Azymuth

Hailing from Brazil, Azymuth pushed the boundaries of music with a new electric jazz sound that was unmistakably their own. Known for their innovative synth sounds and smooth psychedelic saudade grooves, the band often conjured up the early jazz fusion blend of Herbie Hancock’s definitive keyboard meanderings. While creating their eponymous debut, band leader Jose Roberto Bertrami would often travel to New York just to buy the newest keyboards so that he could “stay one step ahead of Hancock,” and it worked! The cinematic synths found on Azymuth were not only innovative then, but became so influential that they can be heard on many modern pop records being made to this today. This also speaks to the very timelessness of all of Azymuth’s genre bending music. It has a certain charm about it that effortlessly crosses the boundaries of time and geography. While distinctly Brazilian, with its innovative samba funk acoustic jazz grooves, the blueprint that the band created while together (1973-2000) was a universal sound and lead them to become one of the biggest selling jazz outfits of all time. Essential Listening!

– Michael Friedman

Recommended – Full Listen