Brazil — All Formats  

A sweet bit of Brazilian experimentation that recalls all the inventive spirit of the work of Caetano Veloso and the Tropicalia generation – put together with lots of great twists and turns, and a spirit that's both playful yet straightforward as well! These guys mix things up as much as the "liquidifacador" in the album's title – yet never make the music sound gimmicky at all – and instead really crest on that great wave of Brazilian experimentation that seemed to begin over a decade ago, yet which few folks are doing this well any more! Like Veloso's best music, the songs have a sense of heart that goes way beyond the boundaries of language – and which shows that Graveola isn't just being clever for clever's sake. Titles include "Blues Via Satellite", "Desdenha", "Farewell Love Song", "Kg De Pao", "Babulina's Trip", "O Cao E A Ciencia", "Lindo Toque", and "Desmantelado".

A killer album of jazzy bossa grooves – originally recorded in France in the early 70s, and darn hard to find in any format! The record was cut for the tiny Saravah label – home to groovy French acts like Brigitte Fontaine and Areski, as well as an elite group of jazz and world musicians. The overall style is similar to bossa nova piano sessions coming out of Brazil in the 60s, but the groove is a lot freer, and the band has a nice rolling sound that might be compared to some of the MPS jazz/Brazilian crossover sessions. Fernando Martins is the pianist, and Edson Lobo is on bass. Titles include "Upa Neguinho", "Nascente", "Bia", "Noa Noa", "Samba Novo", "Berimbau", "Nao Tem Solucao", and "Muito A Vontade". Very nicely repackaged, too!

While in the post fusion years when lite jazz was beginning to take off a lot of jazz and fusion artists got a bit lost, Azymuth continued to make a number of fine recordings, some of the best of their career. Bertrami and crew continue to groove along in their tight Brazilian fusion mode, with a spacious airiness and a wonderful modern groove. We especially dig the mellow grooves of "Tropical Horizon" and "Diza", while the acoustic and vocal number "Tempo A Bessa" is also quite nice. Also includes "Bossa Nova USA", "O Pescador" and "Hobalala".

We never get enough of Jose Roberto Bertrami's vocoded vocal melodies! Sparkling Brazilian fusion, from the prolific Azymuth, with laid back grooves and light melodies, but not "lite" jazz. One of their more mellow outings, at most these tracks might approach mid-tempo, with a beautiful spaciousness throughout. Eight tracks in all, including "Tu Mi Delirio", "Broken Key", "If You'd Like To Know", Marcos Valle's "Pygmalion", the title track and "Samba Da Barra".

A legendary album! This previously unreleased album by Os Mutantes was supposed to be their breakthrough album to an English speaking market – but for years it's only been talked about in hushed whispers, and has only been heard by a lucky few! The record was recorded in Paris in 1970 – and it's ALL IN ENGLISH! (Not that we're biased against Portuguese, mind you – but since we're English speakers, it's kind of a nice thing to have a record that we can understand!) The record features a number of tunes from the Mutantes first two albums – redone here with translated lyrics, and in a compressed pop style that's a bit smoother than the original albums, but still very nice! In fact, the record's a sophisticated pop statement that would have stood well in the company of many of the best of 1970s rock elite – had the boneheads at Philips actually decided to release the record! No use crying over spilled milk, though – because the album's out now, and it's filled with loads of nice tracks like "Panis Et Circensis", "Batmacumba", "Tecnicolor", "El Justiciero", "I'm Sorry Baby", "Saravah", and a sublime reading of "Baby", a track that was virtually the manifesto for Tropicalia!

A landmark album – and one that Milton cut with his "corner club", an elite group of musicians and songwriters from the early days of his career – including greats like Lo Borges and Wagner Tiso. Borges is particularly fantastic, and shines on the massively beautiful cut "Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser", which begins the album The sound of the record is impossible to describe adequately, but it's got that beautiful soulful feel that all of Milton's albums from the time had, and is expanded through the participation of the other rich talents. The vocals are mixed perfectly, and the songwriting's brilliant all the way through. Cuts include "San Vincete", "Lila", "Paisagem Da Janela", "Cravo E Canela", and lots more. Originally released as a double LP, so this CD's packed with good cuts.