Tobias Grim: Brazil Lines (2014)

By EDWARD BLANCO,

Young Swedish-born guitarist Tobias Grim announces his debut album with Brazil Lines, a light Brazilian-styled vocal project featuring singer Karolina Vucidolac, one of Sweden’s finest interpreters of the genre. Originally from Linkoping, Sweden, Grim began his musical career performing Rock and Funk music, moved to London for a while, encountered the blues and was introduced to the jazz idiom through jazz fusion. Along with bassist Magnus Bergstrom and drummer Anders Kjellberg—who form the Grim trio—the band and vocalist Vucidolac, have been performing together since 2010 and this endeavor, is their first recording collaboration.The album contains all original music with three instrumentals and seven vocal pieces with lyrics primarily in Portuguese though, there is one song in English and all—penned by the vocalist, Sandra da Silva and Marcia de Souza. Opening up with the soft “Para Theo,” Grim’s light string work leads the way on the Brazilian-tinged song with Vucidolac doing a fine imitation of the great Astrud Gilberto. The leader comes to the fore on the first instrumental of the disc (“Ishmael”) where his playing harkens back to his jazz fusion foundation as he turns his guitar loose with some electrifying chords and riffs.

The love song “Consciente Amor,” is the most ambitious track of the set with the lovely vocals from Vucidolac setting the pace on the love ballad of the album and leading to one of the standout tunes of the recording with the stylish “Cantar” finding Grim on the acoustic guitar delivering one fine solo after another. The beautiful but brief instrumental piece “Autumn,” provides solo space for bassist Bergstrom to showcase his chops as Grim stays on the acoustic guitar. Drummer Kjellberg provides stellar support throughout but none as splashy as on “Tania” where his cymbal accents pronounce the tune.

Grim’s strong guitar work finds its way briefly on the short “Mother,” the only English version of a song on the album, then reemerges on the instrumental “Deturn” providing ample evidence of his talents on the instrument. Though Brazil Lines is for all Intense and purposes, a jazz vocals album of warm Brazilian-styled music, it is a truly a showcase for the gifted Tobias Grim where his electric and acoustic guitar voice provides the sounds that make this impressive first effort, such a pleasure to hear.