REVIEW: Leblanc/Vicente/Antunes/Ferreira Lopes’ “A Square Meal”

Leblanc/Vicente/Antunes/Ferreira Lopes, A Square Meal (atrito-afeito)

This band is playing the Suoni festival on June 21 at Sala Rossa, so this is a timely release of improvised music. It starts with beautiful textural contrasts and grows to thunderous intensity driven by Leblanc’s commanding piano figures, Ferreira Lopes’s deep drum sound, the finetuned playing of bassist Hugo Antunes and trumpeter Luis Vicente’s palette of timbral colours. Montrealers Leblanc and Lopes play regularly as a duo, and they’re joined here by trumpeter Vicente and bassist Antunes.

8/10

Trial Track: “Mind and Intent”