Duets evoke unseen sides of a musician, forcing us to view elements of their genre and instrument in a new light. Arrangements carry a new weight as musicians attempt to split the diverse roles of larger ensembles between two people. The artists often need to look beyond their instruments’ traditional roles and find new and creative applications. Artists must choose which pieces of a genre or tradition to emphasize, always leaving one part of the genre in the dark. These choices define the performance and provide interesting insight into the musicians’ musical priorities. Duets place two musicians in a purely exposed setting, pushing the artistic choices into the forefront. In every way, a duet serves as a revealing and intimate look at the musicians’ artistic personalities. Pianist André Mehmari and mandolin player Hamilton de Holanda deliver a rich and interesting group of duets on Continuous Friendship that both maintains a connection to Brazilian music and creates an individual beauty.

Interpreting Brazilian Composers
Mehmari and de Holanda make a connection to Brazilian music by interpreting works from several Brazilian composers. “Underage” by Guinga and Celso Viáfora maintains a frenetic feel through rapid melodic lines and rhythmic vamping by both instrumentalists. As the two musicians trade improvised ideas, their pulsating accompaniment drives some intensive soloing. Pixinguinha and Otávio de Souza’s “Rose” benefits from the delicate interplay between the two musicians. De Holanda’s thoughtful articulations gives an emotional shape to the melody, while Mehmari’s unaccompanied piano solo provides insight into the musician. A blend between modern classicism, jazz harmony, and percussive intensity characterizes Egberto Gismonti’s “Steetwise Baião.” An energetic ride through a virtuosic melody dramatically changes into Mehmari’s fluid statement, only to be contrasted by the rising intensity of de Holanda’s improvisation. These unique interpretations open unique insights onto Brazilian composers with new and personal arrangements.

Stretching Boundaries With Original Compositions
The duo contributes original songs to the album as well, exposing another side of their musicianship. Mehmari plays upon a common Brazilian form with “The Continuous Friendship Choro,” which contains a long and winding melody, pushed forward by the pianist’s rhythm left hand. The mostly composed piece develops at a quick pace through constant variations and short bursts of improvisational exchange. A spacious unison melody with several tempo fluctuations shows an artistic connection between the musicians on Mehmari’s “Live Between Waltz.” The musicians play upon their individual instrumental tones and inflections, imbuing this through composed piece with a highly personal touch. The two musicians combine rhythmic ideas into a driving vamp before moving into an uplifting melody on del Holanda’s “With Serjão.” de Holanda’ improvisation contains a contrapuntal feel as Mehmari intertwines quick melodic lines into his supporting part. Both musicians establish themselves as strong songwriters, stretching the boundaries of their work beyond

A Beautiful and Exciting Ride
Continuous Friendship provides an intimate look at both de Holanda and Mehmari, but it also presents a different vision of Brazilian music. Their song choices provide a balance between cultural connections and personal expression. The use of pieces from well-known Brazilian composers emphasizes a different aspect of this work – the pure melodicism and rich harmonic nature of these works rise to the forefront. The complexity and extensive arrangements on the original compositions reveal a well-trained artistry and sense of artistic expression in both musicians. At the same time, the works contain surprising influences – an almost classical based through compositions approach and interesting takes on improvisational spots. The tonal relationships and expressive qualities that the musicians develop between the piano and mandolin expose a new beauty in this unusual combination. Unexpected choices present the most interesting avenues towards musical possibilities, and the duo creates several intriguing directions. In this sense, Continuous Friendship serves as a beautiful and exciting ride that delivers unanticipated discoveries.