Antonio Carlos Jobim had paved the way, years earlier, for wrapping Brazilian music in lush horns and strings, but for Zimbo Trio, to record this type of LP was a leap of faith. Faith that such a move would not be looked at as overtly commercial — especially from such a group of serious musicians as Zimbo — and also, of course, faith that the move would work from a musical standpoint. During the mid-’60s, Zimbo Trio had been such a lean group — able to swing rapturously but then stop immediately and move in a new direction — that playing over a set of string-laden songs could have become the musical equivalent of trying to run through a waist-deep stream. While Decisão certainly doesn’t move like their earlier recordings, it is a success, and best of all, it’s a success on their own terms. The arrangements come from the group themselves, and the conductor Cyro Pereira never slows down the tempo — except when the trio want it slowed. Horns take a larger role than strings, allowing swells and peaks with just as much energy as Zimbo Trio could muster by themselves. – John Bush
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