Here’s a joyful tribute to one of the most cheerful genres of music around. Pianist Phil DeGreg leads a team of Kim Pensyl/tp-fh, Rusty Burge/vib, Aaron Jacobs/g, John Taylor/dr and Bruno Mangueira/g through a winning mix of samba standards and originals. Jobim’s thumb print is prevalent here, but with the addition of Burge’s vibes, tunes like “A Felicidade” and “Double Rainbow” make the chestnuts feel crisp. Pensyl’s horn is as warm as a beach breeze on “Trieste” and the impressionistic “Fresh Biscuits” and DeGreg’s piano is graceful on the snappy “Brazilian People” and canters well on “A Yankee in Brazil.” The feeling is polite and eager to please, not intruding or busting down the door, more likely gently knocking on the door to be welcomed in.
Prevenient Music