Brazilian Jazz Quartet & The Good Neighbors Jazz - Coffee and Jazz + The Good Neighbors Jazz (2 LP on 1 CD) (2024) [Hi-Res]

Coffee and Jazz
In 1957, inspired by Dave Brubeck’s quartet, pianist Moacyr Peixo (1921-2003), considered one of the pioneers of Brazilian jazz, founded the ‘Brazilian Jazz Quartet’ alongside three talented musicians: José Ferreira Godinho Filho, known as ‘Casé,’ on alto saxophone; and a delightfully laid-back rhythm team, Luiz Chaves on double bass, and Rubinho on drums. The quartet gained popularity at Club 34 in Rio de Janeiro, catching the attention of Columbia label producer Roberto Corte Real. This led to the recording on February 11, 1958, of the remarkable album“Coffee and Jazz.” During this date, the quartet skillfully interpreted a dozen well-known American standards, infusing their musical expression with influences from the “cool” and “west coast” jazz styles. This album not only serves as a showcase for Casé’s melodic, swinging, and eloquent style, reminiscent of Paul Desmond, but it also stands as a warm and wonderful testament to Moacyr’s approach to the piano, radiating melodic and swinging imagination with a pulsating, fluid, and deft touch.

The Good Neighbors Jazz
In September 1958, pianist Moacyr Peixoto and altoist José Ferreira “Casé” traveled to São Paulo while Woody Herman’s big band was performing in the city as part of their extensive South American tour that summer. Following the show, the band’s bassist Major Holley and drummer Jimmy Campbell joined Moacyr and Casé for a successful gathering at the Michel nightclub. The subsequent day, producer Roberto Corte Real orchestrated a recording session with the quartet, conducted from 22 hours on September 21 until 1 in the morning on September 22 at the Columbia studio on Avenida Liberdade in São Paulo. They recorded seven tracks without written arrangements, including ‘Rough Ridin’,’ ‘Easy to Love,’ a blues by Holley, another by Peixoto, and ‘Copacabana’ by Alberto Ribeiro and Braguinha. As a result of this improvised session, the album titled “The Good Neighbors Jazz” was released and acclaimed. Sixty-five years after its recording, this album stands as a testament to the thriving relationship between young Brazilian musicians and modern American jazz players in the late 1950s and early 1960s.