Claro e Escuro (Light and Dark) is the first collaboration of Justin Stanton and Chris Bullock together as a duo. Stanton and Bullock are members of the instrumental collaborative, Snarky Puppy and have each released prior solo albums. Both are multiinstrumentalists, with Stanton regularly playing keys and trumpet and Bullock all saxophones and flute as well as synths so this was bound to be an interesting combination. In addition, Stanton relocated to Portugal a few years back and Bullock traveled extensively in Brazil and South America so that flair naturally ended up on the record. Claro e Escuro, was recorded in Rio de Janeiro in the spring of 2023 and showcased not only Justin and Chris’s kinship at the production helm, but also put on display the artistry of several young and gifted musicians in the vanguard of the Rio scene.
The album has both some avant garde, bop edginess as well as silky smooth soothing sections and makes for interesting and joyful listening. It fits in with any catalogue along with other Brazilian greats like Jobim, Airto Moreira and Flora Purim. Stanton and Bullock got it right and here’s my rundown, track by track.
Track by Track
Botafogo Bop is presumably named for the Botafogo section of Rio with a famous futbol team. It starts with Chris on piccolo and some slick percussion before settling into a more dreamlike sequence. I love the video with the classic car running through the clouds or deep fog with Chris doubling on bass clarinet and sax. The chanted vocals with the various retro scenes from the 50s or 60s are terrific. They’re random but they definitely work with the music
Bee Dub starts with some electric piano sounding like a fairytale. It drops the echo a bit and proceeds with another excellent Chris Bullock lead on flute followed by some bossa tenor sax. It’s an excellent jazzy melody with Justin riding along with Chris. Justin takes the lead back on a bright piano solo. The rhythm section provides an excellent foundation for the main melody. In the C-section, Chris and Justin bounce along together on flute and piano to the close.
181 Hawthorne has a very tender guitar, piano and flute opening, feeling like a great sunrise stretch over a nice coffee breakfast. The acoustic guitar accompaniment is a great pairing. Chris’ flute work is gorgeous and Justin mirrors him perfectly on piano.
Jogos Bobos translates to ‘Silly Games’ and starts with Justin on muted trumpet and a bit of flute echo pattern with percussion. It is the most Snarky Puppy-like of the tracks so far in it’s uniqueness. There’s some gorgeous female vocals in the background. Chris breaks out the tenor for a solo with the percussion continuing the progression and the ethereal vocals providing a soft background. The bass solo at the end has the distinct fusion touch of bands like Electric Kif or FORQ.
Rolezão is a modern fusion piece with a slick drum line and piano bass. The main theme features impressive horn work from Chris and Justin combined and it’s got a more traditional feel perhaps akin to The Yellowjackets band from the 90s. Chris shows his excellent tenor chops on the first solo. It’s a fun tune and ends with a little banter among the members.
Macuna is probably the closest to a Flora Purim feel, full on bossa nova at the onset. Justin plays some strong trumpet solo sections with the vocals absolutely floating on top of the percussion. Chris takes the second solo section before the main melody continues. In the second half there’s a full horn section carrying on he melody with the vocals continuing to soar. Justin takes the final trumpet solo and yields to a percussion fade out.
It’s another tune that I really did the visual video with all of the retro scenes including tennis (a passion of Justin’s) as well as the conveniences of the ‘modern’ kitchen. It sets the feeling right for the music.
Into the Night starts with a near big band clarion call — multiple horns playing off one another. The horns recede momentarily into a machine-like marching dream sequence. The horns simulate a train chugging along the tracks while also bringing in some night creature sounds increasing and then moderating in volume. I can visualize things flying around or climbing up trees in random patterns. It’s an interesting closer to this interesting album. There’s a cohesiveness in feel to the album while each tune brings a unique point of view.