Brazil -- Recently Added  

Really lovely work from Miriam Aida -- a set of contemporary recordings, but with Brazilian roots that go decades deep! Miriam has this light vocal approach that's really wonderful -- soft, but never too airy to lose its soul -- and mixed here with very well-selected instrumentation that's often... read more

A very groovy batch of pop bossa tracks, and one that has Laurindo Almeida nodding to his Brazilian roots, and the movement that was supposedly inspired by his early 50s records with Bud Shank. This album expands the west coast jazzy concept, by adding a larger group with players like Bob Cooper,... read more

An excellent album by one of the greatest Brazilian funk bands ever! Band Black Rio were the stuff of legends back in the 70s -- an all-funky powerhouse, with inspiration from American groups like Kool & The Gang and Ohio Players, but a uniquely Brazilian approach that also threw in some added... read more

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A samba soul masterpiece from Jorge Ben -- one of the most brilliant records to come out the fertile late 60s Brazilian scene -- and an incredible album that works with the psychedelic flourishes of Ben's contemporaries and a deeper undercurrent of soul & funk! This is one of the most amazing... read more

Very groovy bossa tracks -- very much in the mode of some of the Verve hit recordings of the mid 60s! After the success of the Astrud Gilberto/Joao Gilberto work with Stan Getz, it's clear that Philips and Luiz Bonfa wanted to get in on the act -- and they've paired Bonfa's guitar with vocals from... read more

Excellent work by two figures who really helped re-define the use of the guitar in the 50s -- both undeniable forces on the sound of the bossa nova, even though most of the work here is from pre-bossa years! The set's especially noteworthy for its wealth of early work by Luiz Bonfa -- as the... read more

A wonderful mid 70s album by Chico Buarque -- proof that he was still one heck of a songwriter, and a pretty decent singer, despite the fact that he'd grown a silly-looking moustache! The production's very nice, too -- with that excellent compressed sound that was being used on some Brazilian... read more

A beautiful early album by Elizete Cardoso -- arguably one of the first bossa nova records ever, and a set that features some great early tracks penned by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius De Moraes! The record is a haunting showcase for the genius of Jobim and Vinicius, and it includes early... read more

Brazilian funk from Curumin -- a contemporary set, but one that features a fair bit of old school influences as well! In a way, Curumin's music is sort of an update of the 70s samba soul sound with a bit more beats -- taking the older Brazilian styles into a 21st Century range, and dropping in... read more

A tasty session of west coast Brazilian grooves -- cut by the great percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, with a group that includes Claudio Slon, Larry Williams, and Lee Ritenour. The record's got a very nice breezy feel -- with a sound that's similar to some of the Fantasy Brazilian LPs of the time,... read more

Jazzy Brazilian drummer Paulinho Da Costa lays down a set of tight fusion cuts recorded in the U.S., along with folks like Larry Carlton, James Gadson, and Philip Bailey. There's vocals on about half the tracks, and the sound is sort of LA studio fusion from the 70's, with a nice bit of Brazil... read more

A gem of a record from the same Pernambuco early 70s scene that gave us Lula Cortes, Ze Ramalho, Geraldo Azevedo, and Alceu Valenca! This obscure little set has lots of the earthier tones that showed up in work by the above artists -- a style that mixes folksy touches with bits of psychedelia --... read more

A classical-looking cover, but a sweet set of 70s bossa jazz from Julio Frade -- a pianist/arranger from Uruguay, and one with a really wonderful touch! The style here is a bit different than bossa piano work from Brazil -- a bit more open and spacious overall, almost like some of the hipper... read more

The historic meeting of Stan Getz and Brazilian guitarist Joao Gilberto, with the surprisingly popular inclusion of Joao's then-wife Astrud. The record created a sound that was copied endlessly, and which catapulted Astrud to unbelievable fame worldwide -- even though she was only included in the... read 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... read more

Lovely work from Bebel Gilberto -- her debut for Verve -- which in a way, brings her home, given that Verve released so many great records in the 60s from Brazilian artists with boundary skirting appeal! Bebel's work has never lacked warmth, but she's bringing even more of it to this set, with... read more

Although still a hell of a guitar player at this point, Gismonti's making a move away from the larger baroque arrangements used on earlier albums -- into a realm of sparer instrumentation with a more intimate feel. The work's still incredibly beautiful, and shares many elements of his earlier... read more

A beautifully personal take on the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim -- served up in a set of solo recordings by pianist Fred Hersch, who really moves the tunes from their bossa roots into a space that's all his own! Hersch often takes a core theme of a tune, and works it over with a very different... read more

The best work we've heard so far from The Immigrant's Bossa Band -- a really great Japanese collective, whose sound is filled with the bossa touches promised by their name! There's a special sort of vibe running through the music, though -- so that the cuts here aren't just bossa rehash, but the... read more

