Que Beleza

2010 release. Brazil's greatest Afro-bossa band, The Ipanemas, conjure up wickedly rich and charm laden vintage sambas on this fifth recording for Far Out Recordings. Three generations of Rio de Janeiro musicians combine to evoke a nostalgic and raw tribute to their diverse musical city. Wilson Das Neves's crooning, melancholic notes combine with special guest diva Aurea Martins's hypnotic vocals while glorious trombone and afro percussion add to the deep pleasures. Five decades after Brazilian music was transformed with cult debut Os Ipanemas (2004), Das Neves and the Ipanemas return to honor the memory of genius guitarist Neco in the only way they know - playing samba from the heart. Along with Wilson's vocal and Ivan 'Mamao' Conti's drumming it's the trombone that defines the Ipanemas sound. Vitor Santos is regarded as one of Brazil's finest horn players in Brazilian music, which is clear the instant his first notes breeze out in opener "Que Beleza de Nega". With the deep bass of Jorge Helder, stunning arrangements, intricate song writing, and magical layered musicianship Que Beleza is a quality record that stands alongside their previous work. The addition of lady crooner Áurea Martins has added yet more Brazilian musical heritage to the band. Martins brings a vocal full of life and a serious roots edge to four tracks on the album in memorable back and forth duets with Wilson including standouts "Festa Indigesta", "Lembranças", and heavy, warped Afro closer "Eparrei". Their cult debut Os Ipanemas is as important to Brazilian music as any other album - the combination of rich African heaviness and tight Latin grooves helped to revolutionize often previously conservative Brazilian music. Over the intervening decades Wilson pursued a solo recording career while he and Neco recorded with all the greats including Tom Jobim, Ed Lincoln, Wilson Simonal, Jorge Ben, Michael Legrand, Roberto Carlos and Chico Buarque. In 1999, Davis and Azymuth drummer Conti (who regards Das Neves as his first teacher) tracked down Das Neves and later Neco and set about recording the second Ipanemas album 35 years after the first. Far Out Recordings's 50th recording would be known as The Return of The Ipanemas - the modern day Rio super group of the Ipanemas was born.