Guitarist Erbetta has composed and produced film scores in his native Brazil, while Angelino Pete Curry plays bass with Los Straitjackets and was the surf-rock Halibuts’ lead guitarist. The two previously spearheaded the group Panamericans. Curry’s first instrument was drums, which he handles expertly on 10 instrumentals written by Erbetta, who plays guitar, banjo, keyboards, and steel, as well as bass.

Don’t even try to categorize this; it’s unabashedly eclectic and more than a little bit quirky – not surprising, considering Erbetta previously titled a solo CD Guitar Bizarre. High-spirited “Bubbles” splits the difference between early jazz and ’50s country. “Morning Song” wouldn’t be out of place in an Austin Powers movie, while “Things I Like” leans toward soul-jazz, with Erbetta’s bluesy Japanese Gretsch Country Club with Dynasonics and B-3 alternating center stage. “I’m A Loner” evokes a widescreen expanse, something like spaghetti western without succumbing to cliché, with Joao’s short, overdriven solo lifting the feel two-thirds in. Other axes include a ’67 Gretsch 6120 and two N. Zaganin guitars from Brazil – a Blend model and JM Custom.

The ballad “Tomorrow Night,” featuring Jorge Continentino’s sax and Erbetta’s minimal lines, is classic jazz with a touch of smooth.

This article originally appeared in VG’s October 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.