Collection: Azymuth

Azymuth is a Brazilian jazz-funk trio formed in 1973 in Rio de Janeiro by keyboardist José Roberto Bertrami, bassist Alex Malheiros, and drummer Ivan Conti, all born in 1946. They started their individual careers in the 1960s in the emergent bossa nova and jazz scene of Rio, living in the same bohemian block in Copacabana and playing in small bars as session musicians. Between 1969 and 1973 they started playing together as in-demand session players. Their first work together was under the name Group Projeto 3 in 1968. Marcos Valle invited them to record on a soundtrack tribute to Brazilian Formula 1 racing driver Emerson Fittipaldi (O Fabuloso Fittipaldi) in 1973. Ariovaldo Contesini was the original fourth member on percussion, appearing on the 1975 debut album Azimuth before leaving the band. Their debut was released in summer 1975 with Som Livre label. Their second album Águia Não Come Mosca was released in the USA and Japan on Atlantic Records.

In 1979 their first Milestone Records release Light as a Feather became one of the bestselling albums of the year, featuring the worldwide hit single "Jazz Carnival", which sold more than half a million copies and stayed in the UK Top 20 for eight weeks, peaking at number 19 in January 1980. They continued with Milestone through the 1980s, releasing Outubro (1980), Telecommunication (1981), and others. They played at Monterrey and Montreux jazz festivals and worked with Chick Corea, Joe Henderson, George Duke, and Stevie Wonder. As session musicians they contributed to classic records by Jorge Ben, Tim Maia, Erasmo Carlos, Rita Lee, Hyldon, Marcos Valle, and Joyce.