A full fifty years since their self-titled debut, Rio jazz-funksters Azymuth release their latest studio recording with only one original member left in the trio, the incomparable electric bass maestro Alex Malheiros, but with their essential group sound entirely intact.
Unlike other international jazz-rock or fusion acts from the 70s, Azymuth have kept sounding topical not because their signature sound has changed with the times, but rather because it has remained more or less the same, with knobs – and Fender Rhodes, slap-bass and novelty syn-drums – on. While other bands dated because their instrumental chops and indulgent solos began to seem anachronistic, Azymuth’s special quality was always their dedication to the overall ensemble rather than any individual contribution. And above all else, they were committed to the primacy of the groove. Yes, there might be noodling; there would almost certainly be a little cheese. But you could always depend on the groove.
Their delicate, intricately tessellated instrumentals , sometimes accompanied by an additional topping of wordless vocals, were also impeccably designed: environments of musical atmosphere, with grooves you could live by as much as dance to. It was partly this ambient quality, together with their London-based label Far Out’s clever tweaking of vintage elements with producer Daniel Maunick‘s very contemporary ear, that helped Azymuth to find a whole new audience, providing an exotic, summery soundtrack for downtempo chill-axing in a Balearic mode.
So what’s new in Marca Passo? (from the Portuguese, meaning pace maker or keep the beat, and – given the loss of two founder-members – analogous to Beckett’s “I can’t go on. I’ll go on.”) Quite happily, not a great deal, other than the tunes, and enforced changes in personnel. Following the death of original keyboard man Roberto Bertrami in 2012, Azymuth took on a new member, Kiko Continentino, in 2016. Now, following the shock of their inspirational jazz drummer Ivan ‘Mamao’ Conti’s death two years ago, he has been succeeded by Renato Massa, who has played with Far Out label mate Marcos Valle. But Mamao was such an integral part of the Azymuth sound, and as important a drummer to Brazilian music as Elvin Jones or Billy Higgins were to U.S. jazz , that the change is noticeable, with Massa favouring a more conventional four to the floor style as well as the samba-school percussion flourishes that form an essential part of the group’s sound.
But everything else is largely present and correct, and no great departure from their previous Far Out albums, Aurora (2011) and Fenix (2016). Daniel Maunick’s dad, Incognito’s Bluey, guests on guitar on a new version of old favourite ‘Last Summer in Rio’, and there’s a dedication to Ivan Conti on ‘Samba pro Mamao’. Throughout, old-school keyboard sounds burble and chatter, the expertly played slap-bass snaps and pops, and a whole wide world of percussion adds layer over layer of texture to the mix. It’s another Azymuth album and it sounds great.
Release Date 6 June 2025
