Luís Filipe Silva . drums
Miguel Falcão .double bass
Marcelo dos Reis . guitar and composition
Liner notes
Marcelo dos Reis' Flora caught me by surprise. Released in 2023, it was the first recording from the Portuguese guitarist's new trio with bassist Miguel Falcão and drummer Luís Filipe Silva, and it felt like each note struck a chord.
I had gotten to know dos Reis' playing over the years through his work with groups like Chamber 4 and various releases on the wonderful Cipsela label, like his solo work for nylon string guitar or his duo with trumpeter Luis Vicente on (Un)Prepared Pieces for Guitar and Trumpet. All are lovely albums, often quiet, delicate and textured, and dos Reis shows his experimental side on both acoustic and electric guitar. Flora, however, just rocked.
From the opening moments of "Big Tree," dos Reis' dry, slightly rough around the edges electric tone delivered driving rhythms, direct melodic hooks and uninhibited improvisation. It was a whole new dimension to his playing.
So, here we have the trio's sophomore recording, Our Time, and it more than picks up where the last one ended. There is more cohesion to the compositions, but they are also more complex and with a bit more nuance and contrast. It likely reflects the confidence they have gained after the fifty some-odd gigs that they've played since the first release, as well as something new in dos Reis' compositions. "I think this one is more open and adventurous in some way," explains the guitarist. "The repertoire from the first record grew up so much live after the recording, and when I started composing for this second one, I decided to open the music up more than on the first record."
Let us investigate, starting with the perfectly appointed opening track "Irreversible Light." The track loses no time announcing its intentions on seering its energy into your ears. Each step of the song, from the double stop theme over the urgent bass and drums to the sudden melodic twist introducing the solos, it is an exciting piece of hard rocking jazz that fits perfectly together.
The next track, "Thirteen Minutes" brings a little drama to the party. A melodic inquisition ensues, each one of the minutes adding weight to the situation. "Bending Cycles" offers a completely different approach, drum sticks and bass tones ramp up the energy, setting up a nervous melody from the guitarist. "After the Between (Tanger)" cools things down for a moment with an unaccompanied, slow moving melody from dos Reis, before the full group barges in and opens up the space for exploration. The final track, "Now That We Know" is an utter force of nature, a hard rock prog epic that grips lightly at first, then squeezes harder and harder, not letting go.
On Our Time, dos Reis and his trio have achieved a real milestone. It's the music of a working band, three musicians from the Coimbra area of Portugal who have known and worked with each other in different contexts and formats over the years. This is a part of the formula. dos Reis says "I knew I wanted musicians who had amazing drive and the capabilities to work with music that changes with cuts and different approaches to improvisation, as well as being able to play written music." He adds, "I also wanted it to be a real working band, so the geographical aspect was very important, having musicians that are from Coimbra and in the end, most of all, I really wanted musicians with a focused approach."
Indeed, the trio's sensitivity allows them to let go but never lose touch, to anticipate each other but not lock down possibilities, and to make unexpected twists and turns with precision. If you, like me, enjoy a good rocking trio that's unafraid of some complexity, you'll like what is happening on Our Time.
PAUL ACQUARO (Free Jazz Blog)…September 2025
credits
released November 24, 2025
Recorded by Guilherme Correia on March 29th 2025 at Academia de Música CNM/Estúdios Mó
Artwork and Design by Joana Teles Monteiro
Inside Photo by José Cruzio
Mix and Master by Guilherme Correia
All Music Composed by Marcelo dos Reis
Executive Production JACC Records
Thanks to Jaime dos Reis, Adriana Ávila, Guilherme Correia, José Miguel Pereira, Paul Acquaro, Estúdios Mó, Luís Nunes, Ana Gentil, José Cruzio, Jazz ao Centro Clube, Alexandra Neto Ferreira,Hugo Sales, Joana Teles Monteiro, Semente Atelier, Centro Norton de Matos, my family, friends, and specially to my brothers Luís Filipe Silva and Miguel Falcão for sharing with me the meaning of our time.
The feted group further refines their brand of modern jazz, mixed with elements of psychedelic rock, ambient, and electronic music. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 4, 2025
