Two younger Brazilian music serve up a tribute to the music of older Brazilian giants – the guitarist Guinga, and sublime composer/multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal! Yet the setting here is quite different than you might expect – at least for the music of Pascoal – as the duo work with just the harmonica of Gabriel Grossi, and seven string guitar of Felix Junior – but in a pairing that still manages to open up with all the complexities of the songs! Grossi's an especially great discovery – blowing with all the vivid tonal depth of some of our few favorite Brazilian harmonicists from the past – and in a legacy that might well put him up there alongside Toots Thielemans and Mauricio Einhorn, for his ability to create sounds with the richness of a reed instrument. The set includes a few Pascoal compositions – "Balaio", "O Farol Que Nos Guia", "Suite Norte Sul Leste Oeste", and "Fatima" – plus Guinga tunes "Exasperada", "Baiao De Lacan", and "De Menor" – and originals by the duo, very much in the right spirit for the setting – with titles that include "Senhorinha", "Domingo Pascoal", and "Selva De Pedra". CD

A brilliant follow-up to the first Brasilianos set from Hamilton De Hollanda – one that's even more dynamic than the first, and which comes with a bonus DVD as well! The group is awash in warm acoustic sounds – Hamilton on 10-string mandolin, Daniel Santiago on acoustic guitar, Gabriel Grossi on harmonica, Andre Vasconcellos on bass, and Marcio Bahia on drums – all working in ways that link the best Brazilian jazz modes of the 70s and 80s with some of the tones of the American acoustic underground! The use of harmonica is especially nice – played with a rich chromatic flair in ways that are similar to Mauricio Einhorn – and titles include "Ano Bom", "O Mundo Nao Acabou", "Paz Paes", "Ajaccio", "Carolina De Carol", and "Rafaela". Also features a bonus DVD – with a live performance! CD

The first in a series of groundbreaking collaborations between a young Elis Regina and Jair Rodrigues – one of Elis' first big albums ever, recorded live before a very enthusiastic crowd! The set's a mix of bossa and samba numbers – often sung in duet mode by Elis and Jair – trading lines back and forth with a tremendous sense of energy – although some tracks have each artist stepping out strongly on their own. The album leads off with an extended classic in the "pot-pourri" mode, then rolls into other tracks that include "Precisco Aprender A Ser So", "Ta Engrossando", "Menini Das Laranjas", "Reza", "Terra De Ninguem", and "Arrastao" – all with tight jazz bossa instrumentation! CD

An overlooked gem from Joyce – an album that features a fair bit of help from famous friends! The set was recorded at a time when her star had faded a bit on the Brazilian market, but before she was yet to be rediscovered and re-recorded by labels in England and Japan – and despite the presence of some celebrity guest stars, the approach is often a bit mellow, in a way that makes for a very personal sort of sound. Roberto Menescal co-produced the set, and he brings a warm, acoustic feel to most numbers – kind of a gentle setting that lets Joyce relax into duets with artists who include Gal Costa, Emilio Santiago, Sandra Sa, Fatima Guedes, Ney Matogrosso, Clara Moreno, and Gilberto Gil. The sound is never too smooth or commercial – as in some other Joyce sets from the period – and titles include "Outras Mulheres", "Aleida De Ogum", "Misterios", "Da Cor Brasileira", "Stone Washed", "Essa Mulher", and "Minha Gata Rita Lee". CD

Gilberto Gil's working here not as the main artist, but as the songwriter – the very special talent around which this excellent set of recordings is based! The package is one of our favorite in the Lumiar Songbooks series – and, like the rest, it showcases the tremendous compositional abilities of Gil – songs that have touched the Brazilian scene from the late 60s onward – presented here in a number of new recordings by some of his key contemporaries, and younger generations too! This first volume features 13 titles in all – with tracks that include "Aquela Abraco" by Tim Maia, "Amor Ate O Fim" by Emilio Santiago, "A Linha E O Linho" by Gal Costa, "Mar De Copacabana" by Leny Andrade, "Preciso Aprender A So Ser" by Fafa De Belem & Wagner Tiso, "Ensai Geral" by Chico Buarque, and "Pai E Mae" by Ney Matogrosso. CD