Azymuth: Azimuth [FAR OUT RECORDINGS]

Why you'll love it

Far Out's repackaged gatefold edition marked the 40th anniversary of the recordings. It's the first album from the trio of José Roberto Bertrami, Alex Malheiros and Ivan Conti, the band who went on to define Brazilian jazz-funk.

This edition

• Gatefold jacket
• 40th anniversary edition
• Pressed in the EU
• Stereo mix

About the album

Before they were Azymuth, they were Azimuth, named after a Marcos Valle song with Valle's blessing. Keyboard player José Roberto Bertrami, bassist and guitarist Alex Malheiros and drummer Ivan Conti had been working together as session players, Valle among their employers, and in 1973 they struck out as a trio. The spelling changed on the second album; the sound, which they called samba doido, or crazy samba, never really did.

They cut this debut for Som Livre at Estúdios Hawaí Phonogram in Rio between October 1974 and February 1975, with Bertrami's love of the latest keyboard gear giving everything a spacey, futuristic sheen. "Linha do Horizonte" glides on breezy vocals and warm keys, "Melo dos Dois Bicudos" and "Caça a Raposa" bring the funk, "Brazil" gets a fresh coat of paint, and "Estrada dos Deuses" and "Periscópio" drift off toward the cosmos.

Later records for Milestone and Far Out made Azymuth favourites of DJs and remixers worldwide. Side B also includes a tune called "Montreal City," and nobody here has been able to confirm whether they ever visited, which hasn't stopped us claiming them a little.

Also at Kops: more Azymuth on vinyl · browse World

Tracklist

Listen

On Som Livre / Far Out Recordings (cat# FARO 117LPX), a reissue of the 1975 album.