Brazil — LPs  

One of her better albums of bossa nova stuff, given a bit of a 70's twist, and with the kind of percussive edge that you might expect from a title like "A Bahia". Mike Ribas arranged, and with performance by Sebastio Tapajos and Pedro Dos Santos. Tracks include "Ossain", "Carinoso", "Joao Valentao", "Que Locura", and "De Donde Vienes".

You know, despite the fact that this one was recorded in the mid 80s, when we felt that Tania's great jazzy vocal style was being buried in excessive arrangements – in retrospect, it's actually got some darn nice moments. These include the great "Tanoca Vignette", a lively number that features some excellent vocal/piano interplay by Tania, produced with a bright style that brings out the best elements of the song. Another nice one is the cut "Bronx", which has a good fusiony groove to it. Other titles include "Valeu", "I Should Not Call You", and "Just Get Up", which was produced by George Duke.

Classic 70s work by Simone – a wonderful Brazilian singer who was one of the few females to follow strongly in the Milton Nascimento style that inspired countless male vocalists of the time. The album's got some great songs – and includes tunes written by Chico Buarque, Danilo Caymmi and Joyce, Joao Bosco, Milton Nascimento and Gonzaga, Jr. Nascimento makes a special appearance on the track "Gota D"Agua" and other titles include "Disfarce", "Matriz Ou Filial", "Sistema Nervoso", "Latin Lover", "Outubro","O Trem Ta Feio", and "Eu Nem Ligo".

Darkly brilliant work from Simone – a real standout singer in late 70s MPB, working here with a sound that draws heavily from the legacy of the post-Tropicalia scene! Simone's music has a really moody feel overall – arranged by Gilson Peranzzetta and Nelson Ayres with some gently jazzy moments, and a relatively spare feel overall – so that Simone's deep-toned vocals really dominate the set. The approach is a bit like that of Gal Costa at the time, but a bit more haunting overall – and compositions are by Ivan Lins, Chico Buarque and Milton Nascimento – and include "Outra Vez", "Pedaco De Mim", "Comecar De Novo", "Saindo De Mim", "Cordilheira", "Povo Da Raca Brasil", and "Itamarandiba".

Some of the earliest work ever recorded by keyboardist Walter Wanderley – but a set that shows his sweet bossa talents already in full swing! The groove here is light an airy – recorded with a similar sense of space as his better-known sides for Verve, but done with a feel that's a bit less polished overall – one that has some rootsier samba percussion at the bottom of most tunes, dancing underneath sweetly gliding melodies on organ and electric guitar! A few tunes have a bit of chorus vocals, which only serve to warm up the sound even more – and titles include "Palhacada", "Boato", "Nao Sabemos", "Agua De Beber", "O Samba Brasileiro", and "Murmurio".

Milton's second volume of tracks cut with his legendary "corner club" – with a very similar approach to the landmark first volume! Loads of great artists make guest appearances on here, like Lo Borges, Wagner Tiso, Toninho Horta, and Chico Buarque – and the production has haunting blend of baroque, jazz, and soul that we can only define as "Nascimento like"! A really fitting companion to the first volume, and a double-length set with tracks that include "E Dai", "Pao E Agua", "Canoa, Canoa", "Credo", "Nascente", "Meu Menino", "Que Bom, Amigo", and "Dona Olimpia".

Paulinho's last album of the 70s, and a sparkling set of samba tunes that shows he hasn't lost his gifts at all! The album's a very warm and intimate affair, almost more stripped down than other sessions. Tracks include "Chico Brito", "Amor E De Lei", "Passei Por Ela", "Amor E Assim", "Zumbido", "Pode Guardar As Panelas", and "Coracao Oprimido".

Although Herbie and Joao are listed together in the artist credits together for the record, they don't really play together on the record – as did Joao and Stan Getz on their album together. Instead, they trade off tracks of bossa nova material, recorded with Jobim in Rio – Joao's by EMI/Odeon, Herbie's by Atlantic. The set includes a host of great light breezy bossa stuff – like "Amor Em Paz", "O Barquinho", "Bim Bom", "Bolinha De Papel", and "Deve Ser Amor". Not totally over the top, but a very nice batch of breezy bossa tracks with lots of light flute and guitar lines floating around!