Carlos “Zíngaro”, Guilherme Rodrigues, & — Zwosch, Zwosch & Zwosch

Zwosch, Zwosch & Zwosch is an improv release that wonderfully swings between the manic and seared, to the more moody and atmospheric. It’s an album/ release that truly keeps the listener firmly on their toes throughout its nearing thirty-three-minute run.

The CD/ digital download appears on Dirk Serries (Vidna Obmana, solo/ collaborative improv work) curated New Wave Of Jazz label. The disc comes presented in the labels house style mini gatefold- which features grey boxes & white texts, with a write-up about the release inside. The album is ltd to 200 copies and can be found here. 

The release brings together three Portuguese improvisers- Carlos “Zíngaro” – Violin, Guilherme Rodrigues – Cello, and José Oliveira – Percussion. The album consists of a recording of a set from the Festival DME - Lisboa Incomum on the 30th of July, 2021.

The single track featured here rolls in at thirty-two minutes & fourteen seconds. We open with a blend of rattling percussive drags, neck saws/pulls, and sudden crashes/ runs. As we move on we go from manic string swoons ‘n’ swipes blended with darting/ shifting percussive tones. Though to drops into broodingly moody droning/ simmer- which are edged by scuttling scraps & rubs. Onto rapidly tightening bass runs, fiddling swoons, and playful ethnic percussive rolls & shifts.

Throughout the three players nicely shifts from one place to the next- with both a feeling of true freedom & flare, yet there are also moments of mood/ near melody too. And I could have easily listened to these three for another half an hour or so, as their playing is both rewardingly eventful and atmospherically fired.

Zwosch, Zwosch & Zwosch is a wonderfully unpredictable improv ride, and you really don’t know what’s around next sonic corner. And this maintains even after a few plays, so it most certainly deserves revisits.