Luiz Bonfa

There is something truly majestic in the guitar playing and composing of Luiz Bonfá
The Brazilian Scene, released in 1965 on the Philips imprint, sits right on the knife edge between something as wonderfully organic as his solo recordings and the more stylized Anglo projects that were flooding the bins at the time. This date was produced by Hal Mooney, who also served as co-arranger along with Bonfá. The Brazilian Scene set features 12 tunes, seven of which are Bonfá originals, and one an arrangement of a traditional song ("Malaguena Salerosa"). The rest are pop standards and some that would be (the Beatles' "Yesterday"). The studio group includes Bonfá's New York studio band, featuring the great drummer Hélcio Milito, bassist Donald Payne, and flutist Jerome Richardson, Of the pop standards, his reading of "That Old Black Magic" transforms the tune into a top-flight samba, with ticking triple-time percussion by Milito. The band performs this one without accompaniment from the orchestra, and it is among the set's highlights. This is colorful and polished Brazilian jazz performed by a crack group with tasteful -- if sometimes overly busy arrangements

                                                                        (Edited) Review by Thom Jurek Of AllMusic

1. Avocado

2. Moonlight In Rio

3. Malaguena Salerosa

4. Zomba

5. Yesterday

6. That Old Black Magic

1. I Can't Give You Anything But Love

2. Embolada

3. Bye Bye Blues

4. Her Face

5. Samalero

6. Dream Girl

          6. That Old Black Magic