from the LP Muita Zorra, Forna Records, 1971Behind virtually every great singer / songwriter there stands an equally deft backing band, often times great forces in and of themselves, although they rarely get the notice or mention they deserve outside of discussions about the artists they support: Crazy Horse, The E Street Band, The Heartbreakers, etc… Thus, it’s no surprise that Brazilian group Trio Mocotó is almost always mentioned (if at all) as being the backing band for Jorge Ben in the ‘70s; in actuality, these three guys had been jamming together for a few years before Ben ever took them out on tour or into the studio. Their attempts at introducing samba rhythms & grooves into a funky rock template were highly successful, both with Ben and on their own, as they adroitly prove throughout this self-titled LP which fetches about $100 at auctions these days. As someone once declared, “…if you can’t dance to this, you got no business havin’ feet…”!!
