Brazil — All Formats  

A cool tribute to the music and lyrics of Bob Dylan – served up by a host of hip Brazilian performers, all of whom come across with a very different feel than you might expect! The lyrics are mostly in English, and the inflections are definitely Dylan-esque – but the range of artists and style of performance really make the tunes way more than simple cover versions – and instead show just how deep the spirit of Robert Zimmerman has penetrated Brazilian culture! Titles include "It's All Over Now Baby Blue" by Gal Costa, "Jokerman" by Caetano Veloso, "Man Gave Name To All The Animals" by Ruy Maurity, "Mr Tambourine Man" by Daniel Lopes, "Don't Think Twice It's All Right" by Jomar Schrank, "If Not For You" by Luen, "It Ain't Me Babe" by Mallu Magalhaes, and "If You See Him Say Hello" by Renato Russo.

A late date for Brit bandleader Vic Lewis – but a great one too, thanks to a strong focus on the bossa nova sounds of the 60s! The mode's a real change for Lewis, who could sometimes be a bit stiff – and the new groove definitely opens things up nicely – as does the album's work from a top-shelf of jazz soloists, both British and American! Side one has Lewis leading a combo that features a stellar lineup – tenor and flute from Tubby Hayes, more tenor from Ronnie Scott, trumpet from Jimmy Deuchar, flugelhorn from Shake Keane, and piano from Terry Shannon – all players who get plenty of chance to solo, and really make the music magical with just a few subtle touches. The flipside features Lewis leading a group of West Coast luminaries – Bud Shank on tenor and flute, Bob Cooper on tenor, Jack Sheldon on trumpet, Shorty Rogers on flugelhorn, and Victor Feldman both on piano and vibes. The groove is just as great as on the first side – and the whole thing's a real standout for Brit jazz at the time. Titles include "Bossa Nova Scotia", "Bossa Nova Blues", "Two Note Samba", "Last Minute Bossa Nova", "Danielle", and "Vic's Tune".

One of Sergio Mendes' most dreamy albums – quite different than both his vocal work with Brasil 66, and his smaller combo sides from Brazil! There's still a strong bossa component to the record – but the setting has Sergio's piano lines laid out over larger arrangements with a good jazz component – soloing beautifully with a grace and charm he sometimes didn't have on other projects! Arrangements are by some hip American talents – Clare Fischer, Bob Florence, and Richard Hazard – and the set's filled with bright horns, lush banks of strings, and cascading rhythms – all produced with exceptional sound, so that Sergio's piano goes gliding over the top in a manner that's similar to some of the Luis Eca albums in a similar format. Tracks include "Carnaval", "Boranda", "Nana", and "Bonita".

A live show from Otto – one of our favorite Brazilian talents from recent years, and an artist with a sound so fresh, even MTV can't mess it up! The DVD presents Otto's live appearance on the Brazilian version of the network – a pretty edgey batch of tracks that's hardly what you'd expect from the American arm of MTV – with really compelling, complicated rhythms underneath Otto's great vocals – all in a mode that's right up there with the genius we've come to expect from his studio albums. Titles include the now-classic "Bob", plus "Cuba", "Renault/Peugeot", "Low", "Pra Quem Ta Quente", "Anjos Do Asfalto", "Tento Entender", "Dias De Janeiro", "Por Que", and "Retratista".

One of our favorite albums ever from Walter Wanderley – a set that's much more complicated than his earlier trio records for Verve – and which really expands the sound with a host of added elements! Wanderley's core organ bossa groove is amplified wonderfully here with the addition of guitar, vibes, horns, and other elements – all of which help to change the rhythms and move the groove way past just simple stock bossa. Walter plays a bit of electric piano too – hinting at work on later albums – and other players include Jerome Richardson on flute, Bobby Rosengarden on vibes, John Pizzarelli on guitar, and even a bit of vocals from Marge Dodson. There's a wonderful variety of tunes on the set – including Joao Donato's "Amazonas", Baden Powell's "Canto De Ossanha", and Bob Crewe's "Music To Watch Girls By" – plus other gems like "Sensuous", "Sambao", "Arrinho Atoa", "Kee Ka Roo", and "The Bobo".

