The Jazz Is Dead project, curated by the legendary duo composed by Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge, has been presenting a very intimate and smooth perspective on great names of jazz music. Following a Various Artists’ compilation, Roy Ayers and Marcos Valle, Azymuth are in charge of the fourth installment of the series. Jazz Is Dead 004 sees the bossa nova, jazz, experimental trio exploring their Brazilian roots with a nice scent of American soul.

Azymuth, originally comprised by keyboard player and bandleader Jose Roberto Bertrami (RIP), drummer Ivan ‘Mamão’ Conti and bass player Alex Malheiros, have been one of the most widespread and revered groups hailing from Brazil. They started their individual careers in the 1960’s, in the emergent Bossa nova and jazz scene of Rio. It wasn’t until the early 1970’s that Azymuth really began to cause a stir and Marcos Valle invited them to record on a soundtrack LP he was doing. The unique Azymuth sound was born: a mix of electronic music, samba, funk and jazz that they defined as MPB-jazz. Their sensibilities, paired with Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge are, once again, on point: Jazz Is Dead 004 has a Port Wine taste to it.

Jazz Is Dead 004 is an album that testifies to the love not only of a legendary musician’s legacy, but to the vitality and necessity of this music and these sounds in the present era. Available in vinyl.