The repertoire in Live at JazzBaltica might not be totally brand new, but the sound Trio da Paz creates with guest vibraphonist/composer Joe Locke is all smooth and captivating. The Trio pulls a few surprises with this formation.

Live at JazzBaltica was recorded at Salzau, Germany, on July 1, 2007. Produced by the artists themselves, the repertoire brings material from previous Trio albums -- whether recorded by the trio or its individual members in their solo albums -- as all well as an original by Joe Locke himself and an American classic from the Hammerstein/Kern songbook, "All The Things You Are." As with everything the Trio has released to date, whatever they record instantly brings the Trio's unmistakable sound with Romero's guitar, Nilson's bass and Duduka's drums. Add to this delightful mixture the smooth sound of Joe Locke's vibes and the recipe for another great album is concocted.

Since this is live recording, it is a given that we will have featured sections with each artist and tracks from previous releases. In addition to that, the first four tracks of the album are composed by one of the instrumentalists. Take that as an introduction to the musicians as composers, and what examples they chose! "Dona Maria" instantly showcases Joe Locke's solos of what's to come throughout the CD. The entire Trio gets center stage solo after solo. It is easy to see why German magazine Jazzthetik chose this as "one of the most outstanding concert events of 2007."

Some of the highlights here include "Pro Flávio," a track taken from Duduka's 2003 Grammy nominated album Samba Jazz Fantasia and the charged rendition of "Bachião," a Trio favorite. The two Jobim tracks performed here need no introduction. However, as a rare treat, we can actually see the live performance of "Wave" at this festival, thanks to musicfriendsjazz on YouTube. It really does not get any better than this performance! Here is the video:

Watch as Romero Lubambo dreams over this tune, and don't miss that quick moment in the middle of the solo as he tries to tune his guitar without missing a note! Trio da Paz continues its solid trajectory in bringing the best of Brazilian instrumental music to all corners of the globe.

E.L.