Jorge Ben - Ben É Samba Bom [Clear]

Ben É Samba Bom finds a young Jorge Ben in 1964, already bending samba into his own shape, and this pressing presents it on clear vinyl.

It was his third studio album for Philips, cut while bossa nova was still the sound of Rio and long before he became Jorge Ben Jor, the name later generations know him by. Even this early, he had a way of making the guitar sound like a percussion section, chopping chords with a restless, swinging attack that set him apart from the cooler bossa crowd.

The backing band is a who's who of Rio's samba-jazz scene, with J.T. Meirelles on flute and saxophone, Dom Um Romão on drums, Manuel Gusmão on bass and Pedro Paulo on trumpet. Descalço No Parque opens with an easy, barefoot charm, Bicho Do Mato bounces with mischievous energy, and Gabriela shows off the melodic sweetness that would make his songs a favourite of other singers. Zope Zope adds a playful, chant-like hook that is hard to shake.

Horns punch, flutes flutter and Ben's voice sits right in the pocket, warm and slightly rough around the edges. For anyone who fell for his later records, hearing where that groove began is a genuine pleasure.