Jan Garbarek/Egberto Gismonti/Charlie Haden: Magico: Carta de Amor – review

Norwegian sax star Jan Garbarek and Brazilian composer, guitarist and pianist Egberto Gismonti teamed up with bassist Charlie Haden for this trio, Magico. They released good studio albums in 1979 and 1980, but this is a set of previously unreleased performances from 1981. It's an impassioned and fiercely improvisational collection of variations on powerful themes by all three, touching on Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra repertoire and Garbarek's free-jazz history. It also showcases Gismonti as a lyrical and abstract-effects guitarist, an inspired composer and a resourceful, Jarrettish pianist. Haden's simmering La Pasionara, usually an orchestral piece, sounds equally thrilling for a threesome; Gismonti's percussive and chordal effects are dazzling on Cega Aderaldo and Garbarek's traditional Folk Song; while Spor sets Garbarek's free improvisations against jaw's harp sounds, wah-wah noises and frenetic strumming. There are surprises on all eleven tracks.