An excellent idea for a bossa nova compilation – one that pulls tunes from groovy soundtracks of the 60s! The work on the set is of both American and European origin – and focuses on the kinds of tunes that often showed up in some of the best soundtrack work by our favorite 60s composers – light, jazzy numbers that were clearly inspired by the bossa, but which also felt free to expand a lot on the style – using interesting instrumentation, rhythm changes, and even a bit of vocals to highlight the tune in really great ways. Some tracks are straight off of soundtrack albums, and others are soundtrack tunes, lifted from jazz albums – but altogether, they make for a wonderful collection of work – with titles that include "Silvia" by Lalo Schifrin, "Mutiny On The Bounty" by Bob Brookmeyer, "The Bobo" by Francis Lai, "Bossa Nova In The Restaurant" by Ken Thorne, "Bossa Des Teurs" by Vladimir Cosma, "I Like The Look" by Henry Mancini, "Mr Lucky" by Jack Wilson, "Deiter's First Mistake" by Quincy Jones, "Naked City" by Laurindo Almeida, and Dax Rides" by Antonio Carlos Jobim.

One of Sergio Mendes' most dreamy albums – quite different than both his vocal work with Brasil 66, and his smaller combo sides from Brazil! There's still a strong bossa component to the record – but the setting has Sergio's piano lines laid out over larger arrangements with a good jazz component – soloing beautifully with a grace and charm he sometimes didn't have on other projects! Arrangements are by some hip American talents – Clare Fischer, Bob Florence, and Richard Hazard – and the set's filled with bright horns, lush banks of strings, and cascading rhythms – all produced with exceptional sound, so that Sergio's piano goes gliding over the top in a manner that's similar to some of the Luis Eca albums in a similar format. Tracks include "Carnaval", "Boranda", "Nana", and "Bonita".

A sweet overview of work from the second stretch of the career of Gilberto Gil – and a set that's worth it alone for two of the five albums in the package! The set begins with Refazenda and Refavela – both fantastically funky albums that have Gilberto Gil hitting a soulful style that's very different than before – a mode that's more Jorge Ben than any of Gil's previous work – yet still with some of the sharper, more creative edges that always made him one of the leading lights of 70s MPB! Realce manages to capture a lot of the warmth and imagination of Gil's earlier work. The production's a little smooth in parts, but Gil's beautiful voice and guitar playing are still right out front, especially in some of the more stripped-down tracks. Raca Humana is pretty compelling stuff – almost a new wave album of sorts, recorded with lots of tight guitar work by producer Liminha, and plenty of catchy tunes that sparkle like some lost gems from early 80s radio. And Kayangandaya is a real surprise – an album of reggae tracks, mostly by Bob Marley, recorded in Kingston at the Tuff Gong Studios, with help from the Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, Judy Mowatt, Sly & Robbie, and others. The record's actually pretty nice – a good blend of the dub-heavy sounds of Jamaica, with some of the rougher soul stylings that Gil was crafting in earlier years – a combination that shouldn't work, but which does nicely.

This fab series keeps on grooving – with another great assortment of classic bossa tunes from around the globe! The focus here is not just on Brazilian numbers, but on interpretations of the bossa sound by American and European jazz and easy artists of the late 60s and early 70s. The set's got plenty of nice numbers that we haven't heard in years – all wrapped up in a package that's as musically sexy as it looks on the cover! Titles include "Cosa Nueva" by Dante Varela, "Tarde De Itapoa" by Amilson Dodoy, "Samba Bom" by Vera Brasil, "Amanha" by Edgard e Seu Conjunto, "Isto E Bossa Nova" by Os Farroupilhas, "Liebestraum" by Singers Inc, "Nao Posso Esquecer" by O Trio, "Voce" by Roberto Menescal, "Bert's Bossa Nova" by Bert Kaempfert, and "Preciso Aprender A Ser So/Reza" by Bob Fleming.

This fab series keeps on grooving – with another great assortment of classic bossa tunes from around the globe! The focus here is not just on Brazilian numbers, but on interpretations of the bossa sound by American and European jazz and easy artists of the late 60s and early 70s. The set's got plenty of nice numbers that we haven't heard in years – all wrapped up in a package that's as musically sexy as it looks on the cover! Titles include "Cosa Nueva" by Dante Varela, "Tarde De Itapoa" by Amilson Dodoy, "Samba Bom" by Vera Brasil, "Amanha" by Edgard e Seu Conjunto, "Isto E Bossa Nova" by Os Farroupilhas, "Liebestraum" by Singers Inc, "Nao Posso Esquecer" by O Trio, "Voce" by Roberto Menescal, "Bert's Bossa Nova" by Bert Kaempfert, and "Preciso Aprender A Ser So/Reza" by Bob Fleming.