kev rowland In 2017 Kaoll came back with their fourth album (although at just 24 minutes long it seems more like an EP), by which time the group had grown to a six-piece, with just Bruno Moscatiello (guitar) and Yuri Garfunkel (flute) surviving from those involved with ‘Odd’. The English translation for the title is ‘Under the Eyes of Eve’, and was produced in conjunction with philosopher Renato Shimmi’s book, with illustrations by Zé Otávio, and really should be treated as a soundtrack. Apparently, it describes the duality between lyricism and oppression in the historical revolutions, from the myth of Eve and the expulsion of the paradise until the present times.

Whereas ‘Odd’ was full of South American rhythms and textures, this album is far more laid back, with slide guitar making its presence felt, as well as far more acoustic guitar than the previous work. When the flute is being used, then it is again the lead melody instrument, but there are plenty of times when Yuri is taking a rest from proceedings, so much so that it is more than three minutes into the album before he can even be heard. There are times when he does use the breathy style favoured by Ian Anderson, but often there is greater focus on fluidity, letting the other instruments provide the emphasis. Although there are plenty of times when this appears to be a more rock based album than the previous one, there are also more ambient textures within this. Overall, this album feels far more like a Western progressive album than the more South American-based jazz fusion album than the previous one.

But, yet again this is a really interesting piece of work, with the only major flaw being the brevity of the album as a whole. I would really have liked it to be twice the length, with the band really stretching out and extending themselves. The classical guitar that starts “Exílio Da Serpente” may be fairly simple, but it is full of beauty, and I would have really enjoyed hearing more. However, as it has been released through the Progshine digital label, it is being made available for just $3, and is an absolute bargain and well worth discovering.

kev rowland This is the third album by Brazilian trio Kaoll, comprising Bruno Moscatiello (guitar), Yuri Garfunkel (flute, Brazilian 10 string guitar (viola caipira)), Doktor Leo (drums, effects), and was originally released in 2014 before being reissued by Progshine towards the end of last year. On this album they have also used many guests, including Billy Cox (Jimi Hendrix), percussionist João Parahyba (Trio Mocotó), Paulo Garfunkel (clarone and clarinet), Ricardo Vignini (viola caipira), Gabriel Costa (Violeta de Outono) and Ney Haddad (Mobilis Stabilis) on bass, Fábio Ribeiro (Remove Silence) on keyboards and pianos, among others.

The guitar sound is thick and dirty, the flute is gentle and pleasant, the organ is a Hammond, plus there is electric piano and loads of South American percussion and rhythms, what here is there not to like? It is both funky and fun, fusion and Seventies rock combining to produce an instrumental album which is a delight from beginning to end. In some ways it is quite simple, while in others it is incredibly complex, and while the melody may sometimes be sweet there is a great deal going on underneath. It is refreshing and joyous, thoughtful and sincere. The guitar on “Balada para o Sr. Bodão” is simply superb, taking the lead with some sweeping solos, but it is the mix of styles and cultures that makes this an album deserving closer attention. The overall result is that while this has been overlooked by pretty much everyone involved in the scene outside Brazil, it is one that will be enjoyed by all those lucky enough to come across it.

Now that it has been reissued through the Progshine digital label, it is being made available for just $3. What are you waiting for, and what have you got to lose?