Mar Afora

Over the last three decades, Portuguese jazz singer (and former black-belt aikido athlete) Maria João, and Brazilian singer-songwriter Guinga have forged careers as collaborators and composers with a string of distinguished artists. Maria João has played with jazz musicians such as Aki Takase, Ralph Towner and Trilok Gurtu and released a series of classy under-the-radar recordings with Portuguese pianist Mário Laginha, which included 2000's wonderful Chorinho Feliz. Guinga has composed for the cream of Brazil's MPB singers – Elis Regina, Leila Pinheiro and Chico Buarque – and has collaborated with top-rank international artists such as Esperanza Spalding.

With pedigrees like these you’d expect Mar Afora to be a quality offering. And it is, by and large. Songs are complex and crafted, expertly sung in João's quirky, kittenish scat style and Guinga's soft, sombre tones. Tracks like the opener ‘Simples e Absurdo’, delight with surprising melodic turns and cascading arpeggios that contrast with Guinga's gentle singing. ‘Via Crúcis’ is more portentous and reflective, with sparse pizzicato guitar accompanying melancholic, moody vocals from Maria. Taken individually the tracks are rewarding, but with only a guitar accompaniment from Guinga throughout and little thought as to how the songs hang together as a whole, the overall listening experience is a little wearing, crying out for more variety and instrumental depth.