Sessa
Third Man Records
441 W. Canfield St
Detroit
Friday, May 15
A bit of Brazilian magic landed in Detroit on Friday night.
Hailing from São Paulo, Sessa is one of my favorite contemporary artists honoring and advancing the sound samba and bossa nova under the lens of modern Tropicalistas, the late 1960s psychedelic sound of Brazil that blended those native musics with fuzz, rock, pop and a bit of revolution. In Sessa’s own words, he’s fascinated by “the mess” of all that music coming together, like on his latest album, “Pequena Vertigem de Amor.”
During his nearly 90-minute set at Third Man Records in Detroit’s Cass Corridor neighborhood, Sessa ran through new tracks, including the excellent deep groover “Nome de Deus,” backed by his drummer, bassist and keyboardist (who also provided stunning backing vocals; an absolute star of the show).
There’s rarely any aggression or force behind Sessa’s music. The “mess” is far from tangled or abrasive. He’s as smooth as they come on his recordings, letting his voice float above his acoustic guitar.
His live set in Detroit created a hypnotic trance, in which just a few chords are played over and over to create this warm sonic blanket that washed over the crowd. There wereupbeat numbers here, sure. But the power in this current touring iteration of Sessa is exploring a core idea in each song and letting it slowly envelop that band and the audience.
This was the perfect venue for Sessa to perform in Detroit. Part store, part venue, part vinyl manufacturing plant. Seeing a show at Third Man Records feels like you’re watching a concert in your buddy’s basement, in the best way. The sound here is immaculate (led by Chris Koltay), and the crowd and staff arekind.
Sessa brought the Brazilian magic to Detroit. Third Man Records did the rest.
