Brazilian Groove Band - Anatomy Of Groove (2009)

‘Anatomy of Groove’ is the previously unreleased Leo Gandelman studio band project that brings together renowned musicians including Reuben Wilson and Grant Green Jr. Far Out Recordings have rescued this swinging instrumental jazz funk record, which blends vintage New York brass and smoky jazz with the deep bass, heavy drums and 70s jazz funk organs of Brazil to create big textures and drip realism into these funky, cinematic nuggets. This is old school 70s cool that sounds as if it should sound track a classic American cop drama.

Recorded during winter 1999 in a basement in Brooklyn, New York, Leo Gandelman’s idea was to put together a group of his finest musician friends and over solid Brazilian grooves create original music with lots of swing and fun. “We decided to start the sessions late in order to have a little silence for the recordings. Leaving the studio at four in the morning, during NYC's winter, was quite an adventure. But the garage sound of the recording reflects the atmosphere,” says Leo of the BGB sessions.

A classic yet original album of jazz scores, ‘Anatomy of Groove’ draws upon Gandelman’s decades of experience and showcases his epic career as an icon of his genre. Gandelman – saxophonist, producer, composer and arranger – blends the classic American jazz sound, funky brass post Curtis Mayfield, warm horn funk pre Dap Kings and Menahan Street Band, MPB (Brazilian Popular Music), and influences that tend towards the legends of jazz funk such as Brazil’s Azymuth and the special guest here, Reuben Wilson – “the Godfather of jazz funk”. ‘Anatomy of Groove’ is the perfect North American - Latin cross over soulful jazz record with the funkiest of edges.

The Brazilian Groove Band grew out of the ‘Masters of Groove’ band, which was led by legendary New York jazz artists Bernard Purdie, Grant Green Jr., Tarus Mateen and originally formed by Reuben Wilson, Purdie and Green Jr. Leo Gandelman was the special guest on their 2001 recording ‘Jazzateria’ and the idea to form the BGB with the very best up-and-coming Brazilian musicians together with the ‘Master of Groove’ emerged.