MARCIO PHILOMENA – A Troubadour’s Trail
Hailing from Porto Alegre in Southern Brazil but now based in Brooklyn, New York, jazz guitarist and composer Marcio Philomena creates music that reflects his experience as an international troubadour.
Philomena has today released a single entitled āVibraƧÅesā, revealing that āit was originally intended as a Bossa nova, but ended up sounding more like a representative mix of my Brazilian and American influences. The band gave it a Pat Metheny-esque spin, which I love.ā
āVibraƧÅesā is included on Philomenaās forthcoming debut album, āTrailsā, which includes eight other instrumental tracks that are a refreshing blend of jazz, Brazilian music, rock and soundscapes and showcase his love of melody. āOne thing I did not want this album to be was too complex,” he states. āWhat I have learned over the years is that the songs people gravitate towards are the simplest. With this album, I wanted to write something that I would enjoy both as a listener and a musician.āĀ
āTrails’ features two groups, with Helio Alves (piano), Peter Slavov (upright bass) and Rafael Barata (drums) appearing on āVibraƧÅesā andĀ Julian Shore (piano), Rick Rosato (upright bass) and Roberto Giaquinto (drums) on all the other tracks.
The album begins with āBourbonā, a traditional jazz waltz immersed in melancholic allure that weaves tender melodies and is reminiscent of 70s-era Jim Hall Trio. āI wanted the opener to set the mood, like a good glass of bourbon,ā heĀ explains.
Elsewhere, āOak Streetā – streamed over a million times on Spotify – takes us down the tree-lined road in Brooklyn where he now lives, while by contrast āRio Brancoā is named after a neighbourhood in his home city and is āa sort of BaiĆ£o, a rhythm originated in the northeast of Brazil.ā Another previously issued single, āNanaā, is āa tribute to Brazilian singer Nana Caimmy and her signature style of interpreting Bossa novas. I wanted to capture her understated interpretation of melodies and the tranquil atmosphere of a Rio de Janeiro based soap-opera soundtrack.ā
I strive to create music that appeals to connoisseurs and newcomers alike. āTrailsā sees me stepping in that direction.ā
Philomena first picked up an acoustic guitar at the age of 11 after seeing Green Day perform on MTV. By 13, he had discovered a love of jazz after seeing his music teacher play through a book of Pat Martino transcriptions. āI didnāt know you could sound like that on the guitar, and it looked challenging, so that inspired me to learn jazz.āĀ Receiving a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in 2009 to study guitar and production, he was selected as a semi-finalist in the Montreux Jazz Festival Guitar Competition soon after. After a period in Brazil, he settled in Brooklyn, where he has become a fixture in NYCās music scene.
Having issued several singles over the last year, āTrailsā sees Philomena striving to expand his abilities as a composer and performer. āI would like the writing aspect of my career to be just as important as the performing,ā he is keen to stress. āI strive to create music that appeals to connoisseurs and newcomers alike. āTrailsā sees me stepping in that direction.ā
TRAILS
TRACKLISTING
1Ā BourbonĀ 5:30
2Ā Rio BrancoĀ 6:36
3Ā VavaĀ 5:10
4Ā The Last RealmĀ 5:05
5Ā NanaĀ 4:34
6Ā Still FramesĀ 6:16
7Ā VibraƧÅesĀ 3:37
8Ā Oak StreetĀ 5:08
9Ā TrailsĀ 7:49
