Felipe Salles: Seven Days

Salles's South American Suite is an impressive seven-piece work, and the opening "Seven Days" perhaps best accomplishes its intent. Salles takes native rhythms of Brazil some well-known, many more obscure and writes compelling compositions based on them, with richly textured modern orchestrations that encourage expressive ensemble playing and solos. The leader's tenor and Michelin's piano begin the track with a spiritual duet remindful of Coltrane and Tyner, which soon evolves into a dancing riff-like melody inspired by two Brazilian rhythms the Baião and Maracatu with trombone punctuating the enticing beat. The theme is then effectively repeated at times with varying blends of instruments. Among the soloists during this absorbing, nearly 11-minute performance, Manricks on alto and Salles on tenor excel, each creatively using vocalized inflections and cleverly altered rhythmic patterns to enhance the harmonic depth of their improvisations.