If I had to describe Jorge Ben Jor’s debut album Samba Esquema Novo in one phrase it would be “relaxed energy”. This 28 minute samba rock album puts you at ease while compelling you to get up and move, all at the same time. It is a calm call to action.
Compared to American jazz, which lends itself to more introspection and risk-taking, Samba Rock is compact and contains a defined purpose. And yet it is similar in that it feels entirely free, not because it is inherently spontaneous, but because it represents freedom of movement in a defined structure. Samba rock may have self-imposed walls it consistently refers back to, but those walls are not constraints– they are a canvas to be filled with colors and clever conversation.
These are effectively pop songs, both in length and in precision, a train moving with purpose through towns filled with trumpets, strings, and saxophones. And in all of the best ways, it is an album that begs to be played as you clean the house on a Saturday morning.
Standout Songs: “Rose, Menina Rosa”, “Tim Dom Dom”, “Mas Que Nada!”
