Azymuth are one of Brazil’s most influential bands having released over 20 albums in a career that spans over 45 years and has seen them play to audiences all over the globe. Combining funk, soul and jazz with Samba, Azymuth are responsible for creating a sound and genre of their own that they named ‘Samba Doido (Crazy Samba)’. Whether they are on the main stage at the Montreux or North Sea Jazz Festival, getting their groove on at the Blue Notes in New York, Tokyo or Milan or holding down a residency at Vienna’s intimate Birdland Club, Azymuth wow the audience with their astoundingly unique musicianship.
The band consists of three members, Jose Roberto Bertrami (the pianist and songwriter), Ivan Conti (the drummer and percussionist) and Alex Malheiros (on bass and electric guitar).
1960’s, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Bossa Nova and Jazz scene is emerging. Rio is the coolest destination for the world’s glitterati. Copacabana is a hub of creativity, living in the same bohemian apartment block and whilst playing as session musicians in bars, Jose Roberto Bertrami, Ivan Conti and Alex Malheiros decide to start recording together under the name group Projeto 3. Bertrami had noticed how great Ivan Conti was as a drummer, and how fantastic Alex was with his new electric bass, and invited them to record with him. Even at this early stage they were exploring new technologies and mixing their music up; constantly innovating new sounds and discovering new instruments.
Jose Roberto Bertrami was already renowned as an arranger and was working as a live pianist and arranger for Brazil’s most renowned singer at the time, Elis Regina, as well as arranging for many new composers on the circuit. By 1970 he had arranged the first album by samba legend Candeia and had already recorded 4 LPs under different pseudonyms.
It was the early 1970s before they really caused a stir though; Marcos Valle invited them to record on a soundtrack LP in tribute to the great Brazilian Formula 1 racing driver Emerson Fittipaldi (O Fabuloso Fittipaldi). After the success of the record in Brazil they asked Marcos if they could use the name of one of the tracks (‘Azimuth’) from the EP as their band name. (the Azimuth is also the name for the component adjustment on a tape head, on a tape machine and having already purchased his own machine); Bertrami liked the name and wanted to use it for the band.
In the early 70’s their musical output was enormous-Bertrami’s flat in Laranjeiras was the centre of a cottage industry producing astonishing, ahead-of-its-time music. Far Out’s Joe Davis, who has heard some of this material, describes one demo from the early 70s as “wild, abstract stuff, unlike anything around at that time.” Their first recording under the new name was a four track EP with Polydor, which was used in a popular novella (soap opera) – in Brazil, this is pretty much a guarantee of success for a record. From this, followed their first LP with Som Livre ‘Linda De Horizonte’ was used in another soap opera. This LP featured classics like ‘Manhã’ (a standard on the London club scene) and ‘Faça De Conta’. The unique Azymuth sound was born. (This the first CD has since been re issued on Far Out recordings)
The second album ‘Agua Não Come Mosca’ was an even bigger success. It was also released in the USA and Japan on Atlantic Records, bringing international attention. This LP led to a deal with the American jazz label Milestone Records. In 1979 their first Milestone release, ‘Light As A Feather’ became one of the best-selling LPs of the year. It featured the worldwide disco/fusion hit single ‘Jazz Carnival’, which sold more than half a million copies internationally, and stayed in the UK Top 20 for eight weeks. Azymuth went on to record a string of albums on Milestone in the mid-80s, establishing themselves as one the world’s greatest jazz bands, playing in the Monterrey and Montreux jazz festivals and venues around the globe, and also working with legendary musicians from Chick Corea, Joe Henderson, George Duke and Stevie Wonder. This worldwide notoriety was something of a surprise to the band – they were the same streetwise Rio boys playing their own music, which they still thought of as MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) with a touch of jazz and experimentation but unique to them. In 1983 Azymuth were at their peak, and the three members had all started solo careers. However, the trio’s burgeoning solo commitments became a heavy burden – by 1988, Azymuth had split.
In the mid 90s Azymuth were still seen as rather maverick and aloof by the rest of the Brazilian music industry community – their countrymen were almost afraid to deal with them and were in ore of them, given the influence and reputation they had built up in the 70s & 80s. They were content to play as session men for a series of visiting producers (the latest being Joe Davis), effectively opting out of the mainstream industry. However Joe came with a missionary, fan’s zeal: he was determined to convince them to record for his label. He managed to convince them of their international importance beyond the insular Rio scene, and finally to record new albums on Far Out Recordings. Joe wanted to recreate that classic sound and vibe of the 70s and early 80s – records he’d been buying for years. From here Azymuth recorded eight new studio albums for Far Out Recordings, all different and continuing in the Azymuth spirit of experimentation by using new technologies to record, or at least exploiting the possibilities in each recording.
Jose Roberto Bertrami has arranged over 300 recordings including Brasileiro by Sarah Vaughn and other cult classics in thw world of Jazz. Azymuth have played and recorded with the likes of international stars Stevie Wonder, and Sarah Vaughan and with a who’s who of Brazilian artists such as Tom Jobim, Airto and Flora Purim, Elis Regina, Jorge Ben, Emilio Santiago, Roberto Menescal, Marcos Valle, Milton Nascimento, Arthur Verocai, Wilson Das Neves, Ed Lincon… the list is never-ending! They are true musical heroes!
Azymuth are due to tour Europe and the UK in November 2010 and remain the life and soul of Far Out Recordings.
Discography
1973 - O Fabuloso Fittipaldi
1974 - Linda Do Horizonte
1975 - Azimuth EP -Polydor
1975 - Agua Não Come Mosca - Som Livre Rec
1979 - Light As Feather - Milestones
1980 - Outubro - Milestone
1981 - Telecommunication - Milestone
1982 - Cascades - Milestone
1983 - Rapid Transit - Milestone
1984 - Flame - Milestone
1985 - Spectrum - Milestone
1985 - Live At Copocabana Palace - SBA
1986 - Tightrope Walker - Milestone
1987 - Crazy Rhythm - Milestones
1988 - Jazz Carnival - Best Of Azymuth - BGP
1989 - Tudo Bem - Enigma/EMI
1994 - The Beat Of Azymuth - Ace
1996 - 21 Anos – Spotlight
Others, solo, bands
1965 – Jose Roberto Bertrami Trio - Farroupilha
1968 – Jose Roberto Bertrami – Modern Sound
1968 – Projeto Três- Equipe
1969 – Projeto Três V 2 – Equipe
1969 – The Youngsters
1972 – Grupo Seleção
There are many other productions in Brazilian music by Azymuth or members of Azymuth.
Many albums have been arranged by Jose Roberto Bertrami to the tune of 350 productions.
FOR FAR OUT RECORDINGS)
1996 - Carnival
1998 - Woodland Warrior
1999 – Pieces of Ipanema
2001 – Before We Forget
2002 – Partido Novo
2004 – Brazilian Soul
2006 – Pure ‘The Far Out years’
2007 – Azimuth
2008 – Butterfly
2011 – Aurora (TBC new CD)
Others -
2001 – Jose Roberto Bertrami – Things are Different
2002 – Mamond – Paradise
2009 – Alex Malheiros and Banda Utopia – The Wave
2009 – Jose Roberto Bertrami - Aventura
