Brazil — All Formats  

An incredible little record with a sound that's unlike anything else we've ever heard before – a set that mixes jazzy inflections on vibes, organ, guitar, percussion, and flute – the last of which is played here by a young Hermeto Pascoal! The set was done after Pascoal's work in Quarteto Novo but before some of his more complicated jazz albums of the 70s – and it's got a style that mixes his own love of playful rhythms and complicated shadings with a lighter, freer approach to the music – one that's almost in line with some of the EMI/Odeon work of the time, but which comes off with a slightly different feel. The drums get quite funky at times, and the mix of instruments reminds us a fair bit of the legendary Aquarians album on Uni from the US – but with an influence that's more bossa-driven, in comparison to the Latin modes of that set. At times, there's a lightly dancing beauty to the record that's almost in soundtrack mode – but tunes are more focused overall, and clearly aware of their own instrumental power. Titles include "Gamboa", "Rhodosando", "Cancao Latina", "Summer Hill", "Pavane", "Chaye", "Gosto De Ser Como Sou", "Casa Forte", and "O Passaro".

Amazing 70s work from Moacir Santos – the first album the Brazilian arranger recorded for Blue Note, and a set that sparkles with warmth and soul from the very first note! The approach is a brilliant updating of the famous sound that Santos crafted in Brazil the decade before – recast here with some warmer elements that includes great organ from Clare Fischer, electric piano from Bill Henderson, trombone from Frank Rosolino, and flute and tenor from Don Menza! Santos sings on a number of tracks, but in this cool angular way that's often right in line with the instrumentation – almost submerged a bit in the mix, as an element that gives the record a strong degree of warmth. The album's unlike any other we can think of – even a bit different than Santos' two other albums for Blue Note – and has a wonderful fusion of influences that never fails to delight our ears over the years! Titles include his version of "Nana", which was performed often by others – plus "Luanne", "Bluishmen", "Kermis", "Mother Iracema", and "Astral Whine".

One of our favorite albums ever from Walter Wanderley – a set that's much more complicated than his earlier trio records for Verve – and which really expands the sound with a host of added elements! Wanderley's core organ bossa groove is amplified wonderfully here with the addition of guitar, vibes, horns, and other elements – all of which help to change the rhythms and move the groove way past just simple stock bossa. Walter plays a bit of electric piano too – hinting at work on later albums – and other players include Jerome Richardson on flute, Bobby Rosengarden on vibes, John Pizzarelli on guitar, and even a bit of vocals from Marge Dodson. There's a wonderful variety of tunes on the set – including Joao Donato's "Amazonas", Baden Powell's "Canto De Ossanha", and Bob Crewe's "Music To Watch Girls By" – plus other gems like "Sensuous", "Sambao", "Arrinho Atoa", "Kee Ka Roo", and "The Bobo".

The 5th volume in this great series is bigger than ever! Back when volume 1 first came out, the idea of modern bossa dancefloor tunes was a strange concept – now, thanks to the work of the Schema crew, in releases like this one, the groove is here to stay – and strongly! The set offers a 13 track overview of the best of recent years – mostly groups from Europe, and all firmly in the Schema Records style. Most tunes are remixed versions, and titles include "Mastered The Art (Jet Sounds rmx)" by Greyboy, "On Line" by Marcos Valle, "O Preguicoso" by Intuit, "Salsin" by Amalgamation Of Soundz, "Penso Ascoltando" by Mondomo, "Meu Samba (Nicola Conte's bossa ahead rmx)" by Eli Goulart & Banda Do Mato, "Puutarhassa (Milk Snickars ext version)" by Pekka Streng, "Good Morning As Usual (Senor Coconut rmx)" by Snooze, "Existentialism (Milano bossa mix)" by The Dining Rooms, "In The Mood For Bossa (alt)" by S-Tone Inc, "Dance Naked Under Palmtrees" by Mo Horizons, and "Honesty" by Soulstance. Plus, the CD version also features a bonus disc – with all 13 tunes mixed live by Luciano Cantone!

Stunning early work from Egberto Gismonti – a really complex little record, and quite different than some of his better-known work as a spare acoustic soloist! Gismonti here is at the helm of a rich array of sounds – at one level, a soulful approach to MPB that rivals the best of Milton Nascimento in the 70s – but at another, filled with sharp changes and complicated arrangements that really move past any easy labels! There's a sense of surprise that really keeps things striking throughout – an avant piano line here, full soaring vocal there, funky electro riff the next moment, and a sensitive jazz solo at another point – always interwoven in ways that make complete sense – even amidst the rich array of sounds and colors. Titles include "Raga", "Baiao Malandro", "Cafe", "Educao Sentimental", "Bodas De Prata", "Critiana", and "As Primaveras".

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!

