Caio Afiune - Every Choice Is an Act of Courage (2022)

“Every Choice is an Act of Courage” is a mantra embedded in Afiune by his father, Jorge. From a young age the lesson applied to the smallest daily actions, but as Afiune approaches the release of his sophomore album, it clearly influences how he reconciles the relationship between creativity and what is normally expected of a jazz guitarist.

In addition to original pieces, Afiune reimagines popular standards from the jazz tradition, including “Caravan,” “I Remember You,” “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise” and “Stella by Starlight” through recompositions, drawing influence from free jazz, Brazilian rhythms and metal. While Afiune lives within the jazz idiom, he challenges the expectations of a jazz guitarist and even takes a step back from the shred fest to let his killer ensemble and compositions shine.

In “Caravana,” Afiune fuses the famous Tizol/ Ellington melody with a flamenco groove to create a multi-movement adventure. Afiune taps into the melancholy of Johnny Mercer’s lyrics for “I Remember You,” stretching its grieving melody over lush harmonies. Caio invites singer Jessica Curran into two tunes: a reharmonized “Precious” by Esperanza Spalding and “Returning”, a co-written composition written in response to the devastation of the Amazon forest in early 2020. The closing track embodies all that Afiune stands for. “Tequila Sunrise”

pays homage to his love for rock and free jazz while still exploring rich harmonies and complex rhythms. The piece merges into “Stella on a Starry night” an impressionistic memory of a jazz classic by Victor Young and Ned Washington.

Recently relocated to Stockholm, Afiune has spent the last 10 years making a lasting impression on the United States’ East Coast jazz scene. Afiune has performed extensively as a sideman accompanying jazz giants such as Jerry Bergonzi and Christian Sands, Brazilian legends Jacques and Paula Morelenbaum, leading his own project, the Caio Afiune Quintet, and collaborating with the international collective Imagine 5.

​Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, Afiune’s compositions uniquely blend together the essence of Brazil and his deep knowledge of the North American jazz tradition. His debut album, “Caio Afiune,” received widespread acclaim. The title track, “Prebenda,” was awarded an ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award, and the closing track “Dido,” was not only an official finalist in the 2015 Hollywood songwriting competition, but won the 2016 Downbeat Award for best small ensemble composition.

Since leaving his home country, Afiune has been seen performing in Canada, Australia, Panama, Sweden, and touring throughout the United States. He also dedicates part of his time to share his experience, and has taught at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Boston College, as well as private lessons and workshops.

​Currently, Afiune is preparing to release his second album, featuring some of the greatest up and coming young jazz musicians in the Boston and New York Scene, Jessica Curran (voice), Henrique Eisenmann (piano), James Heazlewood-Dale (bass), Avery Logan (drums), Nathan Reising (alto saxophone), and Max Ridley (bass).

Tracklist:

1. Every Choice Is an Act of Courage
2. I Remember You
3. Caravana
4. Precious
5. Returning
6. Tequila Sunrise - Stella on a Starry Night