Brazil — All Formats  

Killer work by Astrud Gilberto – very different than her Verve sides of the 60s! The album was produced by Astrud, arranged by Deodato – and has that wonderful warm full jazz feel of her classic album on CTI, but also a bit more like some of the funky work of Jorge Ben at the time – choppy at the bottom, with a sound that's a bit samba, and a bit funky at times. Mike Longo and Deodato play keyboards on the session, giving it an electric groove that works perfectly with Astrud's soaring vocals – and the whole album really holds together wonderfully! There's a nice bit of funk on the cut "Take it Easy My Brother Charlie" – and other tracks include "Zigy Zigy Za", "Baiao", "Gingele", "Bridges", and "Where Have You Been?".

Insanely great sounds from the legendary Tim Maia – easily the most soulful singer in 70s Brazil, and an artist with a heck of a strong ear for funk, too! The music here is an incredible hybrid of American soul and Brazilian elements – especially since some lyrics are in English – and the grooves are often mixed together in a sound that's nice and fuzzy around the edges, with some slight psychedelic elements that makes the cuts a perfect fit for this Luaka Bop series! Yet Tim Maia's hardly a guy who can easily fit into any easy slot or series – because as you'll hear on this set, he's got a vibe that's all his own – a really wonderful approach that's different even from some of his hippest contemporaries in Brazil – and which has gone onto have influence on countless other generations of singers and musicians – including his nephew Ed Motta. The package is great – a real visual tribute to the sounds within – and titles include "Que Beleza", "Ela Partiu", "Do Leme Ao Pontal", "Brother Father Mother Sister", "Quer Queira Quer Nao Queira", "Let's Have A Ball Tonight", "I Don't Care", "The Dance Is Over", "Rational Culture", "You Don't Know What I Know", and "Nobody Can Live Forever".

The one and only solo album by Mario Telles – brother of the better-known Sylvia Telles, but an equally great bossa singer on his own! This rare date from the 60s features some wonderful arrangements by Baden Powell, Moacir Santos, and Astor Silva – all of whom bring Mario into some very Elenco-like territory – a blend of fuller strings and lighter bossa instrumentation, all touched with just the right amount of sadness! Some of the tunes are penned by Telles himself, and others are some great early Baden Powell/Vinicius De Moraes collaborations – beautiful material that really fits the mood of the music, as you'll hear on tracks that include "So Por Nao Saber", "Tem Do", "Aurora Do Amor", "Tristeza Vai Embora", "Dorme Em Paz", "Pra Que Chorar", "Bom Dia Amiga", and "Cavalho Marinho".

An amazing introduction to one of the most significant cultural movements in the latter half of the 20th Century – the groundbreaking years of Tropicalia in late 60s Brazil! The music and legacy of Tropicalia are referenced often, but hardly ever presented this well – and this package is everything we could have hoped for as an introduction to the movement – filled not just with great music, but also an overwhelming amount of notes that trace the history of Brazilian music and art through their changes in relation to Tropicalia! In fact, the notes are almost worth the price of the compilation alone – very densely written over 48 pages in the CD booklet, with more information in one place than we've ever seen before. But as you might imagine, it's the music that really makes the set special – and Soul Jazz have done an excellent job of pulling together key late 60s works from the most important musicians associated with Tropicalia – an great starting point for the movement that's filled with most essential tracks! Titles include "Bat Macumba" by Gilberto Gil, "Tuareg" and "Sebastiana" by Gal Costa, "A Minha Menina" and "Panis Et Circenses" by Os Mutantes, "Alfo Mega" and "Tropicalia" by Caetano Veloso, "Gloria" and "Jimmy Renda-Se" by Tom Ze, "Procissao" by Gilberto Gil, "Ave Genghis Khan" by Os Mutantes, "Take It Easy My Brother Charles" by Jorge Ben, "Quero Sambal Meu Bem" by Tom Ze, "Lost In The Paradise" by Caetano Veloso, "Bat Macumba" by Os Mutantes, "Domingo No Parque" by Gilberto Gil & Os Mutantes, and "Irene" by Caetano Veloso.

A low-priced introduction to one of the most essential world music labels of the past few decades – the mighty Luaka Bop, a key force in opening American ears to a wider world of sounds! The package is heavy on Brazilian bits from the past and present – but also features some other great sounds from around the globe – the sorts of music that Luaka Bop's great at tracking down, pulling together, and presenting in a form that's easy to grasp for the uninitiated. CD features 11 tracks in all – including "Ya Ya Ya" and "Seu Lugar" by Kassin+2, "De Usa Do Amor" and "Possibilidade" by Domenico+2, "Dance With Me" by Nouvelle Vague, "Brother Father Mother Sister" by Tim Maia, "Crash Into The Sun" by Jim White, "Pode Me Chamar" by Eddie, "A Mimha Menina" by Os Mutantes, "Cobrinha" by Tine, and "Diamonds To Coal" by Jim White.

