If the debut album »Mora! I« by the American percussionist Francisco Mora Catlett was an obscure affair for a long time, this is even more true for what was originally planned as its successor. Thus, the recordings for »Mora! II« from the 1980s initially lay completely dormant until they appeared on a well-hidden CD entitled »River Drum« in 2005. Now, for the first time, the music is also available as a Vinyl record and with more publicity. The line-up from the first part, which was distinguished among other things by quadruple percussion, is joined by an expanded brass section with trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone and bass clarinet. Which translates into a noticeable big-bandization of the overall sound. Everything is a bit bigger here with the Mexican-born Francisco Mora Catlett, now and then it even gets quite carnival-like, whistles included. For the more introspective moments that »Mora! I« knew sporadically, there is little room left. The musicians were paid, after all. But the from-everything-a-little-more approach always works out, there are just more facets of South America in play. And that is never wrong.
Fabiano Do Nascimento
Mundo Solo
Far Out