Combining funk, soul and jazz with samba, Azymuth is the Brazilian three-piece orchestra responsible for creating a new sound and genre all its own: Samba doido (crazy samba). The band, originally consisting of Alex Malheiros, Ivan "Mamao" Conti and José Roberto Bertrami (who passed away in 2012, and was subsequently replaced by Kiko Continentino), has released over 20 albums in more than 40 years. Azymuth started its career back in the early 1970s when Marcos Valle invited them to record a soundtrack LP in tribute to the Formula 1 racing driver Emerson Fittipaldi; one of the tracks was entitled "Azimuth," and after the success of the record they asked Valle if they could use it as the name for the band. Through energetic live shows; a prolific output on Milestone, Som Livre, Atlantic and Far Out Recordings; and especially through re-interpretations by Roni Size, Kenny Dope, Jazzanova and Ron Trent, Azymuth remains an important force in the underground jazz scene and beyond.
