The meeting between guitarist Roni Ben-Hur and bassist Nilson Matta blends bop and Brazilian music, a tricky but not impossible endeavor, as they prove with the help of two veterans, the versatile drummer Victor Lewis and noted Brazilian percussionist Café. Most of the music is by Brazilian composers, though there are originals by each musician. Starting with Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Mojave," the quartet demonstrates how their differing backgrounds fuse very well as Ben-Hur's fluid guitar and Matta's inventive bass work their magic. The quartet explores several works by the noted Brazilian composer Pixinguinha, including his breezy, infectious samba "Lamentos" that features Matta and Ben-Hur alternating the lead, along with the moving ballad "Rosa," an intimate duet for the co-leaders. Although it was a pop hit for Dusty Springfield and featured in the movie comedy #Casino Royale, Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love" has always had a bossa nova influence, so it isn't a surprising choice. Ben-Hur is the focus of this brief track, augmented by Matta's soothing, steady bassline, the off-center percussion of Café, and Lewis' brushwork.The originals are just as memorable. Ben-Hur's dramatic "Eretz" is a deliberate work with a melancholy air. Matta's "Baden" is a brisk bossa nova salute to one of the greats of the genre, the late guitarist Baden Powell. Lewis contributed the easygoing bossa nova "P.D. on Great Jones Street" (which he had previously recorded with Bobby Watson). Café's composition "Three Express" is a high-energy workout for the band with great solos all around by everyone. Bonus CD-R tracks include a video of the complete performance of "The Look of Love" in the studio and "Mojave" (the latter with a voice-over by Ben-Hur). A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Mojave benefits The Dizzy Gillespie Memorial Fund at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. ~ Ken Dryden, Rovi

1		Mojave
2		Lamentos
3		Carinhoso
4		Samba do Veloso
5		Copacabana
6		Rosa
7		Baden
8		Canal Street
9		P.D. on Great Jones Street
10		The Look of Love
11		Eretz
12		Three Express
13		[CD-ROM Track]

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