When in full swing, the horns punch like Earth, Wind and Fire, but they also add subtle shadings on woodwinds.

Throughout, Ben Jor controls the rhythm with his acoustic twelve-string guitar, the strings add a subtle Philly soul vibe, and the catchy refrains are chanted and echoed by the nattily attired vocal trio. The show has a wonderfully relaxed and spontaneous feel. There is a wicked woman portrayed as a dragon in “Roberto, Corta Essa,” an African soccer legend in “Umbabarauma,” a woman shuffling the samba until her sandals wear out (“Balança Pema”), a banana seller in love with his simple life (“O Vendedor de Bananas”) and the colorful circus folk of “O Circo Chegou.” A choice of four language subtitles allows a closer look at his lyrics, amusing and laced with references to mythical beasts, Afro-Brazilian culture and whimsical characters. This rather heavy opening gives way to a string of Ben Jor’s light-hearted up-tempo classics, in his funky “samba mixed with maracatu” style. The Jorge V band kicks off the show with the dramatic minor key “Jorge de Capadócia,” a tale of a soldier strengthened by the protection of St. Each group is augmented with extra percussionists, a five-piece horn section, a twenty-member string section and three male vocalists. The first is a reunion of his classic seventies band Admiral Jorge V, and the second with the current version of his ongoing Banda do Zé Pretinho. Recorded in Rio in 2002, “Acústico – Jorge Ben Jor,” is divided into two full-length concert performances. His four-decade career is well represented on the newest DVD from the MTV Acústico series. In the seventies, Ben Jor (then known only as Jorge Ben) found considerable success in Europe, and if you believe the legend, the refrain from his “Taj Mahal” was plagiarized by Rod Stewart for the international hit “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” In Brazil, artists of every style have recorded his songs, as funk, Bossa Nova, samba, sertaneja, forró, heavy metal and rap, and his songs are standards on the mobile sound systems of Carnaval, the “Trio Elétricos.” Recorded worldwide by over 100 different artists, “Mas, Que Nada” is the only song completely in Portuguese to be taken to the top of the American charts (by Sergio Mendes in the sixties). Forty years after its first recording, his classic “Mas, Que Nada” continues to be heard throughout the world, from advertising themes and movie soundtracks to spins by hip club DJs. After Tom Jobim, the music of Jorge Ben Jor may be the most recognized outside of Brazil.

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