About

In an ever-expanding musical universe, Azymuth have long existed as a celestial giant, drawing countless artists, musicians and followers into their orbit. Marking fifty years since their 1975 debut album Azimuth, their new album Marca Passo proves that the band’s alchemic brew of Brazilian jazz-funk and cosmic samba soul remains as vital as ever, as the group honours the profound legacy of their departed founders.

Recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Marca Passo is the first full-length release since the passing of founding drummer Ivan "Mamão" Conti in 2023, following the earlier loss of keyboardist José Roberto Bertrami in 2012. Alex Malheiros, the sole remaining original member, sees his stewardship of the band’s musical legacy as his spiritual duty. He is joined by the equally devoted Kiko Continentino (Milton Nascimento, Djavan) on keyboards, who has been with the group since 2016, and new recruit Renato Massa (Marcos Valle, Ed Motta) on drums.

Yet since their earliest recorded music, Azymuth have always been far greater than the sum of their parts. The "three-man orchestra’s" unmistakable sound is rooted in Brazil's MPB studio scene of the 1970s and early 1980s—a time when artists blended traditional Brazilian rhythms with global jazz, rock, and emerging psychedelic and progressive elements. Marca Passo continues this legacy, seamlessly fusing Brazilian musical traditions with global influences while showcasing the exceptional musicianship that powers Azymuth's distinctive, multi-dimensional sound.

The album is produced by studio mastermind Daniel Maunick, responsible for Azymuth’s two previous studio albums, Fênix in 2016 and Aurora in 2011. Daniel’s credits also include albums by Marcos Valle, Sabrina Malheiros and Terry Callier. Azymuth also invited Daniel’s father, British jazz-funk royalty Jean Paul “Bluey” Maunick, of Incognito, to play guitar on a new version of Azymuth’s eighties classic “Last Summer In Rio”, in tribute to the song’s composer, José Roberto Bertrami. Equally, “Samba Pro Mamao” is a new composition dedicated to Azymuth’s beloved original drummer, Ivan “Mamão” Conti. — (via Label)

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Five decades after releasing their iconic eponymous debut album, Brazilian jazz-samba trio Azymuth celebrate the anniversary with Marca Passo, their 40th album. The original group included keyboardist/composer Jose Roberto Bertrami, bassist Alex Malheiros, and drummer Ivan "Mamao" Conti. All sang. Marca Passo was co-composed by all the members; Daniel Maunick produced and mixed. There are several session players here, including Maunick's father, Jean Paul "Bluey" Maunick.

With a gentle Rhodes piano, "Fantasy '82" opens on a bouncy, breezy vamp melding lithe funk, samba, and jazz harmony guided by Malheiros' fretless bass. The trio provides airy, wordless backdrop vocals as Continentino delivers a swinging solo atop Massa's shimmy and shuffle. "Belenzinho" begins with sparse keyboards and hi-hat before the bassist walks out the vamp. Elements of bossa, Brazilian soul, and contemporary jazz embrace atop a head-nodding beat and the trio's scat-like chorale chant before spidery, elegant jazz-funk claims the fore. "Marca Tempo" is a startling example of samba doido (crazy samba) with a fleet rhythmic pace and cascading organ/bass/percussion interplay guaranteed to move the dancefloor. "Last Summer in Rio" features Bluey's snaking electric guitar. Its slinky bassline engages with Massa's subtle, kinetic rhythm-making. He supports his bandmates' motivic changes using atmospheric synths, hushed vocals, and electro-acoustic ambience. "Arabutã" (also appended with an extended remix as a bonus cut), is a sexy, summery groover with layered syncopation, breaks, and ethereal jazz-funk.

Samba doido single "Andaraí" delivers a frenetic, funky tempo, whispered ghostly voices, and canny rhythmic interplay between Massa and Malheiros. The latter shifts harmony around in his arpeggio-rich solo. It's followed by "Samba Pro Mamao," a celebration of Conti, a giant among Brazilian drummers. Massa is another, and he is easily up to the task with an uptempo drive wedding contemporary jazz and neo-bop to dancefloor samba. Continentino's solo runs right into Malheiros' elastic bass; it simultaneously accents crisscrossing drum and percussion polyrhythms and provides ballast for the keyboardist. After the breakdown that introduces its long nadir, guest Jose Carlos Bignora adds a gorgeous soprano sax solo, transforming the tune from samba doido to contemporary jazz-funk. Closer "Togu" is a tender, poignant ballad, unhurried in its exposition, and graceful in presentation. It hosts subtle fills from the bassist, painterly Rhodes piano, and layered snare, hi-hat, and extant percussion. It whispers to a close before the remix of "Arabutã" revs punters up again.

Now in their sixth decade, Azymuth's musical aesthetic is unchanging yet always evolving. As evidenced by Marca Passo, it pushes their inimitable brand of funky jazz-samba into the future. — (via All Music)

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Label: Far Out Recordings
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Released: 2025
Genre: Jazz, Latin, Funk / Soul
Style: Latin Jazz, Funk, Fusion, Jazz-Funk, Samba

File under: Latin-Influenced
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