Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email


2019 February 18 • Monday

Erlon Chaves is probably the composer of the 557th Soundtrack of the Week, music for Procura-se uma Virgem, apparently a Brazilian soft porn movie. I say "probably" because Chaves's credit is as arranger and director of the Orquestra St. Moritz. If he didn't also compose this music, I don't know who did.

The record kicks off with "Procura-se uma Virgem (prefixo) tema de abertura", which I suppose means opening theme. It's a sunny, groovy, upbeat lounge number with jazzy organ solos. Melody is handled by wind instruments and the electric bass playing is noticeably strong. This gets reprised at the end, so it's the first and last thing you hear on this record.

Next is "Procura-se uma Virgem (valsa) (duo cantate) and sure enough, this is a jazz waltz version of the previous piece with a man and woman singing the melody wordlessly as well as breaking into laughter and occasionally scatting. The rhythm section gives it a great groove.

"Grilo" is a more powerful piece, with some tough breakbeat drumming, a monomaniacal organ figure and some sharp, stabbing figures. Lots of organ soloing, all really good.

"Os Tres Ladrões" is a goofy sort of number that sounds like it could be for a wacky comedy section or a children’s cartoon or something. It’s interesting to hear the instruments in this combo blended like this. It’s a versatile group.

It's no surprise that we get a bossa nova on this loungey Brazilian soundtrack. "Uma Velha Bossa" has a nice melody and everything but the drummer’s feel is the star even though the organ and guitar take the solos.

"Vamos Nos" starts with horns blaring and then kicks into a sick driving groove with another melody like “Grilo”, just a few notes played a lot, over and over. Also another great organ solo.

After this comes "O Anjo E O Diabo", a funk jazz piece with flute and organ handling the melody and a piano solo as well as an organ solo.

You might have expected a love theme of some kind and here it is: "Tema de Amor". It's a very pretty tune sung by a female vocalist over a medium tempo waltz groove, the organ creating harmonic foundations for her while the bass player slinks around. There’s a little bit of delicate piano soloing too.

The only other cue is "Ba Õba Õba", whic has a familiar Latin rhythm, though I don’t remember what it’s called. It’s at a moderate tempo, very laid back and unhurried, with the electric guitar and organ alternating being the main voice.