The Brazilian fusionists Azymuth roam in the fruitful plains where
bossa nova, jazz and funk of all kinds intersect, but Far Out
Recordings is giving us a listen back to beyond their earliest work with
a re-release of Azymuth’s keyboardist’s first recordings. Jose
Roberto Bertami’s 1965 and 1966 albums, Os Tatuis and
the Jose Roberto
Bertami Trio, are mid-60s bossa
jazz, centered on the piano, as good as you’ve heard. Both albums
come out digitally and physically on March 18.
Bertami was born in 1946 in the small town of Tatui in São Paulo state. His father was a violinist and professor at the local conservatory, where Bertami enrolled for just two years before being expelled. The school was focused on classical music, but jazz had the young Bertami in its grip.
His first two albums take the early bossa nova standards and a few originals and adapt them to the piano jazz ensemble, in the vein of Bill Evans or Oscar Peterson. There’s nothing as hairy as Azymuth’s trademark fried, acidic jazz; these are two smooth listening LPs. But don’t take my word for it; Far Out has already uploaded both albums to YouTube.
