HYLDON JID023: PREORDER NOW
Hyldon, the Brazilian Soul legend, Releases New Album in Collaboration with Adrian Younge Featuring the Late Ivan “Mamão” Conti of AzymuthHYLDON JID023,
Available April 4, 2025 via Jazz Is Dead
Hyldon, Brazil’s highly revered vocalist, musician and producer, has partnered with Adrian Younge to create a new psychedelic soul album, HYLDON JID023.The duo, highly inspired by Hyldon’s seminal work in the ‘60s and‘70s, revisits’ the spirit of this epoch while creating a modern classic. Hyldon’s unique voice and lyrical depth, combined with Younge’s innovative analog production, ensures this album will not be forgotten.JID023is one of the last recordings featuring Hyldon’s long-timecollaborator andfriend, the late drummer Ivan “Mamão” Conti of Azymuth.
Hyldon, a musical pioneer and early contributor to the“Black Rio” movement is a genius in synthesizing the sounds of MPB,Tropicália and Black American R&B. His unique voice, coupled with his rich arrangements and laid-back grooves set him apart from the contemporaries ofthe time. In ’75, his remarkable debut album, Na Rua, Na Chuva, Na Fazenda changed the sound of Brazil forever. Hyldon’s earnest and experimental approach in creating that album served as the inspiration for Younge’s production on the newJID023. Months before Mamão's untimely passing, Adrian Younge and Hyldon invited the legendary drummer to join them at Younge’s Linear Labs studio in Los Angeles. Mamão and Hyldon shared a rich musical history—Azymuth, Mamão’s group, served as the rhythm section for much of Hyldon’s work, including his iconic 1975 LP,Na Rua, Na Chuva, Na Fazenda. Their goal was ambitious: to craft an album that would stand alongside Hyldon’s finest achievements, one that would captivate fans who love his unique blend of psychedelic and soulful “Música Brasileira.” The result is nothing short of remarkable.
“Producing a Hyldon album was a dream come true. I’ve studied his catalog for so many years and highly respect the way he mixed the sound of The Beatles, with that of Marvin Gaye and Tim Maia. I’m still enamored by the factthat he is even a better singer now than he was, in what many deem, his prime. Also, we greatly miss our dear friend and contributor Mamão, the late drummer of Azymuth. We dedicated this album to his memory, and we wish hecould have had the chance to hear the finished album.”–Adrian Younge
Songs such as “Olhos Castanhos,” which translates as “Brown Eyes,” evoke the ethereal nature of The Beatles “Strawberry Fields” as the mellotron flutes and Hyldon’s vulnerable performance captivates our hearts. Mamão’s gritty and funky drumming on “Nhanderuvuçu(The Creator of God)”showcase what made him a leading pioneer in Brazil’s samba funk scene. Apart from the remarkable drumming, multi-instrumentalist Younge accomplishes the unthinkable by playing every other instrument on JID023.The experimental fusion of horns, analog synthesizers and acoustic instrumentation on songs like “Viajante do Planeta Azul,” which translates to “Traveler of the Blue Planet,” take listeners on a funky journey to the blue planet; a fictional space that Hyldon lyrically describes with passion and conviction in lines like “Flores exóticas, Ouro e prata, Sereias de além-mar (Exotic flowers, gold and silver, mermaids from across the sea).”
Hyldon JID023 is an unexpected, yet remarkable addition to the canon of Brazilian Music. Hyldon’s emotional resonance, coupled with Younge’s sophisticated production and Mamão’s outstanding drumming make this a stand out album within the deep catalog of Jazz Is Dead.
