Brazil — All Formats  

One of Airto's greatest records ever – a really hard hitting batch of tracks that mix sharp-edged fusion lines with some earthier Brazilian percussion touches – all in a way that nicely steps off of Airto's first few American releases, and warms the groove up with a nice dose of California soul! Flora Purim joins in here on both vocals and percussion – and the rest of the group features Hugo Fattoruso on keyboards and harmonica, Jorgte Fattoruso on drums, and David Amaro on both electric and acoustic guitars – shifting nicely between both instruments in a way that further underscores the blended vibe of the record! Most of these tracks are Airto classics – like "Tombo in 7/4", "San Francisco River", "Romance Of Death", "Ringers", and "Wind Chant" – and the record has a very sweet CTI production style, but is still rough enough around the edges to keep things nice and real!

An amazing collection – every single Jorge Ben album recorded for Philips – one hell of a massive legacy in music, packaged here with a bonus CD of rare material too! The albums in the collection are the stuff of legend – amazing discs that forever changed the face of Brazilian music with Jorge's unique blend of samba and soul, plus a touch of funk as the 70s came on – and together, the music is a mindblowingly heavy batch of work that few other artists could ever match! Titles include Samba Esquema Novo, Sacudin Ben Samba, Ben E Samba Bon, Big Ben, Jorge Ben (1969), Forca Bruta, Negro E Lindo, Ben, 10 Anos Depois, A Tabua De Esmeralda, Solta O Pavao, Gil E Jorge, and Africa Brasil. Rarities disc is unique to this set, from what we can tell – and is filled with goodies too!

Lovely sounds from the legendary Nelson Cavaquinho – a rare TV appearance from the early 70s, presented here on record for the first time ever! The music's got that great personal feel of the Ensaio series – and mostly features a strong focus on Nelson's namesake instrument – beautiful raspy lines on the cavaquinho, often accompanied by his time-taught vocals, which have an undeniable sense of soul. Guilherme De Brito sits in on the second half, but most of the record features Nelson by himself – and titles include "Rugas", "Chora Do Adeus", "Cuidado Com A Outra", "Folhas Secas", "E Tao Triste Cair", and "O Meu Pecado".

One of the rootsiest albums we've ever heard from the lovely Ana Costa – quite different than her earlier funk and soul sides in Brazil, and done in a really great samba mode overall! Instrumentation is mostly acoustic – with excellent percussion and guitar – and Costa's vocals really open up in the setting, with a crackling charm that grabs us right away! Titles include "Peso E Medida", "Que Me Dera", "Sou O Samba", "Filosofia De Vida", "O Que E O Que E", and "Cantador De Felicidade".

A sweet blend of west coast jazz and Brazilian rhythms – and one of our favorite records ever from trombonist Raul De Souza! The session's got a more soulful, jazzy feel than some of Raul's other dates from the 70s – not nearly as tight as his sets for Capitol, with an earthy undercurrent in the music, thanks to the production efforts of Airto, who spearheads the session. Horns are by JJ Johnson, with some slight echoes of his soul soundtrack work of the period – and other players include Ted Lo on keyboards, Richard Davis on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – plus a bit of guest alto sax from Cannonball Adderley on a few tunes. Titles include "Water Buffalo", "Dr Honoris Causa", "Canto De Ossahna", "Nana", "Festival", and "Chants To Burn".

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".

One of the best albums ever recorded by this Brazilian saxophone giant! This rare 1968 album features Moura working with a quartet that includes Wagner Tiso on piano, Luiz Carlos on bass, and Paschoal Meirelles on drums – gently grooving with a darker edge than usual, and a definite modernist bent. There's very little bossa in the grooves here – and instead, the set's more in the mode of a late 60s American soul jazz set, with a definite turn towards more righteous themes and melodic exploration. Tracks are still relatively short, but both Moura and Tiso pack a lot of creative energy into them. Titles include "Meu Lugar", "Razao", "Terra", "Feitico De Oracao", "Samarina", "Eu E A Briza", and "Aos Pes Da Santa Cruz".

