Brazil — CDs  

The second wonderful project from this cool collaboration – one that features Arnaldo Antunes, Antonio Pinto, Taciana Barros, Edgard Scandurra, and others – all working together on some completely charming songs for children! These aren't really kids songs – and are more tunes that have a sense of charming naivete, and lots of spare yet playful instrumental touches – almost little messages to the younger generation, but never too prescriptive, and always filled with a great sense of play. Some vocals are by youngsters, others by members of the project – and the whole thing's surprisingly captivating, way more so musically than we can really put into words. Titles include "Todo Dia", "Galaxia", "Mamae Tamo Chegando", "Os Moveis Da Minha Casa", "Lingua Do P", "De Noitinha", and "Fim De Semana".

Mindblowing work from the early years of Schema Records – a set that really helped set a whole new tone for a generation – and which still sounds wonderful all these many hears later! Balanco work up a perfect blend of bossa rhythms and soulful jazz – all wrapped up with the kind of slinky, sexy vibe the Italian scene first perfected back in the 60s – when they were borrowing lots of Brazilian elements for their best soundtracks! Balanco's sound here really recalls those glory days – mixing together sweet female vocals, lively bossa rhythms, and great work on Fender Rhodes – all under the guidance of Nicola Conte, who manages to make everything sound beautiful together. Highlights include versions of Morricone's "Metti Una Sera A Cena" and the classic "Cinnamon & Clove", but there's loads of other cool originals – like "Butterfly", "Fantasia", "Sister Bossa", "Aguadream", and "Blue Skat Samba".

Cavaquinho with a great dose of jazz – all to make some really wonderful music that does a great job of bridging Brazilian music traditions! Joao Callado plays cavaquinho on the set – using the small stringed instrument with a great sense of grace, and working in a highly rhythmic mode too – one that's perfect for the album's mix of instrumentation that often includes trumpet and tenor, used with jazzy inflections – plus plenty of core percussion and guitar as well! A few cuts have vocals, but most are instrumental – and the album's arguably got even more life and spirit than Joao's previous set for the Biscoito Fino label. Titles include "Valsa Jongo", "Samba Em 3", "Explode O Salao", "2 Pra La 3 Pra CA", "3 Na Marcha", "Tecnovalsa", and "Brisa De Copacabana".

Sublime work from Alaide Costa – a beautifully mature album from the late 80s, and one that has her working with a host of great guest help from the Milton Nascimento camp, and the jazzier side of the MPB spectrum! In addition to vocals from Milton on one cut, the set also features appearances by Rique Pantoja on keyboards, Gilson Peranzzeta on piano, Wagner Tiso on piano, Ivan Lins on vocals, Cristovao Bastos on piano, Paulinho Da Viola on vocals, Sebastiao Tapajos on guitar, and Toninho Horta on vocals and arrangements! The music is spare, but has this depth that works perfect with Alaide's rich vocals – often just a few instruments echoing out alongside Costa's lead, with the balance between fullnest and restraint that you'd find in the best recordings by Nascimento or Lins. Titles include "Absinto", "Amiga De Verdade", "Quem Sabe", "Estrada Do Sertao", "Cinema Antigo", "Mais Que A Paixao", and "Morrer De Amor". CD features two bonus tracks – "Dois Coracoes" and "Teu Simples Nao".

Wonderful work from the later years of Moreira Da Silva – a quartet of albums recorded for the Odeon label at the end of the 50s, and which really show Da Silva hitting a mature sort of stride! The timing was perfect for these sets – as improved studio techniques in Brazil really brought a lot out of the rootsier samba modes that Da Silva had been working in for years – updating the grooves with some contemporary arrangements that flesh things out nicely, while still leaving a lot of upfront space for Moreira's vocals! There's a depth here that a singer wouldn't have had 20 years before – and the records sparkle with Da Silva's rich presentation of the material. Some of the CDs features bonus tracks, which makes the package even more appealing – and all titles have been remastered, and presented with original artwork.

A really warm and wonderful little record – one that features the collaborative talents of these four bossa nova giants, all coming together in a really relaxed, intimate setting! Although most of these artists didn't work together in the 60s, they all share a very similar spirit, and come together beautifully here – all four working together on the first and last track in the set, then splitting apart to work in smaller duos, and each take a track or two on their own. Instrumentation is mostly small combo, and warmly jazzy – and Valle, Lyra, Menescal, and Donato all handle the arrangements too – furthering the collaborative spirit of the set. Titles include "Balansamba", "Ate Quem Sabe", "Tereza Da Praia", "Ate O Fim", "Bewitched", "Sextante", "Gente", "Vagamente", "De Um Jeito Diferente", and "Ciume".

The first album in years from this favorite Brazilian funk combo – and less of a straight album than a collection of different recordings from all the time we haven't heard from them! Funk Como Le Gusta are tighter than ever – still strongly inspired by American funk and soul, and able to fuse it into a groove that's slightly contemporary – but way better than the usual mainstream R&B from Brazil! There's a lean quality here on most of the tracks – instrumentation that's still mostly live, and definitely linked to the contemporary deep funk underground at points – while getting even bolder production at others. Titles include "Balacobaco", "Sweet Ronie Song", "Putz", "Muchacha Fantastica", "Ire", and "Preludio Do Sol".

