The Assad Brothers in Chico

On Friday, February 8th the Assad brothers came to Laxson Auditorium in Chico as part of the Brazilian Guitar Festival. Sérgio and Odair Assad brought along their sister, Badi Assad, as well as guitarist Romero Lubambo and amateur ethnomusicologist Celso Machado, for this truly amazing show.

The brothers Assad opened the show, which rather than being scheduled with the more pop music style of opening bands leading to the headliner was formatted more like an orchestral performance. While I think this demonstrates the down to earth sensibilities of the Assads, who apparently don't feel the need to demonstrate their seniority by taking the stage last, it certainly did not do much to make the other performers stand out. Given the jaw dropping talent of the Assad brothers having to follow them on stage is like being the garage band that gets to play after Pink Floyd.

The brothers began the show playing a piece by Brazilian composer Egberto Gismonti as well as an original piece by Sérgio Assad. Having been to quite a few concerts, and played quite a few as well, I was floored by the complete mastery of the guitar the brothers demonstrated. In all areas that a musician may be judged, other than pyrotechnic displays, the Assad's were the finest musicians I have ever seen. No hyperbole. Their rhythmic, harmonic, melodic and percussive sensibilities were flawless. Through all of the nuance of the pieces they performed I could not find one missed note, one hint of fret buzz, one hurried or lazy rhythm. Words fail me. They played together as one, with constant switch overs in who was voicing chords and who was driving the melodic structure.

I heard them do things I have never heard before. Odair, the younger of the brothers repeatedly bent what sounded to be natural harmonics- a feet that should be impossible without the hardware found on electric guitars. Odair also produced tones from his classical guitar that in timbre sounded like a backing brass section. They played the entire guitar. From playing the body like a drum to producing pizzicato tones by plucking the strings above the nut on the headstock. As a fairly educated person I can only assume that such musical prowess is the result of witchcraft or some other devious machination. A review of press clippings dealing with the Assads shows that my feelings about their skills are not unique. The Washington Post's reviewer called them "the best two-guitar team in existence, maybe in history."

Romero Lubambo joined the Assads after they played the first three pieces to play some lightning fast jazz phrasings over a song, before playing another two pieces by himself. According to the bio listed for Romero in the show's program he has a degree in mechanical engineering. Unfortunately, with all deference to his talent he played like an engineer. Although an incredible player he sounded mechanical, and harsh, after listening to the transcendent playing of the Assad brothers.

In various groupings these players were then joined by Celso Machado, who played a wide variety of percussive instruments, as well as playing something that looked like a Bağlama- but which he played with a slap bass style. In addition to some impressive beat boxing and imitation of instruments with his voice, Machado as well showed me something I had never seen before. During one song in which he played guitar he managed to detune one of the strings on the guitar while he was playing, without missing a beat, before finally pulling the loose string across all the other strings in order to control with incredible detail the percussive qualities of the notes he produced.

Sister Badi Assad offered a much different feel than the other performers. Her style was ethereal and relied heavily on whispered vocal melodies combined with bird and monkey calls, in a very Brazilian tradition. Her unique talent was the way she was able to sing vocal melodies with her throat while producing independent beats, clicks, and simple harmonies with the air passing through her mouth. It is a skill found amongst Monks in Tibet and a special group of "throat-singers" in Tuva, but I had never seen it performed in person.

All of the performers took the stage for the last few pieces, and the effect was by this point predictably amazing. This also offered one of the funnier moments of the night- at this point Badi took up a steel stringed acoustic bass, but one of her strings was ever so slightly out of tune. Whenever she hit that string the brothers would look over with a calm but definite concern, in a way only disapproving older siblings can.

A standing ovation brought about an encore piece. It was an amazing, wonderful concert, and one that leaves me doubting if I will ever see any better guitar playing in my life.