Though they called what they did samba doido ("crazy samba"), Azymuth was solidly rooted in the rich melodicism and all-encompassing groove that are the twin-essences of their Brazilian homeland's long and storied musical tradition. The trio's bare-bones, albeit ultra-modern, instrumentation and almost extrasensory tightness at times suggested a Brazilian Booker T. & the MGs. But it was the sensuous way in which Azymuth blended a wide range of jazz, pop, classical, dance, and indigenous music that set them apart. This disc combines two of Azymuth's strongest Milestone albums, Flame and Spectrum from 1984 and '85, respectively. Led by virtuoso keyboardist José Roberto Bertrami, the group welcomes a starry array of guests (including the soaring vocalist Flora Purim), rendering a typically prismatic batch of originals, plus gems by some of Brazil's outstanding composers, as well as their unique take on Marvin Gaye's epochal "What's Going On."

The Prisoner, Tamal Vista Boulevard, Rapa Poeira, The Textile Factory (Fábrica de Tecidos), Flame (O Amor É Chama), Right On, What's Going On, Song of the Jet (Samba do Avião), Universal Prisoner, Candomblé, All That Carnival, The Island (Começar de Novo), Areias, Turma do Samba

José Roberto Bertrami, Alex Malheiros, Ivan Conti (Mamão)
with Flora Purim, Márcio Montarroyos, Paulinho Olivera

Recorded 1984-85.