Moreno Veloso Music Typewriter CD

When you're the son of Caetano Veloso, one of Brazil's most beloved singer/songwriters and men of letters, you have to face a lot of expectations when you release your debut record. But Moreno Veloso is no clone; while he's inherited the wry iconoclasm of his father, he stamps himself all over this record, letting his personal musical idiosyncrasies flourish, like the theremin and sound processing that buzz like flies over his cover of the Brazilian classic "Das Partes." While the majority of the songs come from Veloso's pen, like fellow new generation artist (and musical scion) Bebel Gilberto he's not afraid to pay homage to the inspirational samba and bossa nova that's an integral part of his country's musical heritage, even venturing as far as North America for a take on "I'm Wishing" from the movie Snow White, which pitches English and Portuguese vocals against each other in a luminously simple performance. His own material can range from the rhythmic and funky "Arrivederci" to the understated, relaxed "Nenhuma," where he reaches into a falsetto range of a voice that's admittedly limited. The experimental tendencies are just enough to give an interesting quirk factor, without overwhelming his natural melodicism. While this album won't start another Tropicaliá movement, the way his father's mix of Brazilian and rock did in the late '60s, it establishes him as one of the brighter new lights in the MPB (Brazilian popular music) scene. ~ Chris Nickson

Engineers: Florencia Saravia, Daniel Carvalho, Berna Ceppas.

Moreno Veloso: Moreno Veloso (vocals, guitar, electric guitar, cello, trumpet, piano, synthesizer, congas, percussion, Theremin); Kassin (electric guitar, E-bow, keyboards, synthesizer, bass instrument, Theremin, background vocals); Domenico (electric guitar, keyboards, drums, electronics, Theremin, background vocals).

Personnel includes: Moreno Veloso (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, cello, trumpet, piano, synthesizer, bass, drums, congas, surdo, percussion, Theremin); Kassin (electric guitar, E-bow, synthesizer, bass, Theremin, background vocals); Pedro Sa, Mauricio Pacheco, Phil Dawson (electric guitar); Domenico (guitar, piano, Wurlitzer piano, drums, timbales, surdo, electronic percussion, Theremin); Caetano Veloso (guitar); Daniel Jobim (piano); Joao Donata (Fender Rhodes piano); Berna Ceppas (synthesizer); Melvin Gibbs (bass); Marcus Suzano (tabla, tambourine); Andres Levin (electronic percussion); Dado Villa-Lobos (programming); Rubinho Jacobina, Batolo, Perna, Branco Mello (background vocals).

Producers: Kassin, Moreno Veloso, Anders Levin.

Additional personnel: Caetano Veloso (guitar); Daniel Jobim (piano); Melvin Gibbs (bass instrument).

Entertainment Weekly (2/23/01, p.162) - "...Half of this debut is mentholated bossa nova; half is sexy carnival music for the digital era. All of it is gorgeous." - Rating: A-
Alternative Press (4/01, p.79) - 4 out of 5 - "...A smattering of Brazilain styles fused with a modern sensibility...A fresh take on familair sounds that points to the future of Brazilain music..."
Muzik (5/01, p.99) - 4 out of 5 - "...An excellent contemporary Brazilian album ranging from funky uptempo tracks to the more experimental..."
CMJ (2/19/01, p.5) - "...Embraces the past, present and future of Brazil suggests Moreno's work may prove to be that rare thing in any art - a great sequel."
Down Beat (5/01, pp.76-7) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Surprising and indelible tunes....highlighting his sharply crafted songwriting and flowing arrangements..."
JazzTimes (5/01, p.110) - "...An original, deeply affecting sound....taking cues from genre masters while delicately incorporating modern touches..."