The best work we've heard so far from The Immigrant's Bossa Band -- a really great Japanese collective, whose sound is filled with the bossa touches promised by their name! There's a special sort of vibe running through the music, though -- so that the cuts here aren't just bossa rehash, but the... read more

Antonio Carlos Jobim's classic Verve session from 1963 -- a tremendous record, done with a wonderful airy sound that became the trademark for bossa production in America -- and which also had a great inspiration on the sound of mid 60s bossa in Brazil! Claus Ogerman arranged and conducts the... read more

One of Antonio Carlos Jobim's greatest records -- and a perfect blend of his subtle bossa genius with the moody electric sound of CTI! Jobim plays electric and acoustic piano, guitar, and sings a bit -- and Deodato handled the arrangements with a breezy brilliance that matches all the magic of... read more

A wonderful concert from 1990, featuring Jobim performing the work of Vinicius De Moraes in an intimate small group setting. Jobim's on a grand piano, which gives the tracks a lot of depth and sorrow --a nd he's backed by Paulo Jobim on guitar, Danilo Caymmi on flute, Jacque Morelenbaum on cello,... read more

An array of visual tributes to the legendary Antonio Carlos Jobim -- pulled together from classic and contemporary performances of his music, interspersed with documentary photographs, footage, and some interviews as well! A good number of the performances here are from the last decade of Jobim's... read more

The genius of Antonio Carlos Jobim -- captured on screen in a host of beautiful images! The DVD's the third in this great series directed by Roberto De Oliveira -- and like the others, it blends together later concert footage, images of Brazil, and other more intimate performances -- the last of... read more

Wonderful work from Ivan Lins -- a warmly jazzy set that seems to deepen his sound even more than before! Lins is always great, but he sounds especially nice here -- especially for his mature years -- and in a way, there's a complicated sensibility to the record that shows not only a new depth in... read more

Deeply soulful modern jazz from 70s Brazil -- a beautiful set of post-Coltrane blowing, from a group led by drummer Edison Machado! The sound here is even more free-spirited than Machado's first Obras session -- in a fuller and farther-reaching style that brings in plenty of influences from early... read more

One of the funkiest albums Sergio Mendes ever recorded -- a monster of a record that's filled with enough dancefloor groovers to have had a big impact on the soul market in the US! There's still elements of the older Mendes modes -- especially in the way the vocals float nicely through the mix --... read more

A great little live set from Sergio Mendes and his Brasil 65 group -- a pre-Brasil 66 combo that features Wanda De Sah on vocals and Rosinha De Valenca on guitar! The style here is more traditionally Brazilian bossa than Sergio's later work on A&M -- a fluidly jazzy groove captured with a good... read more

2 great numbers off of one of the funkiest of Sergio Mendes' 70s albums, Sergio Mendes & The New Brasil '77. Side A's a perennial favorite here in Chicago -- "The Real Thing" is a funky cover of the Stevie Wonder tune by the same name, done in a tight smooth 70s jazz funk mode, a... read more

Breezy Brazilian tunes -- sung by Italian singer Mina, in a way that recalls some of the best of Elis Regina's work from the late 60s! The track selection is great -- and the album features many popular groovers like "Canto De Osshana", "Upa Neguinho", "Que Maravilha"... read more

Some of the earliest work we've ever seen from this hip Brazilian singer -- and a cool batch of jazzy tunes that's got a really fresh sound! The album's got the feel of a bossa session, but the instrumentation is a bit off-kilter -- in a really cool way, especially on the way that vibes are used... read more

Warm bossa grooves -- and the second album by Orlandivo, billed here on the cover as Orlann Divo! The album's a great batch of instrumentals -- jazzy, with a mix of percussion, bass, and organ that's quite different from the usual bossa album of its type -- much more expansive, and much more... read more

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The long awaited return of Brazilian iconoclasts Os Mutantes -- featuring original Mutante Sergio Dias and a great new band -- plus songwriting contributions from Tom Ze and Jorge Ben -- a forward looking endeavor, not at all a nostalgia trip! It's been around 30 years since the previous Os... read more

A mad batch of tunes that are a perfect example of the "pilantragem" (piracy) movement in Brazil at the end of the 60s! Similar to some of the pluralistic cultural influences running through Tropicalia, pilantragem borrows music from a world of different sources -- working in a style... read more

Brilliant work from Otto -- one of the best albums we've heard from him in years, and a set that shows him still very much at the forefront of contemporary Brazilian music! There's a bit less of the beats that first marked Otto's early experimentations -- and in their place are some wonderfully... read more

