New albums from Puerto Rican guitarist and composer Gabriel Vicéns, Boston’s Club d’Elf, and Brazil’s Jamile and Vinícius Gomes deliver a wide range of musical offerings.

Gabriel Vicéns
Niebla (Clepsydra Records)
A review
There is nothing foggy in Niebla, the new release from Puerto Rican guitarist and composer Gabriel Vicéns, an artist who, new to me, will command my attention going forward. The album offers concise original compositions that mix jazz, Puerto Rican rhythms and references, and minimalism, all of which he and his colleagues— Román Filiú (alto saxophone), Vitor Gonçalves (piano), Rick Rosato (bass), E. J. Strickland (drums), and Victor Pablo (percussion)—deliver with advanced musicality and technique. The nine tracks seem to comprise three triptychs. Tracks one, five, and nine, on solo acoustic guitar, make up one panel, in which silence and space might be considered accompanists, while dividing the other six tracks into the remaining two panels. The title track begins with a repeating bass note, a pattern that continues through the track in one form or another, and it’s not long before Vicéns and Filiú lock into a percussive head as Gonçalves, Strickland, and Pablo lay down a rhythmically and harmonically rich foundation that wants to hypnotize you. Neither Vicéns, Filiú, or Gonçalves wastes a single note in their engaging, percussive improvisations, regardless of how many notes there may be, played at whatever speed. Among the many high points, “Vejigante” stands out as a portrait of the mischievous Puerto Rican folkloric character, with its own mischievous head of interlocked guitar and sax. Emotionally and intellectually vibrant, Niebla offers earworthy entertainment that repays close listening.

Club d’Elf
Loon and Thrush (Royal Potato Family)
A review
Once again, with their latest release, Loon and Thrush, Club d’Elf delivers a highly satisfying groove-based collection that draws from Gnawa trance music, jazz, psychedelia, rock, funk, hip-hop, Hindustani music, and anything else that fits the moment. Prepare to dance around your living room. Built on the bass and sintir lines of founder Mike Rivard, the band includes the usual suspects: Duke Levine (guitar, slide guitar, electric sitar), Paul Schultheis (Rhodes, organ, Moog, Mellotron), Mister Rourke (turntables), and Dean Johnston (drums)—along with the large current cast of rotating guest musicians on any number of instruments. Missing is Moroccan oudist, percussionist, and vocalist Brahim Fribgane, a longtime inspiring member of the core who passed away in 2024 and to whom the album is dedicated. Highlights abound. With Bob Weir’s recent passing and Rivard’s long fascination with the Grateful Dead, Club d’Elf decided to take two of their tunes to Morocco, “Bird Song” and “New Speedway Boogie.” The title track offers funk with a hefty serving of harissa, and there’s some New Orleans funk, with horns, on “Second Line,” with nice work from Schultheis and Levine. The trippy opening of “Like a Silence” seems to have floated in from another dimension, although Levine and Schultheis offer a down-to-earth homage to Steve Cropper and Booker T a little later. The final track, “Level Up Your Soul,” offers a musical expansion of consciousness. Club d’Elf ’s Loon and Thrush offers a highly entertaining way to change your mind. Available on Bandcamp and the usual streaming services.

Jamile and Vinícius Gomes
Boundless Species (La Reserve Records)
A review
I’m told there’s a new wave of Brazilians working in New York, and two standouts among this bossa nova of musicians, vocalist Jamile and guitarist Vinícius Gomes, along with bassist Joe Martin, have released Boundless Species, an engaging album that showcases their remarkable musical sensitivity and pristine technique as they navigate jazzy seas in a Brazilian boat. Jamile’s vocal range covers a lot of territory. Her lower register has the warm, intimate rustle of silk, and at the top of her range, she can punch out clarion tones. Gomes has a thoughtful way with his solos—almost as if he were having a quiet conversation with himself and we got to listen in. As an accompanist, he casts wide splashes of subtle harmonic colors that deepen the interpretation. In other words, they’re a terrific team. The material includes several iconic Brazilian songs from revered composers such a Guinga, Ivan Lins and Ronaldo Monteiro, and Johnny Alf, whose ballad “Nós” gets a deeply tender interpretation. Tunes from Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, and Wayne Shorter are among the North American offerings. On Shorter’s “Endangered Species,” lyrics and arrangement by Esperanza Spalding, Jamile brings all her fire and outrage, deftly handling the challenging chart. Jamile and Gomes approach the album’s material with respect and an updated appreciation based on strong personal connections.

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