Brazil — All Formats  

A wonderful tribute to the mighty talents of trombonist Raul De Souza – a package that features individual DVD and CD performances by the musician, brought together in one cool little set! Both formats feature recent material, ostensibly recorded for this package – and all tracks on the CD are not on the DVD – and vice versa – which means that you'll get an even broader picture of Raul than you might expect! The performances are great, too – very jazzy, with a style that focuses heavily on De Souza's lead trombone lines and solos – without much other instrumentation getting in the way. Given the many styles that Raul's used over the years, it's great to hear such a back to basics jazz-based set – echoed by guest work on the DVD from Joao Donato on piano and Hector Costita on tenor sax. DVD titles include "Spiritual", "A Vontade Mesmo", "St Remy", "Funky Man", "Bossa Eterna", "Jumping Street", and "Violao Quebrado" – and CD titles include "Alibi", "Ligia", "10 Minutos", "Voila", "Viva O Rio", "Up Jumped Spring", and "Todas As Tribos". Comes in an oversize package – with notes in English and Portuguese!

The second wonderful project from this cool collaboration – one that features Arnaldo Antunes, Antonio Pinto, Taciana Barros, Edgard Scandurra, and others – all working together on some completely charming songs for children! These aren't really kids songs – and are more tunes that have a sense of charming naivete, and lots of spare yet playful instrumental touches – almost little messages to the younger generation, but never too prescriptive, and always filled with a great sense of play. Some vocals are by youngsters, others by members of the project – and the whole thing's surprisingly captivating, way more so musically than we can really put into words. Titles include "Todo Dia", "Galaxia", "Mamae Tamo Chegando", "Os Moveis Da Minha Casa", "Lingua Do P", "De Noitinha", and "Fim De Semana".

A really compelling blend of sounds – and a set that's billed as a hip hop album, but which is way way more than that – more a wonderful hybrid of global styles, all wrapped up with the crispness of the contemporary Brazilian underground! The set begins with a number that's straight out Afro Funk, the rolls into tracks that really run the gamut – a hip hop number or two, other African styles, and most especially, some of those cool genre-defying moments that we've really come to love from Brazil in recent years. Criolo's vocals are wonderful, especially when he's singing – with a warmth that takes us back to singers of the samba soul generation – and titles include "Bogota", "Mario", "Subirusdoistiozin", "Linha De Frente", "Lion Man", "Sucrilhos", and "Samba Sambei".

A very different record than the first collaboration between Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto – but that's also one of the things that makes it great! The album's more of a split LP than a shared one – as side one features a live performance from the great mid 60s Stan Getz quartet that featured Gary Burton on vibes – a wonderfully cool combo that was very under-documented on record, and which makes a key appearance here. The combination of Burton's vibes and Stan's tenor is pure genius – a sound that's got all the subtle hues and cool colors of the Getz bossa recordings, but which is quite different overall. Stan's tone is amazing on these tunes – and titles include "Here's That Rainy Day", "Tonight I Shall Sleep With A Smile On My Face", "Grandfather's Waltz", and "Stan's Blues". Side two features Joao Gilberto without Stan – playing in a very groovy trio that's more straight bossa than most of his other US recordings – cool small combo grooving that's totally great! The lineup features Gilberto on guitar and vocals, Keeter Betts on bass, and Helcio Milito on drums – all working in a sweetly grooving mode on titles that include "Samba De Minha Terra", "Meditation", "Bim Bom", "Rosa Moreno", and "O Pato". CD also features 5 bonus tracks with vocals from Astrud Gilberto – "It Might As Well Be Spring", "Only Trust Your Heart", "Corcovado", "Garota De Ipanema", and "Eu E Voce" – all from the Getz Au Go Go album.

Some of the earliest work ever recorded by Gilberto Gil – served up here in a really great 2CD set! The first CD in the set a beautiful album of rough-hewn samba tracks, done in a really lively style! Gil's great vocals are very firmly in the lead of the album's arrangements – and some tracks use a full samba percussion and instrumental style, while others feature Gil singing in a spare setting, with mostly light percussion and acoustic guitar behind his voice. The sound is really tremendous, and although the album is a short one overall, it's still an essential treasure from some lost years of Gil's career! Titles include "Povo Petroleiro", "Vem Colombina", "Vontade De Amar", "Maria Tereza", and "Meu Luar, Minhas Cancoes". Most of the material on that disc was previously issued on the CD title Salvador 1962-1963 – but there's also a bonus cut here titled "Felicidade Vem Depois". CD 2 is even cooler – 18 early demo cuts recorded in 1966 – very stripped down and earthy, showing Gil in this beautiful space between bossa nova and some of his more personal and experimental moments to come! At points, there's a Joao Gilberto-like charm to the music – and the recording style is almost more like some of the earliest late 50s sides to come from Rio – with all the charm that might imply! Titles include "Beira Mar", "Zabele", "A Ultima Coisa Bonita", "Cantiga", "Retirante", "Lemanja", "Vento De Maio", "Rancho Da Boa Vinda", and "Minha Senhora".

