Widely considered one of Brazil’s rising young guitar talents, Amorim has performed throughout the world with some of Brazil’s most noted musicians, such as Celia Vaz, Mauricio Einhorn, Helio Delmiro and Vittor Santos.

Amorim has found great inspiration from both American and Brazilian guitarists and composers, and has used these influences as a springboard to create his own unique tone and approach to both electric and acoustic guitars.

The 11-track CD opens with the charming and romantic Juca e Helena (Juca and Helena), a seven-minute opus that gives us a taste of both the acoustic and electric guitars, with stylish drum play by Robertinho Silva and slick electric bass by Ney Conceicao.

That’s followed by the equally pleasant Manaira. The third track, Baden, takes a more acoustic approach, with Amorim and Conceicao displaying their expert fingering.The title song, Cristina na Fazenda (Brazilian Portuguese for "Cris on the Farm") is a more rhythmic effort, bringing Silva back into the picture. Amorim and Conceicao trade leads, each complementing the other while Silva provides sensational drum and cymbal work. The next track, Trenzinho Para Vera Cruz (Little Train to Vera Cruz), is a cool piece that takes us on a cross-country journey that brings to mind scenes from dense forests to open spaces.

Silva intros O Boto (The Pink Dolphin) while Conceicao serves an excellent bass line for Amorim’s electric guitar lead. About two minutes into this one, Amorim provides the rhythm while Conceicao delivers a solo worthy of such American jazz bassists as Marcus Miller and Christian McBride, among many others.

The trio then brings us Bons Amigos (Good Friends), a stylish piece that perfectly blends ambient jazz with Brazilian rhythms. The brief, but elegant Largo das Neves (Neves Plaza) follows.

Conciecao again provides an impressive electric bass line on Sodalita (The Blue Stone) while Silva brings the percussion. Silva then stretches out a bit on Mr. Birdman while Amorim takes point and Conceicao does his thing. Approaching the three-minute mark, the bassist makes his instrument sing in the upper register. Silva signals the change when Amorim re-enters the picture, punctuating the shifts from guitar solo back to main melody.

The trio closes the album with the brief Procissao (Procession).

Over the past several decades, the marriage between Brazilian rhythms and American jazz has been a happy one.With Cris on the Farm, the Marcus Amorim Trio adds to this musical bliss.