THE BRAZILIAN GUITAR ACE HELPS LISTENERS CUT THROUGH PANDEMIC-FUELED DEPRESSION WITH HOPEFUL TUNES AND HER CUSTOMARY KICKASS GUITAR PLAYING
By Joe Bosso
THAT SMILE. IT’S one of the first things you notice while watching Lari Basilio play guitar — a high-beam smile that’s big, wide and seemingly irrepressible. “People always comment about that,” she says. “They’re like, ‘Lari, you look like you’re having such a good time.’ And it’s true — music brings such joy to me, so when I play, I can’t help but show it.”
Basilio’s incandescent spirit runs throughout her stellar new album, Your Love. Whether she’s shredding sparks on the breakneck rocker “Running to the Other Side,” bopping to the sleek funk of “Alive and Living” or conducting a legato line masterclass on the shimmering title cut, she imbues each track with a kind of radiant positivity that’s impossible to resist.
“For me, it’s important to share a message of hope with people,” Basilio says. “I wrote a lot of the songs during the pandemic, and that was a time when a lot of people were feeling depressed. In my own way, I wanted to try to counteract that with my new songs. We should always cling to hope and faith.”
On previous releases, Basilio recorded with drumming legend Vinnie Colaiuta, who makes a return appearance here. Rounding out the rhythm section are two bass A-listers, Sean Hurley and Leland Sklar. “I’m blessed to be able to play