The legendary Brazilian vocal group – caught live on the Ensaio TV program! The performance is from much later years in the Golden Boys' history – far from the time of their 60s hits – but the vocals are still wonderful, and captured here with an intimacy that really lives up to the other recordings done on the famous show. There's a huge amount of tracks here – amazing how much these guys can get into the space of an hour – and some titles are English numbers, redone in a cool new Brazilian mode! Titles include "Little Darling", "Abertura", "Rua Augusta", "Quando", "E Papo Firme", "Te Amo", "Foi Assim", "Andanca", "Dois Pra La Dois Pra Ca", "Fumace", "Marcianita", "O Ritmo Da Chuva", and "Samba".

Breezy, yet innovative work from Kassin – who is still best known (in our parts, anyway) for the run of teriffic trio sets he made with Moreno Veloso and Domenico in the 00s – and it's really high time for him to gain a broader audience of his own all around the world. This could be the album that does it, as it's truly excellent. Help us spread the word, please! The tunefulness at play is purely infectious – timeless sunshine pop hooks and overall catchiness, with buzzing, avant touches on the edges that push it into weirder, but no less accessible realms. Percussion, guitar, vibes, Rhodes, horns and flute are often in the mix, with easygoing vocals by Kassin and backup singers. Includes "Mundo Natural", "Potassio", "For a De Area", "O Que Voce Quiser", "Calca De Ginastica", "Sorver-Te" and "Quando Voce Esta Sambando" and more.

A cool bit of bossa jazz from Italy – recorded by a group who clearly draw inspiration from Sergio Mendes, but also take their tunes in some bold new directions! Like other Euro bossa work of the time, there's really a strong respect here for the original Brazilian sound – but also a different sort of vibe too, one that clearly brings in some sunny Mediterranean moments to really spark things up! Percussion is heavy, vocals are often sung together and sweet – and there's some nice use of organ bubbling around in the background, which links the record a bit to some of the Italian film scores that we love from the time. Very groovy stuff throughout – with lyrics in Italian, but a universal appeal to any lover of warm bossa grooves! Titles include "Ci Vuol Pazienza", "Inquinamento", "Ride La Citta", "Davvero", "Foglie Gialle All'Imbrunire", "Gli Avvoltoi", "Muore Ormai La Domenica", and "Cento Volte Addio".

A cool contemporary set from Brazil – one that's got a great mix of folksy roots and inventive production – the latter of which comes from some great help in the studio by Kassin! Kassin co-produced the recorded with singer Vitor Patalano – whom himself already has a pretty compelling musical vision – one that almost echoes the hippest aspects of the late 60s/early 70s UK scene on labels like Harvest or Decca – yet which also comes across with a leaner, more personal feel too – one that's amplified strongly by Kassin's efforts. The record's a gem through and through – the sort that might have broke big, had it come out on a hipster label in the US – but even better as a Brazilian secret (at least for now!) Lyrics are all in English – and titles include "Cordillera Girl", "Not The Time", "Seagulls", "Death Cheating Tuna Cowboys", "Butcher The Savior", "We Want Your Genes", and "The Core".

A stormer of a set from Nacao Zumbi – really stepping out here with a bold sound that's miles away from the group's run with Chico Science, and which marks them as a strong force to be reckoned with on their own! The production here is really ramped up – not exactly funky, but really heavy on the drums, in a way that makes the whole album bristle with energy throughout – thumping, bumping, and rumbling with an earthy brilliance that's extremely captivating – transcendent of language and cultural affiliation, and punching out with a power to firmly mark a space for Nacao Zumbi on the growing map of global grooves! Guitars and cool electronic touches color the rhythms nicely – and titles include "Pode Acreditar", "Futura", "Vai Buscar", "Na Hora De Ir", "Hoje Amanha E Depois", "Expresso Da Eletrica Avenida", and "Nebulosa".

Wonderful early work from O Terco – an early EP, packaged here with enough bonus tracks to make a full album! The groove is great – very upbeat, playful, and less heavy rock-oriented than the group's later famous sets – a nicely organic mix of samba generation beats and some of the more playful touches of the EMI/Odeon scene – blended with guitars that certainly show a psyche influence in the music – but in ways that almost make the set sound more like a Brazilian bit of Sunshine Pop! Vocals often have this cool compressed sound – not exactly harmonized, but recorded that way – and the guitar lines are clean, but with an undercurrent of fuzz – especially when bumped up from the bottom by the bass. Titles include "O Visitante", "Mero Ouvinte", "Adormeceu", "Tributo A Sorriso", and "Edificio Da Avenida Central".