Straw

Creative Sources Digital, Lisbon 2020

1. I - 04'58''
2. II - 07'21''
3. III - 02'06''
4. IV - 03'29''
5. V - 06'28''
6. VI - 16'50''
7. VII - 08'28''

Ernesto Rodrigues - Viola

Ido Bukelman - Banjo

Guilherme Rodrigues - Cello
Antti Virtaranta - Double Bass

Recorded May 2018, Berlin
Cover design Guilherme Rodrigues

https://ernestorodrigues.bandcamp.com/album/straw

Reviews

Two excellent albums released by the Operation-Family-Rodrigues in the middle of the COVID 19 era.
The second album "Straw" is very diff erent. It was recorded live in concert by Ernesto Rodrigues at WorldWideWindow in May 2018 by a quartet with a rather non-orthodox personnel: In addition to Ernesto and Guilhermo we have here Ido Bukelman on banjo and Antti Virtaranta on bass. "Straw" includes 7 tracks entitled "I-VII". The dramatic scenario of these track builds up on the interplay of the viola and the cello with the delicate bowing of the double bass and the abstract sounds generated by the prepared banjo. Most of the track are short or moderately long. The highlight is 17-minute long "VI", a slow and very melancholic track, with in finitely beautiful dialogue of the viola and the cello, balancing between lyricism and expressionism.

Antti does again marvelous bow job on the bass, and banjo continues to generate fake sounds... Great stu ff, a great music for the hard times!!! Maciej Lewenstein