JAZZ REVIEW : Mendes Maintains Connection to Past

Nearly three decades after he organized Brazil ‘66, Sergio Mendes has worked all the way up to his current group, Brazil ’99. Despite the passing years, the ensemble he brought to the Rhythm Cafe in Santa Ana on Saturday night had a remarkably strong resemblance to Mendes’ gold-rcord-gathering bands of the mid-’60s.

There were a few significant differences: a three-man percussion section that ranged into timbres and intensities that reached beyond the elegant rhythms of bossa nova; a highly charged sound, rich with synthesizers and roaring with rock decibels; several new pieces, including a lovely ballad from Milton Nascimento.

For the most part, however, the 51-year-old Mendes appeared determined to establish a continuing connection with the more successful moments from his past. Much of the set was dominated by such hit numbers as “Fool on the Hill.”

What was missing was any substantial reference to Mendes’ new Elektra recording, “Brasileiro,” a work that is noticeably different from his earlier outings. Overflowing with a colorful collection of Brazilian rhythms touching everything from baiao and forro to ijexa and samba/reggae, it is one of Mendes’ finest efforts.

If Mendes has reservations about his audience’s ability to respond to the less-familiar rhythms of world music, he should rethink his programming.