Azymuth: Pure, The Best of Far Out Years 1995-2006 (Far Out/Southbound)

 |   |  <1 min read

Azymuth: Amazon Adventure (Jazzanova Remix)
Azymuth: Pure, The Best of Far Out Years 1995-2006 (Far Out/Southbound)

The Brazilian trio at the core of Azymuth have been together since Adam was a young man: they started playing together in the 60s, named themselves Azymuth in the early 70s, and are still going today.

Their blend of funky electric jazz and Brazilian sounds has been intermittently popular (they were very cool in the mid 70s for example, and had a minor hit with Jazz Carnival in 1980), and for most of the 80s were on the creditable Milestone jazz label.

Since the mid 90s however their releases have come through London's Far Out Recordings and this album is a 14 track collection taken from those years.

It captures the band's sense of Latin cool and lounge-like funk, is slightly sassy, and has just enough jazz and samba elements to keep it always interesting.

The bonus on this compilation however -- which will doubtless irritate purists -- is the thoroughly enjoyable remix disc of half a dozen tracks where Azymuth's grooves get a right old going over by cool folks like Roni Size, Jazzanova, Mark Pritchard and others.

Definitely one to be accompanied by martinis.

Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   Jazz at Elsewhere articles index

CLEO LAINE INTERVIEWED (2005): Ain't nothin' like a dame

CLEO LAINE INTERVIEWED (2005): Ain't nothin' like a dame

At 77 and with a career of almost six decades behind her, Cleo Laine admits she is slowing down a little. But not much. This year she is fully booked and that includes dates in Australia and... > Read more

JOE LA BARBERA PROFILED: Counting the beats

JOE LA BARBERA PROFILED: Counting the beats

For some reason - perhaps because they work in a loud profession - you expect drummers to shout. Few do, and while Joe La Barbera may have started his career in the appropriately named... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

Liz Phair: Exile in Guyville (1993)

Liz Phair: Exile in Guyville (1993)

Tribute albums are far from uncommon these days. In fact when you see there are tributes to a band that never existed (The Rutles) and The Muppet Show you could argue this one has run its course.... > Read more

I'M YOUR MAN; THE LIFE OF LEONARD COHEN by SYLVIE SIMMONS

I'M YOUR MAN; THE LIFE OF LEONARD COHEN by SYLVIE SIMMONS

On the eve of his first tour as a musician in 1970 a nervous Leonard Cohen -- aged 34, an acclaimed poet and novelist itinerant between hometown Montreal, the Greek island of Hydra and New... > Read more