A beautiful collection of work from the legendary Joao Gilberto – some of the most important bossa nova recordings ever, plus a fair bit of rarities as well! The first CD in the set features three full early albums from Gilberto – Chega De Saudade, O Amor O Sorriso E A Flor, and Joao Gilberto – each a masterpiece in understatement – with breathy vocals and light guitar from the maestro, plus light percussion and orchestrations that never overwhelm at all – but simply hang their in air, and shade the songs with these really gentle hues and colors. The second CD features lots of rare material – including work from the film Copacabana Palace, with Gilberto, Norma Benguell, Luiz Bonfa, and others – and early recordings from Elizete Cardoso, Os Cariocas, and Joao himself. The set features 64 tracks in all, packaged in two groovy record sleeves with a booklet inside a slipcover!

A hell of a great record – as you might already guess from the fact that Kassin produced the album, and it also features guest appearances by Chico Buarque and Tom Ze! Yet Thais Gulin is clearly the main draw here – a really lovely, inventive singer with a freshness that comes through on the very first tune – the haunting string of "ooo" sounds in the title, set to sounds that are earthy enough to be earnest, yet gentle enough to sensitively deliver Thais to the public. The rest of the record follows with a similar balance between charm and creative expression – and titles include "Little Boxes", "Encantada", "Cinema Americano", "The Glory Hole", "Agua", "Horas Cariocas", "Se Eu Soubesse", and "Revendo Amigos".

Excellent work from Jorginho Do Imperio – a lesser-known sambista from 70s Brazil, but one who really shines brightly on this rare little set! There's a beautifully stripped-down feel to the whole thing – just Jorginho's rich vocals in the lead, and loads of lively instrumental work on percussion and acoustic strings – cavaquinho, guitar, and more – all laid out in these wonderfully tight grooves that are really rich in feeling! Titles include "Volta Pro Morro", "Olele Olala", "Pedra 90", "A Timidez Me Devora", "Minha Estoria", and "Mais Um Na Casa De Bamba".

A bit more mature than Joelma's debut album – mostly still catchy pop tunes, but sung with a deeper sense of spirit overall. Some of the tracks are Brazilian originals, and others tunes given Portuguese lyrics for the set – and as before, arrangements are by Willy Join, a man with a strange name but a good ear for shifting the moods of the set as each new track comes in. Titles include "Silencio", "O Mar Nao Falara", "Tem Que Ser Ele", "Pranto Teu", "O Teu Passado", and "Setembro".

A compelling combination of Brazilian forro and jazz, with a touch of American roots thrown in for good measure – all served up in a style that's pretty darn unique! Bold accordion lines are at the lead on most numbers – much more Brazilian than any sort of US or European use of the instrument, and peppered with a nice degree of percussion to create snapping rhythms that move things forward nicely. Yet there's also a bit of fiddle too, mixed with some of the vocals that underscore a much more American approach to songwriting – partly from the themes, and partly from the English language of the tracks. A few of the tunes definitely push this roots agenda a bit more strongly, and emphasize guitar more as well – yet there's also some great cavaquinho work on the album to balance out the Brazilian elements. Titles include "Toco O Sino", "Demon Chopper", "Sun Song", "Drag Me Down", "Horse Eat Corn", and "The Way I Love You".

A cool contemporary set from Brazil – one that's got a great mix of folksy roots and inventive production – the latter of which comes from some great help in the studio by Kassin! Kassin co-produced the recorded with singer Vitor Patalano – whom himself already has a pretty compelling musical vision – one that almost echoes the hippest aspects of the late 60s/early 70s UK scene on labels like Harvest or Decca – yet which also comes across with a leaner, more personal feel too – one that's amplified strongly by Kassin's efforts. The record's a gem through and through – the sort that might have broke big, had it come out on a hipster label in the US – but even better as a Brazilian secret (at least for now!) Lyrics are all in English – and titles include "Cordillera Girl", "Not The Time", "Seagulls", "Death Cheating Tuna Cowboys", "Butcher The Savior", "We Want Your Genes", and "The Core".

A great package of work from this big Brazilian singer of the postwar years – six classic RGE albums by Miltinho, all presented with original artwork and a few bonus tracks as well! Miltinho's really growing here as an artist – using his already-great vocal approach to open up into samba and bossa modes, while also still turning towards some of the gentler ballads that first helped him find his fame. The records are a strong illustration of the best aspects of the Brazilian recording styles of the time – really inventive, from the arrangements and production styles, right down to the lovely packaging that's all reproduced here. Box features six full albums – Os Grandes Successops De Miltinho, Eu Miltinho, Cancao Do Nosso Amor, Bossa & Balanco, Poemo Do Fim, and Miltino Ao Vivo.

A beautiful tribute to the music of Egberto Gismonti and Hermeto Pascoal – but presented in a fresh style that's very different than the originals! Gismonti and Pascoal were two of Brazil's most inventive composer/musicians of the 70s – both very open to new sounds, new rhythms, and new ways of putting instrumentation together – often with complex larger arrangements that really moved past any sort of simple styles or genre conventions! Here, pianist Andre Mehmari and mandolinist Hamilton De Holanda take things back to basics – and offer up these beautifully intimate readings of tunes by both composers – but with really lively instrumentation that still recalls all the deftness you would have heard from either of the original musicians. Holanda's work on the strings has never been more complex – or more magical – and Mehmari's got a rhythmic pulse and way of serving up colors at the same time – a beautiful style that really comes through on tracks that include "Frevo", "Sao Jorge", "Sete Aneis", "Palhaco", "Fala Da Paixao", "Bebe", and "Loro" – plus a few original tribute numbers by the duo too! And as a special bonus, both Gismonti and Pascoal each guest on one number in the set!