One of the best Joe Pass albums from the 70s -- largely because he's working with such a great group of Brazilian players! Besides percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, the musicians also include drummer Claudio Slon, as well as Oscar Castro Neves, Don Grusin, and Octavio Bailly. Tracks are light and... read more

Excellent work from Luciano Perrone & "Seus Ritmistas Brasileiros" -- a crack percussion ensemble that recorded some of the best batucada work of the 60s! The album's recorded with a nice spacey sound that really adds to the "fantastica" feel of the set -- as the driving... read more

Pure vocal magic -- featuring the lovely Flora Purim at the height of her California powers -- working in a sublime mix of jazz, fusion, and Brazilian rhythms -- a sound that she virtually invented! The group on the set is one of her greatest of the time -- with players that include Joe Henderson,... read more

2 amazing albums from Elis Regina -- back to back on a single CD! First up is Elis Como Et Porque -- one of our favorite albums ever from the incredible Elis Regina -- a record that really has her hitting new levels in her style -- moving past simple bossa into a realm of music that's all her own!... read more

A lost bit of richly strummed and picked acid folk guitar grooves from Satwa -- featuring Brazilian psychedelic folk genius Lula Cortes and partner Lailson -- on CD for the first time ever! Satwa is one of the sweetest sets of psych folk jams we've heard in ages. It's got a mostly instrumental,... read more

Beautiful! This great LP was recorded at the same time that Sivuca did his other, easier to find LP for Vanguard. This one has very much the same feel, but was recorded in a swingin' live setting at the Village Gate, with a tight small combo and a very nice jazzy groove. The LP includes a longer... read more

Nearly 3 albums' worth of music from the legendary Tamba Trio -- one of the grooviest groups in the 60s bossa years in Brazil! The trio are quite unique -- in that they not only play upbeat bossa rhythms, but also harmonize along with their grooves -- in a soaringly sublime quality that really... read more

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A beautiful bit of west coast Brazilian grooves -- crafted by Viva Brasil, the San Francisco combo who scored big in the early 80s with "Skindo Le Le". That track's not on this album, but its spirit is -- as the breezy fusion style of the recording sparkles with all the best elements of... read more

New work from this classic San Francisco combo! Viva Brazil are the epitome of west coast Latin -- fusing a solid jazz approach with a sunny take on the music that's filled with California sunshine and all the optimism of the Bay Area scene. The record features a mixture of electric and acoustic... read more

A killer album of breezy Brazilian jazz from San Francisco! The group was an obscure one, but they worked for many years as part of the underground Brazilian scene in SF -- home to some bigger known players who often recorded on Fantasy Records, and smaller combos like this one, who could still... read more

One of our favorite Walter Wanderley albums ever -- and a record that moves past the more familiar bossa trio style used on his hits for Verve, into groovier new territory with added players who include Dom Um Romao on drums and Marcos Valle on guitar! And not only is the lineup expanded, but the... read more

Seminal sides from the earliest years of bossa nova -- key late 50s recordings from the time when the genre was just beginning to take shape! There's a nice sense of transition here -- Brazilian music shaking off some of the fuller, more emotive styles of the previous generation -- moving into the... read more

Heavy funk from 70s Brazil -- and a collection that digs even deeper that the legendary first Black Rio volume! These tunes are all Brazilian in origin, but draw plenty on American funk and soul of the 70s -- not just rhythms, but also instrumentation, vocals, and production styles too -- a cool... read more

Heavy funk from 70s Brazil -- and a collection that digs even deeper that the legendary first Black Rio volume! These tunes are all Brazilian in origin, but draw plenty on American funk and soul of the 70s -- not just rhythms, but also instrumentation, vocals, and production styles too -- a cool... read more

A glorious celebration of the Luaka Bop label -- the groundbreaking imprint first started by David Byrne as a way to bring older Brazilian music to the American market! Since that initial release -- Brazilian Classics 1 -- the label's been covering a hell of a lot of ground -- a fair bit of the... read more

18 tracks -- most of them rare Brazilian ones, and all with a great mix of jazz, bossa, and groovy rhythms! The sound is very mod and 60s -- and there's more than a few here that we haven't seen reissued for a while. Titles include "Ponteio" by Som Psicodelico, "Balaio" by... read more

Brazilian music from the ground up -- a fascinating array of recordings made as part of the film Moro No Brasil, presented in all their gritty brilliance! The focus here is on the music of the people -- recorded either live in the streets or at Mika's Bar, as part of an all-star performance done... read more

The first-ever Whatmusic compilation -- an assortment of tunes hand-picked to accompany the laidback experience of the Trailer Happiness club! And while Trailer Happiness would like to think of themselves as the inspiration for the set, we're gonna give the main kudos to Whatmusic -- who have been... read more