Azymuth Biography
Azymuth (not to be confused with Azimuth, the UK trio formed in 1977) was formed in Brazil in 1971 by José Roberto Bertrami (21 February 1946, Tatui, Brazil; piano/keyboards), Alex Malheiros (b. 19 August 1946, Niteroi, Brazil; bass), and Ivan Conti (b. 16 August 1946, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; drums - sometimes joined in his percussion duties by Aleuda). Adopting the popular jazz funk style, they enjoyed a worldwide hit in 1980 with "Jazz Carnival", from their Light As A Feather set. As such, they were largely responsible for an upsurge of interest in Brazilian music, with a host of big-name American jazz acts journeying to South America to record. While commercial success for Azymuth was difficult to maintain, their subsequent releases were always of interest to the jazz funk crowd. Both Bertrami (Blue Wave, 1983, and Dreams Are Real, 1986) and Malheiros (Atlantic Forest, 1985) also recorded solo outings for the Milestone label. Bertrami left Azymuth in the late 80s, and was replaced by keyboard player Jota Moraes. The latter featured on Tudo Bem and Curumim before making way for the returning Bertrami.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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