Ruben Alves - Manto (2020/2025) [Official Digital Download]

Pianist Ruben Alves returns with an album that mixes classical and jazz influences with a traditional Portuguese sound, including the sound of the Portuguese guitar and traditional percussions.

Ruben launches an album of original music in which he mixes classical and jazz influences with a traditional Portuguese sound, including the sound of the Portuguese guitar and traditional percussions.

In this work, Ruben Alves wanted to focus on his influences in traditional Portuguese music, although his training and artistic career are centred on jazz/pop and classical.

Not only does the introduction of the Portuguese guitar and some traditional percussion reflect this objective, but the sound and composition itself reflect this fact, ending up with a fusion of jazz, improvised music and traditional music. music.

At a time when traditional music (particularly fado) is very much centred on vocal music, Ruben Alves aims to show another side, within his influences, with interpretative quality and exclusively original material.

By adding the double bass (Miguel Menezes) and drums (Marcos Alves), the Portuguese guitar (Luís Guerreiro), the cello (Sandra Martins) and percussion (João Ferreira), expands not only the timbral palette but also the range of atmospheres, with the help of judicious arrangement work. The unstoppable crescendo of tension in “Quinto elemento”, in the style of the Esbjörn Svensson Trio, reaches epic proportions and leads into the calm and refined “Voo suspenso”, followed by “Barro”, enchanting (and vaguely Arabizing) and “Primeiro canto em casa nova”, with a gentle bossa nova swing. The pop influences are most evident in “Certeza (de uma nota só)” and the album closes with the exquisitely simple and delicate “Valsa final”.

TRACKLIST

1. Ruben Alves - Castelo
2. Ruben Alves - Taki
3. Ruben Alves - A Chegada dos Infantes
4. Ruben Alves - Quinto Elemento
5. Ruben Alves - Voo Suspenso
6. Ruben Alves - Barro
7. Ruben Alves - Primeiro Canto em Casa Nova
8. Ruben Alves - Em Coro Menino
9. Ruben Alves - Mãe, Anda Ver Se Está Bem
10. Ruben Alves - Certeza (de uma Nota Só)
11. Ruben Alves - Tempo Travão
12. Ruben Alves - Valsa Final



Thanks to the Original customer.