When Charlie Byrd took to the stage as the opening act of the 26th Fujitsu-Concord Jazz Festival, it became apparent within the first few phrases of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Favela” that his was going to be one tough act to follow. On this captivating August 1994 evening, Byrd—the guitarist responsible for importing the mesmerizing sound of Brazil’s bossa nova to the United States in the ‘60s—and his empathetic musical cohorts displayed the perfect balance of virtuosity and sensitivity in their brilliant interpretations of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s distinctively beautiful melodies, harmonies and contagious bossa nova rhythms. The result is surely one of the most engaging live recordings in Charlie Byrd’s legendary body of work.