Various Artists: Paz e Futebol

Upon seeing the cover of the new compilation CD by Jazzanova, Paz e Futebol, listeners might assume that the album is just a ploy to cash in on the consumer demand created by the World Cup. Fortunately, the music does not support this conclusion. Jazzanova doesn’t explore the world’s favorite sport on the collection; instead, it explores the music of one of the most enthusiastic football nations on the globe, Brazil. The album represents a wide range of musical emotions, but the dance, and especially Brazil’s native samba, reigns supreme. The songs are consistently pleasant, and they flow nicely into one another. At times, the whole CD smells a little too strongly of the cologne on a smooth talker at a swinging ’70s lounge, but on the whole, it is an interesting and groovy compilation.