No discussion of the history of Brazilian music is complete without mentioning the 1959 Brazilian film Black Orpheus, which brought attention to the music of Brazilian composers Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá and popularized the Bonfá classics "Manha de Carnaval" and "Samba de Orfeo." The Black Orpheus soundtrack was a major source of inspiration for Stan Getz, Charlie Byrd. and other key figures in the bossa nova explosion of the early to mid-'60s, and it's also Brazilian group Trio da Paz's primary inspiration on this jazz-oriented release, which flutist Herbie Mann produced for his Kokopelli label. Consisting of guitarist Romero Lubambo, bassist Nilson Matta, and drummer Dudaka da Fonseca, Paz favors what could be called Brazilian hard bop. Though the Brazilians are quite melodic, they favor a much more intense and hard-swinging approach to the samba, and to Bonfá and Jobim's gems than Getz did in the early to mid-'60s. Subtlety and restraint characterized Getz's bossa nova, but Trio da Paz is passionately aggressive on this excellent CD. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
