Nicola Conte presents Viagem 3

For mere mortals, compiling three volumes of obscure Brazilian bossa nova and jazz rarities would be a real challenge. However, there seems to be no stopping Blue Note recording artist, Brazilophile and Italian jazz guru Nicola Conte. This may be the best volume to date and the series provides a unique insight into lesser-known Brazilian bossa nova and 1960s jazz artists. This time he has dug even deeper, uncovering unknown artists who either recorded incredibly rare albums, as in the case of Werther, or were featured on obscure compilations of the period, such as Wan Trio. Or, as with Aizita, only released one-off singles – most likely for radio promotion. The latter is a real gem, the sensual lyrics have more than a hint of melancholy and are backed by some superb jazz musicians, capturing the real essence of bossa nova. There are other equally good vocal tracks from Dalmo Castello and Marcio Diniz but it is perhaps the instrumental tracks that really stand out, with soaring jazz workouts from Brasil 40 Graus (this really is rarer than hen's teeth) and the Octons’ storming version of ‘Tokyo Blues’. One can only imagine what Nicola Conte has lined up for the fourth volume.