His unmistakably melodic phrasing and his first-class ballad interpretations on the open and plugged trumpet and flugelhorn are legendary. Dusko Goykovich's eventful biography reflects half a century of jazz history. Born in Bosnia, he became famous in Germany in the fifties, was a member of the US big bands of Maynard Ferguson and Woody Herman in the sixties and then became a pioneer of Balkan jazz synthesis. He switches brilliantly and with ease between bebop and ballads, bossa and 5/4 time.

On the occasion of his 70th birthday in 2001, two CDs were released celebrating his great artistry: "Portrait", a compilation of unreleased recordings from 1959-1999, and "In My Dreams", an exquisite ballad session. "To this day, his warm yet precise tone has lost none of its expressiveness, as this new recording with an excellent quartet proves" (Klassik heute).

On the current album "Samba Do Mar", the eternally young trumpeter presents his original and lively interpretation of the Brazilian tradition. The program ranges from Villa-Lobos' music tinged with Bach to two bossa nova classics by Jobim and exciting new pieces by Argentinian artist Sergio Mihanovich and the bandleader himself. Here, new spaces open up for the soulful musical imagination of Goykovich and his band, who embark on a very special trip to Brazil: natural and relaxed, but in a sophisticated and innovative way.

Goykovich's counterpart is the Hungarian guitar virtuoso Ferenc Snétberger, one of the truly independent voices on the improvised classical guitar. Trained in classical music and jazz, Snétberger has individually integrated Brazilian and Spanish techniques: his Brazilian "moods" are kissed by genius. Martin Gjakonovski is one of the best bassists in Europe today and gives the music an earthy support with his heavy tone. Jarrod Cagwin, an expert in exotic drumming traditions, largely confines himself to hand drums, giving the album a touch of Afro-Brazilian energy.