We’ve always admired people who could keep a daily journal – seems like such an admirable trait, being able to chronicle the events of one’s life. And while most of us never seemed to muster up enough time to devote ourselves to the task, you'd probably admit that the thought of looking back at the weeks, months and years is intriguing. Even more so when it’s somebody else’s story.

And so it is with Torcuato Mariano’s ‘Diary.’

When we last left the Brazilian guitarist, his ‘Last Look’ CD was taking the contemporary Jazz scene by storm, and songs like “Ocean Way” were well on track to becoming part of the smooth jazz lexicon. The music was fresh, relaxing and like nothing else on the radio – an easy groove that laid a Latin sheen over his obvious talents at the fret board and the studio console.

Back then, we wrote that what made Torcuato Mariano stand out from other contemporary jazz guitarists was his sensitivity to the moment and it’s no less true today. As any diary keeper will attest, the written word can reflect the writer’s personality and just as a writer of memoirs might refuse the computer’s keyboard for a fine Montblanc, so too has Mariano opted for the weighted balance of an acoustic guitar over his more familiar electric. The result is emotionally tactile, personable and warm.

A peek into Torcuato’s ‘Diary’ reveals an artistry tempered by the years and reinforced from the experience. The music recounts the highlights: ‘Ship,’ which tells of his emigration from Buenos Aires to Rio and the initial influence of a Brazilian guitar master to provide direction: “That sound of his really caught me,” he writes. “I think Baden Powell was one of the best acoustic guitar players in the world, with a style all his own. He gave the Brazilian guitar a new flavor indeed.”

Or this entry on ‘Mariana,’ a song written for his daughter: “When she was very young, we went through a particularly beautiful moment and I remained touched by that. Inspired, I picked up my guitar and the song came about so easily, as if it already existed.”

And his observation about the impetus for the title track: “This brings me right back to 9/11. It was as if all the pain from the entire world was joined together and I think it was one of the few times in my life that I felt that way. This continued for the whole month and I used to go home to pick up the guitar, playing those chords and creating melodies in my head. The denser moments of the song reflect the anguish I was feeling but there are lighter moments, too – the pretty side is about how the world should be.”

This album also reflects Mariano’s day-to-day achievements during the last four years. “There came at point in my life where I had to choose which direction my professional life would take. What should I do,” he pens. “Accept an important position with a major record label in Rio de Janeiro or move to the United States to start my musical career all over again?”

The choice he made was a wise one. As Vice President of A&R for EMI Brasil, Torcuato’s musical talents expanded to include new challenges- helping to develop new Brazilian acts and to produce many top hits for radio.

A final entry: “Four years later, I returned to my life as a musician and producer and I realized how good it was to accomplish that mission for myself, because all the things I had learned during those years gave me solid knowledge to continue. I think that a musician must be concerned about music and his work, and must invest in it completely. Time will bring the results.”

That’s just as true for personal journals as it is for music, and Torcuato Mariano’s ‘Diary’ speaks volumes.