He’s only come to LA a few times, but if Diego Figuereido’s set at Vibrato is any indicator, he better start looking for a place to rent. The Brazilian guitarist played before a packed house and brought the upscale crowd to a hush as he mystified them with an opening solo set of songs before bowling them over with a sensational trio collection of sambas and standards.
His clean and percussive approach to guitar picking and strumming was like listening to the heels of a flamenco dancer as he pranced through some of his own material as well as a festive take of “One Note Samba.” His emphasis on the traditional feel of the South American folk music was evident on “No Baixa do Sapateiro” as audio images of couples gliding across a dance floor was evoked.
With Pat Senatore/b and Kendall Kay/dr coming up stage right, Figuereido turned the heat up a little higher, with a simmering and supple reading of “Girl from Ipanema.” His assertive approach to the strings made the guitar ping like a calliope on “So Danco Samba”, while the lyrical and bel canto take of “Manha De Carnaval” started with an aria-like taking of the notes before Figuereido started a rapid fire attack of the strings until they begged for mercy, just at the point where he turned down the whole piece until it sauntered into a table dance. His bop chops were given veracity on an version of “Stella By Starlight” that mixed old world charm with contemporary vision, while his interpretation of “Take Five” blistered like the hands of a chain gang as the rhythm charged like the Run At Pamplona. By the time he closed with (what else?) “Brazil,” he completed his task of laying down the gauntlet of the standard for what South American, and North American, guitars can do with passion, taste and vision.
Upcoming shows at Vibrato include Teka and the New Bossa October 19
www.vibratogrilljazz.com