Revolução by Natalie Cressman & Ian Faquini

Recordings act as sonic snapshots in time, individual chapters in the ongoing autobiographies musicians compose throughout their careers. Listening to albums has forever been one of the most accessible ways we relate with musicians, embracing any variety of creative efforts that shape the soundtracks of our lives. But even within the intimacy of the best examples of recorded music, a peculiar sense of distance exists. Most often it’s the length of space between a recording and its release date, but at times it’s also how removed listening to an album can feel from experiencing the music live.
Having toured internationally for years, trombonist Natalie Cressman and guitarist Ian Faquini have done well to master both studio and live environments. This duet’s continued exploration of Brazilian music is informed by the impressive breadth of knowledge, nuance, personal flair and intimacy they bring to both their albums and live performances. With their latest album Revolução (Revolution), Cressman and Faquini have collapsed the distance between studio and stage, crafting a recording that’s as poignant and vivacious as any of their live shows. “We were really intentional about recording this album as if it were a live performance,” Cressman shared, “as we tried being much more organic than, say, a super produced recording.”
Pushing past the most common contemporary interpretation of the word, Revolução is a meditation on the rituals, emotions and behaviors our lives habitually revolve around. Love, loss, relationships, and other whimsical qualities of our human nature unfold like pages of a colorful but well worn graphic novel. These serenely balanced musical vignettes also set the stage for the indigenous imagination Faquini and Cressman cultivate while showcasing their own brand of Brazilian contemporary folk music. Within a world full of distractions, Revolução dives into the power of simplicity and the enduring quality of human-scaled musical narratives that can be remarkably empathic even if you don’t understand Portuguese.
But comprehending even bits of Portuguese makes Revolução that much better. Take for example Cem Mil Réis (One Hundred Thousand Réis) written by the legendary Brazilian composer Noel Rosa. Here samba swings urbane with tongue-in-cheek lyrics describing a woman's request to her partner to fund a new dress and drum. Playful bickering floats above Faquini’s gentle guitar, interrupted only by Cressman’s jovial solo. Choreographed like a melodic sundial, Faquini’s Contradança (Contradance) speaks to the metaphoric dance of time and the arc of rhapsodic movements that sustain us.
“My throat asks for water and my eyes ask for your gaze!” introduces Faquini’s splendid rendition of Tenho Sede (I’m Thirsty), the gorgeous ballad from renowned Brazilian collaborators Dominguinhos and Anastácia. Northeast Brazil’s Baião rhythm makes for the fast and furiously percussive Capenga Mas Não Cai (Limping But Doesn’t Fall) with lyrics by Brazilian singer-songwriter Iara Ferreira. An anthem to overcoming life’s obstacles, the song skillfully leverages the innate lyrical nature of Portuguese. Slowing down to a more somber note, De Mão Cheia (Hands Full) features Cressman’s sentimental tone as it narrates maneuvering through overwhelming days complicated by physical or emotional hurdles.
Influenced by the role religion plays in Brazilian culture, Dizia Maria (Maria Said) describes the dreamlike quality of staying present in the moment. Throughout the song “Maria” becomes a touching pseudonym for any partner, friend, relative or religious deity you might share those special moments with. One of only two instrumentals on the album, Blues for James is a tribute to saxophonist James Casey, a bandmate and close friend who passed from cancer while Faquini and Cressman were recording their previous album Guinga. Sorrowful but sweet, Moda de Viola (Viola Style) pays homage to the caipira viola country style of guitar common among many of Brazil’s self-taught traveling musicians.
After exploring so many songs about love and loss, Revolução pivots to Natty's Waltz, a buoyant tune Faquini wrote with Cressman in mind featuring the kind of patinated melody especially well suited to her voice on the trombone. Composed while on the road shortly before the pandemic hit, the album’s title track Revolução describes basic rituals we take for granted when distracted by the persistent chaotic nature of our lives. Here again Iara Ferreira’s lyrics align perfectly with the sonic quality of Faquini’s musicality.
As death and dying are rarely easy to discuss, Vigil unfolds as Cressman’s tale of struggling to find the right words to describe her grandfather’s passing. For Cressman, this form of vigil can feel endless as “you’re holding on to their memory and the force they played in your life.” Revolução’s final appeal takes the form of Rio-Mar (River-Sea), a song about casting away fears and doubts by “sending your sorrow to the seas,” all while reclaiming hope’s compass to continue maneuvering through life. Evocative of Brazil’s indigenous faith rituals, the song also reminds us to stay connected to nature while remaining true to the essential nature of who we are.
Change agents come in all shapes and sizes. Small in size but intimate and intentional in the ways they shape their sound, Ian Faquini and Natalie Cressman continue to hone a signature style of illuminating an eclectic variety of Brazilian music. “I don't think we're uniquely Brazilian,” Faquini told me. “I think where we're unique is the blend of American influences within a Brazilian way of interpreting music.” Reaching back historically while paving a way forward with their sparse but sophisticated approach, Revolução finds Cressman and Faquini manifesting their own artistic authority within today’s phrenetic cultural landscape. As Cressman sees it, “The world is only getting more and more mechanized and our music can be a source of healing and therapy from all that noise.”
Without originally seeking to apply any specific meaning to Revolução, Cressman and Faquini stitched together a series of songs whose compositional serendipity profoundly speaks to the alluring peculiarities of our humanity. Each song revolves around reaching audiences with music that carries the opportunity to excite, entertain and heal. “It's very tangible," Cressman explained, “and I can feel it sometimes when the song ends as people sigh or just let out this really emotive relief.” Revolução reverberates with many such moments, quiet introspective apertures where this dynamic duo’s music remains as potent and inspiring as ever.

New York-based trombonist/singer/composer Natalie Cressman has won acclaim for her ability to play fluently in a variety of musical styles with maturity beyond her years. Hailed a “velveteen-voiced brass- blower” by the Denver Post, the 20 year-old has sought to stretch across stylistic boundaries, each time striking listeners with the depth of her musicianship.

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