
an unforgetable night... "ANTÓNIO RUBIO in National Poortuguese Newspaper CORREIO DA MANHÃ “Uma
Agradável Certeza”, 29/01/2005
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