Mario Rossi Band ~~ Smoke Burst
Out of the country of Brazil, Mario Rossi has been putting together an admirable career in the blues. He has been performing there for years as well as in the United States. In June, he released his fourth album, Smoke Burst, which he calls his “most mature work yet.”
I haven’t been able to check out Rossi’s earlier work, this album is my introduction to his music and I can tell you it is impressive. Rossi, who handles vocals and guitars, is joined by Edê Boy on keyboards; Marcelo Rocha on bass; and Rafael Cacavallo on drums.
Guest performers include Richard Fermino on trumpet, saxophone, and trombone on three tracks; Chicago artist Steve Bell on harmonica on There’s No Hope For Willie Brown; Lu Vitti on lead vocals on It Means Blues; and Magally Farias, Je Farias, Lu Vitti, and Edê Boy as the Gospel Choir on There’s No Hope For Willie Brown.
The album starts off with the title track, Smoke/Burst. The guitar and horns signify that this is an album with meat on its bones. It’s an instrumental and everybody gets in on the jam. It’s a quick way to showcase the talent of the musicians and sets up the rest of the disc.
Next up is Leavin' For A Walk with its staccato guitar and some serious keyboards and drums. Rossi’s voice is okay, he’s not a crooner, more of a rock and roll voice that does the job but isn’t distinct enough to warrant much more in passing. However, his guitar playing is excellent!
Lu Vitti takes over the lead vocal on It Means Blues. It’s a slow burn of a number and Rossi’s guitar sets the mood nicely. Vitti has a great voice and this is real old school blues. I would like to hear an entire album with her doing the vocals – either blues or jazz; I think she would be great. I love the keyboards on this song as well.
There's No Hope For Willie Brown features Steve Bell on harp and a Gospel Choir. Bell’s harp is a welcome addition as it punctuates the opening. Rossi’s vocals are better on this song, maybe I should have waited to hear the whole album before talking about his voice. The drums get a real workout on this song.
A phrase I used throughout my teenage years, Don't Tell Me What To Do, is the next title. Rossi’s guitar does a great job setting up the song and its anger. It’s almost like punk blues, there’s high energy and is a personal anthem. Cool song…
They follow that up with Jammin' For Jimi. So many guitarists have been influenced by Jimi Hendrix and you can hear the homage in the riffs that Rossi plays. It’s another instrumental and it works very well. Jimi would be honored by the song.
Another good mix of guitar and keyboards is the next song, Expensive Instinct. Rossi and Boy work very well together, trading off when necessary and each gives the other the spotlight when it’s time.
Rossi and company close out the album with Cold Lonely Nights. It’s a good slow burn and the horn section adds a great deal of flavor to Rossi’s machine gun guitar. I would like to hear more songs done in this style, the band seems very comfortable when they take it nice and slow.
The Mario Rossi Band has become something like an international ambassador of the blues. They have really made themselves a presence in both Brazil and the United States. They are getting press from all over the world and their music is being played on major stations all over. They are getting closer to breaking out in a big way, and I, for one, can’t wait to see where they go after the success of Smoke Burst.