Comprised of Ryan McNeely/g, Behn Gillece/vib, Tom Moon/ts-fl, Mark Pryzbylowski/b, Jim Hamilton/perc and guest Tom Lowery/perc, Ensemble Novo takes vintage Brazilian material by the likes of Tom Jobim, Tom Moon and Milt Nascimento and coaxes out fresh ideas and sounds. There is little to choose between these two “mini albums” of 6-7 songs each, as McNeely’s acoustic guitar is rich and heartwarming with Moon’s tenor on “Look to the Sky” and digs into a deep groove on “Se e Tarde Me Perdoa” and floats on a dreamy and thick “Estate.” McNeely’s flute is a wisp of wind on the hip “Vento” and glorious on “Casa Forte” as the vibes are nimble on “O Sonho” and the bass pulse is palpable on “Wuem Te Viu, Quem Te Ve” and “The Sand This Time.” These are real keepers. They ever coming to So Cal? I’m first in line!