What better antidote to the endless rain that has dogged the start of 2026 than to spend a night basking in the sunshine from two acts who were perfectly matched for this show. Sessa is the recording name of São Paulo-based singer, guitarist and instrumentalist Sergio Sayeg who recently released the album Pequena Vertigem De Amor of which I said ‘harks back to the golden age of Brazilian music while bringing it right up to date’. This is an album so sublime that I jumped at the chance to experience Sessa’s music live. Bristol’s Strange Brew is one of Bristol’s best venues; wide and not too deep, so everyone gets a decent view. Tonight was mostly seated with room for standing around the edges and it was refreshing to see that it was nearly full before opening act has strummed a single chord.
Barney Keen looked pleasantly happy that the room was main-act-full when he took to the stage, and was even more impressed as he started to realise the Bristol crowd were respectfully quiet and absorbed throughout his set. That wasn’t hard as Keen immediately settled the crowd with his cover of Caetano Veloso’s ‘De note Na Cama’ which was gently rhythmic and tipped its hat to Sayeg and Veloso’s Brazilian heritage. The rest of his set was drawn from his most recent album Harbinger with a few unreleased songs such as ‘Splitting Hairs’ and ‘Weigh it Up’.
Keen was relaxed and naturally charismatic as he chatted to the audience between songs and, despite his recorded material having a full band, he was able to weave a spell on the audience with just his voice and guitar. In fact, it felt so complete when I went to his recorded songs I was surprised to hear more instruments. His finger picking dexterity was a joy to watch as it danced around samba beats, but the smooth and resonant quality of his voice on tracks like the exceptional ‘Figure Out’ played a joyful cat and mouse game with his guitar. Judging by the faces of people who were watching with rapt attention he won more than a few new fans tonight, myself included.
Barney Keen: Instagram | Facebook | Bandcamp
Set list: De note Na Cama (Caetano Veloso cover) / Two (released as Flying Ibex) / Splitting Hairs * / Why Solo? / Time on the Ropes * / Fools / 4th May / Figure Out / Weigh it up * (* = unreleased)
People often talk about a ripple of excitement when someone takes to the stage but tonight was the first time in a while that I have experienced it. When Sessa and band appeared, there was a collective movement as everyone straightened up, turned bright eyes toward the stage, and gathered themselves for the performance. I doubt anyone was left disappointed as tonight was a masterclass in how the best music can stop time and hold an audience in rapture. From the opening bass line of ‘Peqeuna Vertigem’ you are immediately transported to a tropical climate, like the moment when you step off a plane and feel the heat for the first time. It’s a perfect start, a musical aperitif to kick off the evening. ‘Nom de Deus’ follows, and it’s our first shot of congas and a faster beat that gets the audience starting to bounce in their seats. You might notice that I use ‘we’ and ‘us’ a lot, and that this felt like a collective experience. The audience went from a set of individuals to one happy collegiate mass.
The set drew heavily on Sessa’s most recent album Pequena Vertigem De Amor with the first four tracks echoing the opening four on the album. But there was plenty of material from previous releases such as Estrela Acesa and Grandeza all woven together so perfectly it could exhaust definitions in a thesaurus for spellbinding, superlative and hypnotic. Sessa’s band was simply outstanding with a relaxed telepathy that made the music fluid and demonstrated how great musicianship makes skill becomes secondary to sound. The rhythm section were loose but locked in as Biel Basile switched effortlessly between drums and congas keeping the beat as unconsciously as breathing for him, and it was hard to tell where Marcelo Cabral finished, and his bass began, so cohesive and lissom was his playing. However, it’s hard not to single out the interplay between Sergio Sayeg and Lê Veras which was as being nothing short of beatific. The mellow guitar playing of Sayeg floated along with the subtle electric piano of Lê Veras, which was amazing enough, but their two voices together was next level. There was a noticeable lack of harmonies between the two, settling instead for doubling vocal lines with octaves. This gave the feeling that Sayeg’s voice has an angelic twin, as if someone is singing along from heaven.
I imagine it will be hard for another show this year to top tonight for warmth and the ability to unify a room full of strangers. Seated or standing everyone in the audience was floating thanks to the beauty and the beat of Sessa’s show.
Set list: Peqeuna Vertigem / Nom de Deus / Dodói / Bicho Lento / Pele da Espera / Flor Do Real / Ponta de Faca / Sereia Sentimental / Infinitamente Nu / Dor Fodida / Revolução Interior / Roupa Dos Mortos / Planta Santa / Vale a Pena / Canção da Cura / Encore: Que Lado Você Dorme? / Grandeza
Sessa: Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Threads | YouTube
Review by Paul F Cook
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