The album opens with a sound familiar to fans of Giles Peterson, DJ Phat Kev and the Brazilian Beats series — the almost hypnotic piano of Tenorio Jr’s ‘Nebulosa’. It’s a true classic and one that conjures up images of uber cool Rio and watching girls walk by on the patterned pavements that mark the boundaries of Copacabana and Ipanema beaches.

Viagem is the first in a series of DJ compiled albums being put together to mark 50 years of Bossa Nova. It’s a celebration of jazz inspired bossa and hard-edged samba (circa 1962-1970) selected by Blue Note artist Nicola Conte.

It is very much a look back at days gone by with Trio Maraya’s ‘Canto De Ossanha’ recalling images of a dusty, black and white Rio and Zimbo Trio’s ‘Zimbo Samba’ of the huge bailes that both Rio and São Paulo played host to in the late 60s.

As well as jazz infused bossa Viagem also documents the more anthemic African influenced sounds of samba and tracks such as ‘Bambe Lo’ fit most easily with the world music view of Brazilian rhythms. The album provides a snapshot of Brazilian music at a time when the rest of the world was just starting to pay attention.

One of the artists at the forefront of taking Brazilian music to a wider audience was Tenorio Jr and his influence can be heard throughout. As well as penning the opener it is he who provides the virtuoso piano arrangements on Wanda Sa’s ‘Vivo Sonhando’ and, as if that were not enough the album closes with ‘Samadhi’ a gentle and emotive Tenorio cut.

FarOut, the label behind the project, has set the bar rather high for the rest of the series.

Links:
Far Out