One of
Edú Lobo's first recording opportunities was a golden chance: a full LP of his own compositions, with the brilliance of arranger
Luíz Eça and
Eça's main concern, the effervescent
Tamba Trio, as his backing group. Fortunately, little disappoints about this early meeting of the masters; A Música de Edu Lobo por Edu Lobo positively shines, with the haunting harmonies and crisp musicianship of
the Tamba Trio providing the perfect framework for
Lobo's dark, earnest leads. "Reza" and "Resolução" are swinging knockouts in league with
the Tamba Trio's finest moment, "Mãis Que Nada."
Eça's arrangements (best of which is the opener, "Borandá") are bright, imaginative, and possessing a Baroque flair that's like a dark rainstorm briefly darkening the middle of a Rio heat wave. One of the nicest mid-'60s LPs recorded by any Brazilian artist. ~ John Bush