I was afraid of this. All the liner notes on this import from Brazil are in Portuguese. But I was able to discern that this is mostly a live studio date with a dream team of Brazilian players, including Airto Moreira.
But the music speaks for itself; the sax and flute playing are all straight ahead within a Brazilian rhythmic framework of drums, percussion, and samba. Add in accordion, acoustic guitar, and a heavy bass on the bottom, and you have a nice mix of traditional Brazilian rhythms and melodies, driven in part by the date's leader, drummer and composer Alexandre Cunha.
Fans of the pioneering group Azimuth with be at home with this date. Special mention to sax man Thomas Kuji, whose various horns bind all the musical elements together.
By Michael Handler