Jorge Ben Trio – Amor De Carnaval

Amor de Carnaval is in many ways a typical album for Jorge Ben in the 60s, full of sweet, sincere, and mainly upbeat songs, with the music mixing samba with elements of bossa nova, swing, pop, and soul. It was recorded while Jorge was living in Brooklin, a neighborhood of São Paulo, with Erasmo Carlos. Yet the album also marks a change for Ben due to the constant presence of the electric guitar and its closeness to the sound of Jovem Guarda. Caetano Veloso, always among the more vocal Jorge Ben supporters, counts this album among his favorites, and the track "Se Manda" in particular, is cited by Veloso as providing the initial impetus for the musical aspect of the Tropicália movement. Compared to many other works by Ben, the string and horn sections are used very sparsely. The tone is set right from the start with the catchy title track opener, one of the best songs Ben has ever written. "Frases," with its soft groove and neat lyrics, and "Toda Colorida" are two other highlights on this highly enjoyable album.