Trio Da Paz: Somewhere

Three Brazilian-born musicians comprise Trio Da Paz, one of the best Brazilian jazz groups in the world: Romero Lubambo, Nilson Matta, and Duduka Da Fonseca. Somewhere, on the Blue Toucan label—which specializes in music by Brazilian jazz artists—demonstrates why Brazilian music has such a strong appeal to jazz fans. It's all about rich melodies coupled with irresistible rhythms. On "Look to the Sky," a rarely covered Jobim composition, the group displays all the shades that made him one of the most important composers in history—strumming guitar, translucent melodies, and hypnotic rhythms.

Each region in Brazil has its own distinctive musical rhythm. "Partido Alto," which is also the name of the rhythm derived from samba, is a cousin to American funk, with a pulsating bass line that Lubambo dances on as he solos, followed by the hard-hitting drumming of Da Fonseca. All the Brazilian songs are expertly played by artists who know the music inside out. The most intriguing song on Somewhere, however, is the interpretation of Miles Davis' "Seven Steps to Heaven," which is given a rollicking samba makeover that works marvelously.

Somewhere offers some of the best music in the world, as interpreted by some of the best musicians from one of the world's most musically rich and diverse countries.