A groovy bossa gem from the glory days of A&M Records – an ultra-hip group recorded with production by Sergio Mendes! The feel here is a lot like that of Brasil 66 – bossa rhythms, sunny CA instrumentation, and lovely female vocals – in this case sung singularly, by the lovely Gracinha Leporace – aka Mrs Mendes! Instrumentation is arguably even better than on Brasil 66 records – with wonderfully groovy organ lines from Manfredo Fest, who plays Lowrey organ instead of the usual Hammond. A really essential slice of bossa nova – and a record we'd never part with! Filled with wonderful tunes that include "Gentle Rain", "Up Up & Away", "Wave", "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", "Cacao do Sal", "Veleiro", "Saiupa", and "Nana".

Smoking sounds from this legendary Brazilian flautist – a really stripped-down session that's easily one of the greatest documents of his talents we've ever heard! The performance was done for the TV show Ensaio, and has that wonderfully personal feel of most of the program's recordings – with a very strong focus on Altamiro's amazingly complex, yet melodic lines on flute – and backing by a small and lively samba combo. Titles include "Rio Antigo", "Saudade De Padua", "Aeroporto Do Galeao", and "Lamentos" – plus some longer "Pot-Pourri" tracks.

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".

An album that bristles with soul and life from the very first note – one of a great run of 70s samba sets recorded by Xango Da Mangueira – all of them pretty darn great! This one's got all the right elements firmly in place – immediately catchy rhythms served up by simple percussion lines, slight instrumental touches on flute and guitar, and vocals from Xango that really hold our interest – far past the boundaries of language! Xango sings lead on all numbers, but often gets some help on the choruses – which really seems to further the joyous spirit of the music. Titles include "O Menina", "Brincadeira Tem Hora", "Piso Na Barra Da Saia", "Caviar De Pobre", "Carolina Meu Bem", "No Tempo Dos Mil Reis", and "Pau De Ibrauna".

Easygoing samba sounds from Mano Decio Da Viola – an overlooked 70s gem, but a set that stands with the best of Mano's bigger contemporaries in the samba scene! Mano's vocals have this raspy, personal feel – almost as if he's speaking instead of singing at some points – although there's plenty of singing interplay between his lyrics, lead acoustic guitar lines, and the percussion that drives most of the tunes from the bottom. Titles include "Santos Em Outros Tempos", "Herois Da Liberdade", "Obsessao", "Encontro Marcado", "Passaro Do Cantua", "Dona Santa Rainha Do Maracatu", and "Comando Geral".

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!

One of those records that no home should be without – not only a pivotal album in the growth of bossa nova in the 60s – but a set that also really helped set the career of tenorist Stan Getz on fire! The real credit here might almost go to guitarist Charlie Byrd – as Byrd was a big early proponent of bossa nova rhythms, and had already been experimenting with them on his records of the time – yet also gets a key extra "umph" here in the presence of Stan's tenor – a bold, rich, soulful sound that really helps give the music a lot of direction – in ways that still resonate strongly all these many years later! Getz is completely sublime – a master of tone and timing throughout – and perfectly fit to these tunes. Rhythms are mostly from Byrd's trio, augmented with some extra percussion – and titles include the classic "Desafinado", plus "E Luxo So", "Samba Dees Days", "Samba Triste", "O Pato", "Samba De Uma Nota So", and "Baia". This is the Verve master edition with 20-bit remastering, bonus track, new liner notes, photographs, cover art & more.

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.

An expanded version of this classic – with 5 more bonus tracks, 4 of which were arranged by Ennio Morricone! The core album is incredible 70s work from the lovely Astrud Gilberto – a rare effort for the CTI label that has her teaming up with arranger Eumir Deodato and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine – all in a groove that's totally different than most of her earlier work! Astrud's breathy vocals are still wonderfully intact – but they're given a more spacious approach in the arrangements – strings mixes with rolling basslines, soaring keyboards, and stone cold tenor from Stanley – in a groove that's simply wonderful, and which takes off in a whole new direction than before! Other players include Airto, Sivuca, Hubert Laws, and Dom Um Romao – and tracks include classic versions of "Ponteio", "Vera Cruz", and "Zazueira" that are all some of the most grooving takes on the tunes ever – plus "Historia De Amor", "Where There's A Heartache", "Brazilian Tapestry", and "Wanting Things". Bonus tracks include "If Not For You", "Acercendome A Ti", "Argomenti", "En Tu Piel", and "Un Donna Che Ti Ama".

A beautiful set from the mighty Egberto Gismonti – as up-close and personal as you'd guess from the image on the cover! The set's a bit less wild than some of Egberto's 70s material, yet it's still a lot fuller and more jazz-based than any of his recordings for ECM too – lots of right Brazilian jazz lines, soaring out with complicated rhythms, and a really free, soulful spirit in the solos! Egberto plays a fair bit of acoustic piano, and a bit of keyboards as well – and the album also features saxes and flute from Mauro Senise, bass from Zeca Assumpcao, and drums and percussion from the enigmatic Nene. Titles include the great cut "Loro", with a tight snapping snare, throbbing electric bass, and hard reeds all the way through – plus "Don Quixote", "Passarinho", "Em Familia", and "Sanfona".