Cal Tjader's Brazilian explorations continue and actually deepen with this release, as he joins forces with a host of progressive young Brazilian musicians, all overseen by producer
Airto Moreira. By now,
Tjader had figured out how to fit into the blend, doing so by losing himself in the complex mix of Afro-Brazilian rhythms, American funk and '70s-era electronics, integrating his own identity for the sake of the ensemble. Indeed,
Tjader actually appears on marimba on tracks like
Joao Donato's "Amazonas" and his collaboration with
Hermeto Pascoal, "Mindoro," his playing taking on a more brittle edge as a result.
Tjader's Southern Hemisphere cohorts include such emerging luminaries as keyboardist
Egberto Gismonti, percussionist
Robertinho Silva, the sometimes wild flutist
Hermeto Pascoal and on one track, the superb trombonist
Raul de Souza. The intricate arrangements are in the hands of
George Duke, and so are the funky, occasionally spaced-out keyboard sounds (albeit under the contractually dictated pseudonym "Dawilli Gonga"). ~ Richard S. Ginell