A great later journey in music from Milton Nascimento – a set that has him faltering a bit in the 90s, then really finding his sound! The first three albums in the set – Angelus, Amigo, and Nascimento – each have a slightly ambitious feel, but are often a bit more restrained than some of the work from Milton's classic years – still filled with the sense of soul and majesty that really set him apart from his contemporaries – but sometimes not finding their mark as much in terms of the production and overall arrangements. Yet Tambores De Minas helps correct that – but putting Milton in a live setting, and really re-exposing his core charm – energy that shines out no matter what the material, in a way that seems to re-seat him on the throne of Brazilian popular music. The set then ends with the majestic Pieta – a record that's warmer and richer than some of Nascimento's other recent albums – and a compelling batch of tunes that shows he's as strong as ever! The album's awash in a soaring, almost spiritual sound – as befits the title – but it's also got some interesting jazzy moments, and a breezy, honest presentation that pushes past the pretension that could mar the record. A surprisingly highlight is a remake of "Cantaloupe Island", done scatting Nascimento-style – with guest piano by composer Herbie Hancock, and guitar by Pat Metheny.

Killer early bossa by Baden Powell – a jazzy little gem that still shines brightly after all these years! This early album is a stripped-down batch of tunes that features Baden on acoustic guitar, backed by a small percussion combo that really keeps things lively – plus some additional flute that dances beautifully along with the grooves! The tunes are at once bright and breezy, but also have a darkness that makes Baden's tunes different from some of the other bossa nova guitar work of the era – a spooky specter of deeper feelings that pushes the album past the simple space of instrumental musings. All the signs of his later greatness are firmly planted, even at this young stage – as you'll hear on the album's list of titles that include "O Astronauta", "Candomble", "Samba Do Aviao", "Sorongaio", and "Conversa De Poeta".

One of the first albums ever by this legendary bossa singer! Even at this young age, Elis Regina diplays a talent for interpretation and an emotional power that few other Brazilian vocalists could match – a way of putting over a tune that brought a whole new level of sophistication to Brazilian music in the 60s! On the set, Elis manages to give the songs a great deal of life, without smothering them in the heavier over-emotional style used by other Brazilian singers at the time – and works with light, lively, jazzy backings that are totally great. The result is a crackling batch of samba and bossa tracks that shines with warmth and imagination. The set includes a lot of tracks by Edu Lobo, and titles include "Sou Sem Paz", "Reza", "Por Um Amor Maior", "Joao Valentao", "Aleluia", "Ultimo Canto", and "Preciso Aprender A Ser So".

One of Marcos Valle's most strangely beautiful albums – a set that really his him stepping off strongly from his bossa nova years – really moving into mindblowing music with a range of styles that's simply incredible! There's definitely a bit of bossa at the core, but the larger orchestrations are much more complex, and plenty darn groovy – bringing in some complicated jazz changes, a bit of soul, and even a touch of funk – making the first time that Valle ever worked in such a mode. The overall sound's nearly impossible to describe, but that's what makes the record so great – possibly the best place to start if you've ever wondered why Valle's gotten so much attention from the worldwide groove scene over the years! Titles include "Ao Amigo Tom", "O Cafona", "Minha Voz Vira Do Sol Da America", "Paz E Futebol", "Com Mais De 30", "Garra", "Wanda Vidal", and "Black is Beautiful". CD includes the bonus track "Berenice"!

A treasure trove of 60s Bossa Nova – beautiful recordings, many from the heart of the 60s, all of which capture the sounds and styles of the era and rank among the most massively influential Brazilian music of the period – featuring Elis Regina, Jorge Ben, Tamba Trio, Edu Lobo, Baden Powell & Vinicius De Moraes, Elizete Cardoso and many more! Soul Jazz Records and compiler Stuart Baker set out to make this a definitive bossa compilation and they pretty much nail it! Made as the listening counterpart to the stellar book of album cover art, compiled by Baker and Gilles Peterson. As essential of a compilation as ever released by our friends at Soul Jazz, which is really saying something, because they always raise the bar! Disc one includes "Roda" by Elis Regina, "Inverno" by Roberto Menescal, "Berimbau" by Drival Caymmi, "Mas, Que Nada!" by Tamba Trio, "Viramundo" by Gilberto Gil, "Adriana" by Edu Lobo, "Lalari-Olala" by Jorge Ben and more. Disc two includes "E De Lei" by Elizete Cardoso, "O Morro Nao Tem Vez" by Antonio Carlos Jobim, "Samba Blim" by Tamba 4, "Tres Pontas" by Milton Nasciemento, "Canto De Xango" by Baden Powell & Vinicius De Moraes, "Carcara" by Zelia Barbosa, "Maria Moita" by Marilia Medalha and more. 34 tracks on 2CDs and includes a great 70+ page booklet of notes & photos.

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.