(Reprinted from the October 2020 issue of Downbeat magazine)
For the fourth release on their newly established Jazz Is Dead label, Azymuth, composer-producers Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad pair up with the long-standing Brazilian fusion trio by that name. It’s a partnership forged in mutual dance-groove enthusiasm, where the starting point for collaboration is the relentless momentum of the trio’s samba-driven sound. Younge and Muhammad, star DJs by trade, bring the sharp edge of hip hop and the futuristic whir of electronics to the mix.
Their background in syncretism, along with the mission of their irreverently named label, position Younge and Muhammad as superb curators for this project. Who would have thought that a gospel-blues intro, a flutey Brazilian melody, jazz organ, and Latin syncopation (“Friendship Samba”) would fit so neatly together? Or that a melée of scratchy synthesizer, disco rhythm guitar, and shifting time signatures (“Apocolyptíco”) would prove to be so much fun? Clearly, these two have figured out how to spin gold.
Azymuth, the rhythmic engine for this ambitious undertaking, also continues to distinguish themselves as collaborative creative musicians. On “Cat Jump” and “Fall Afternoon,” for instance, Alex Malheiros’ sleek bass lines provide just the right amount of tensile strength to hold the throaty sax, legato synth, and forceful drum parts together. And pianist/keyboardist Kiko Continentinho displays not just a cool, modern sensibility through long-sustained chords and looping phrases (“Ao Redor Do Samba”), but, too, a deep capacity for lyrical melodies (“Pulando Corda”). Drummer Ivan Conti, though, shoulders most of the responsibility for establishing the album’s many complex feels, such as the retro funk vibe of “Sumaré” or the polyrhythmic swing of “Quiet Storm.” All throughout the album, grooves like these defy inertia. DB