Bassist John Patitucci has long been among the instrument's elite ‘doublers’, distinguishing himself in particular on double bass in imperiously creative style for 15 years as part of Wayne Shorter's renowned Quartet, while he first burst onto the international stage in the late 1980s wielding a six-string electric bass and soloing with Brecker-like fluency as part of Chick Corea's chops-heavy Elektric Band. In fact, it was the latter piano icon's seminal 1973 album Light as a Feather, and its featured percussionist Airto Moreira, who first fired Patitucci's passion for Latin American sounds, later seeking out Moreira for lessons on the rich tapestry of rhythms that fuel salsa, son and samba. This empathy with the music and both sidemen – Israeli guitarist Yotam Silberstein and Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Boccato – and some exquisite gems from a host of South American songwriting giants including Buarque, Nascimento, Jobim, Gismonti, Garoto and Dominguinhos, has created an effortlessly balanced album of memorable melodies and richly satisfying solos. Irmãos de Fé is a masterclass in pacing and production – the title-track kicking things off in finely poised style, side one also including the slow-motion ballad ‘Pr'um Samba’ and the dazzling baroque-ish unison guitar and basslines of ‘Desvairada’, with Patitucci's heartrending arco melody on the stunning Jobim/Moraes/Buarque-penned ‘Olha Maria’ a hushed showstopper. Side two's opener, ‘Samba do Grande Amor’, finds the bassist grabbing his semi-acoustic six-string bass guitar to lay down subtle, yet heavy, samba groove, the electric instrument's deep and sweet tone a wonderful foil to Silberstein's perfectly judged nylon and electric guitar work throughout, while Boccato is equally on point with his impeccable percussion on every track. Rarely has Patitucci sounded so soulful, corralling his mighty technique utterly at the service of the music and with the kind of perfectly weighted artistic intent only the most mature musicians can achieve. This is a real high point of his glittering career so far.