Getting a Brazilian

Since most of the Bay Area's Brazilian music is of the samba or bossa nova variety, it's easy to miss out on the staggering breadth of styles exported by that musical hot spot. Luckily there's Grupo Falso Baiano (The Fake Bahians), who specialize in a Brazilian treat heard far less often — choro, an ancestor of samba widely credited as the South American country's first national music. Grupo Falso Baiano carries the tradition forward with aplomb. The group's instrumentation — mandolin, saxophone, guitar, and percussion — may seem sedate compared to samba's deafening drum blocs, but don't let that fool you into thinking you'll sit still at a performance. As Grupo's gorgeous new CD, Viajando: Choro e Jazz, proves, its intricate melodies move your heart and your hips.