Anthony Wilson: Campo Belo

Composer and guitarist Anthony Wilson has a probing musical curiosity. He’s a longtime cornerstone of Diana Krall’s quartet; his composition Virgo was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and debuted in 2008; and we named Jack of Hearts, a guitar/organ/ drums session for Groove Note, the “Best Audiophile Label Recording” of 2009. For his eighth release, Campo Belo, Wilson ventured to Sao Paulo to record with Brazilian musicians he’d encountered while touring. With a core trio of André Mehmari (piano), Guto Wirtti (bass), and Edu Ribeiro (drums), the album’s ten tracks hint at their setting without overtly parading Brazilian themes. So while flavorings of samba, bossa nova, and choro are sprinkled throughout, Wilson also draws on all sorts of other influences. His tunes can be rich and seemingly mellow before turning knotty, insistent, and sometimes thorny—yet his music maintains a remarkable wholeness. Indeed, the album unfolds as something of a continuous suite. From the drum flourishes that announce the title track we’re led on a twisting journey of increasingly melodic moods and invention that also displays, but never flaunts, Wilson’s fine guitar work. The sound is pure, balanced, detailed, and quite dynamic, with a warm and engaging harmonic richness.