An amazing introduction to one of the most significant cultural movements in the latter half of the 20th Century – the groundbreaking years of Tropicalia in late 60s Brazil! The music and legacy of Tropicalia are referenced often, but hardly ever presented this well – and this package is everything we could have hoped for as an introduction to the movement – filled with key late 60s works from the most important musicians associated with Tropicalia – an great starting point for the movement that's filled with most essential tracks! And even if you have some of this stuff already on individual albums, it really sounds great together – a rich document of this amazing musical moment. Titles include "Bat Macumba" by Gilberto Gil, "Tuareg" and "Sebastiana" by Gal Costa, "A Minha Menina" and "Panis Et Circenses" by Os Mutantes, "Alfo Mega" and "Tropicalia" by Caetano Veloso, "Gloria" and "Jimmy Renda-Se" by Tom Ze, "Procissao" by Gilberto Gil, "Ave Genghis Khan" by Os Mutantes, "Take It Easy My Brother Charles" by Jorge Ben, "Quero Sambal Meu Bem" by Tom Ze, "Lost In The Paradise" by Caetano Veloso, "Bat Macumba" by Os Mutantes, "Domingo No Parque" by Gilberto Gil & Os Mutantes, and "Irene" by Caetano Veloso.

Searing samba soul from Jorge Ben – one of his best-remembered albums of the 70s, and for good reason too! The album's got a slightly fuller feel than some of Ben's other work of the time – never slick, but with backings balanced nicely against his own raspy vocals and acoustic guitar – sweetening things up with a bit of the strings you'd find on Forca Bruta, but with a hint of the soul to come on Africa Brasil! The balance is great – thanks to arrangers Osmar Milito, Darcy De Paulo, and Hugo Bellard – and as usual, Jorge's vocals are the main attraction – dipping, turning, and rising with this really unique, personal feel – Ben-like brilliance at its brightest. The whole thing's wonderful – a key gem from the Philips years – and titles include "Cinco Minutos", "Zumbi", "Brother", "Os Alquimistas Estao Chegando Os Alquimistas", "Errare Humanum Est", "Menina Muler Da Pele Preta", "Hermes Tri", and "O Namorado Da Viuva".

Insanely great sounds from the legendary Tim Maia – easily the most soulful singer in 70s Brazil, and an artist with a heck of a strong ear for funk, too! The music here is an incredible hybrid of American soul and Brazilian elements – especially since some lyrics are in English – and the grooves are often mixed together in a sound that's nice and fuzzy around the edges, with some slight psychedelic elements that makes the cuts a perfect fit for this Luaka Bop series! Yet Tim Maia's hardly a guy who can easily fit into any easy slot or series – because as you'll hear on this set, he's got a vibe that's all his own – a really wonderful approach that's different even from some of his hippest contemporaries in Brazil – and which has gone onto have influence on countless other generations of singers and musicians – including his nephew Ed Motta. The package is great – a real visual tribute to the sounds within – and titles include "Que Beleza", "Ela Partiu", "Do Leme Ao Pontal", "Brother Father Mother Sister", "Quer Queira Quer Nao Queira", "Let's Have A Ball Tonight", "I Don't Care", "The Dance Is Over", "Rational Culture", "You Don't Know What I Know", and "Nobody Can Live Forever".

Overlooked later gems from Elis Regina – some of her late-life albums recorded for Warner Brothers! Essa Mulher is a killer – recorded in the company of arranger Cesar Mariano, whose masterful touch made for some of Elis' best albums of the 70s! Cesar arranged and conducted here, and although the production is perhaps a bit more contemporary than Elis' work for Philips, the vocals are sublime – much more driving and jazzy than a few years before, really working hard to dig deep and get the best sound out of each of the tunes! Saudade Do Brasil is a double-length set – very much in the spirit of Regina's classic work for Philips in the 70s! Like so many of those records, this one features arrangements and keyboards by Cesar Camargo Mariano – and the list of tracks is a stellar blend of work by some of Brazil's finest writers. Elis Por Ela features Regina taking on the music of Milton Nascimento, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Joao Bosco – really showing her range of vocal strengths, set to backings that are a bit different than she would have received on such tunes a few years before when recording for Philips. Elis Vive is excellent live work – an extremely lively performance that brings out the best of her talents at the time – especially in the vocal department, as her singing comes through in a beautifully raw, vibrant way that differs greatly from her studio recordings of the time.