Wonderful music from Lucas Arruda – an artist who embraces some of the warmest, most soulful styles of Brazilian music from back in the 70s, but manages to deliver them with a crisp contemporary spin! There's a lot of vintage Azymuth-styled grooves here – wicked rhythms, excellent keyboards, and a jazzy sensibility that makes for a magical flow throughout – and while there's some great soulful vocals on the set, the album also has plenty of strong instrumental moments too – a real delight all the way through, and an instant classic that may well even top Lucas' previous albums! Andre Mota lends some great vocals to the set – and titles include "The Mountain", "4:28 AM", "Novos Planos", "Ominira", "Projecoes", "The Bravest Heart", "Chant & Dance", and "Abraco Pro Ed". LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a record from the pre-bossa years in Brazil – a set that's not just noteworthy for rich vocals from Elizeth Cardoso, but also for some early arrangements by Antonio Carlos Jobim! Jobim scored the whole set – and while the style is quite different than his later bossa material, there's still a wonderful sensitivity to sound – that richness that Jobim discovered strongly in later years, and a perfect fit for the soulful vocals of Elizeth. The pair at this point went onto have an undeniable influence on Brazilian music for years to come – as you'll hear on tracks that include "Caminha", "Linda Flor Yaya", "So Voce Mais Nada", "Nunca Mais", and "Cancao Da Volta". CD features 6 bonus tracks that include "Ocultei", "Zanguei Com Meu Amor", "Nao Tenho Lar", and "Velha Praca". CD

CTI Records meets that Brazilian fusion sound of the 70s – served up here on two classic albums! Fingers is 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! Deodato In Concert is an excellent little live set from Deodato – hard to believe because the sound's just as tight and funky as his studio albums, and possibly even more interesting because he manages to pull it off equally well in a live setting! The record features percussion by Airto, guitar by John Tropea, and vocals by Flora Purim – and those are just the marquee names of a large and amazing grew of great musicians! All tracks are long and complicated, for very hynotic feel throughout. The funkiest number is "Tropea", which has a nice long 8 minute groove – and the set also features a cover of Steely Dan's "Do It Again", plus the tracks "Parana", "Branches", "Baubles, Bangles And Beads" and "Skyscraper". Amazing! CD

An incredible little record – and the set where it really all comes together for this legendary funky jazz group! Azymuth were already great on their debut, although maybe a little experimental at times – but here, they really find the soulful groove that later got them big fame on the US scene – effortlessly blending their tight jazz skills with a dose of samba soul, and turning out some wonderfully groovy music in the process! There's clearly an influence here from the best years of Earth Wind & Fire – but also more of the edge that you'd expect from the young trio – as the amazing Jose Roberto Bertrami blows us away with his wickedly sharp keyboard solos, as Alexandre Malheiros and Mamao create these beautiful rhythms that go way past anything you might have expected from a trio. The whole thing's wonderful – one of the most soulful Brazilian records of the 70s – and titles include the great cuts "Tarde", "Tamborim Cuica Ganza Berimbau", "Falcon Love Call", and "Aguia Nao Come Mosca". CD

Sublimely soulful work from Azymuth – 2 albums back to back on a single CD! Cascades is fantastic fusion from a group who just couldn't miss during these early 80s California years! The sound here is smooth, but never slick – always a little offbeat, and quite different from more mainstream US fusion of the time – thanks to the genius of Jose Roberto Bertrami's keyboards, which glide one moment, dip the next, and often have these slight changes in speed that are totally great. Other members of the core trio include Alex Malheiros on bass and guitar and Ivan Conti on drums and percussion – and the set also features guest work by Mauricio Einhorn on harmonica, Jose Carlos on flute, and Sidney Moreira on percussion. Titles include "Remembering Milton", "Club Morocco", "Through The Window", "Festa Nativa", "Cascade Of The Seven Waterfalls", and "Indian Pepper". Rapid Transit is a set with a really warm groove overall – hardly the too-fast, or too-urban record you might expect from the title! Instead, there's a nicely organic sensibility going on here – a sound that feels fresh and spontaneous, even when it's in the highly electric territory of Jose Roberto Bertami's keyboards. There's a slight bit of added flute and percussion on the set, but most of the sounds here are from the core Azymuth trio – who even vocalize wordlessly on one of the album's best tracks. Titles include "Missing Doto", "Make Mine Guarana", "Gate Of Time", "I'm Just Looking Around", "Somewhere In Brazil", and "Afternoon". CD

A brilliant new vision for the legendary Banda Black Rio – the pioneering samba, soul and funk combo that broke so much ground in the 70s and remain vital to this day – led here by William Magalhaes, in a mode that celebrates decades of the best Brazilian music, while fearlessly moving it forward! William's father Oberdan Magalhaes was a driving force behind the original Banda Black Rio, and we couldn't really imagine a more appropriate new vision for the group than his son's. William wrote or co-wrote each track and he sings, plays keys and synth, guitar, bass, drums and more. The expansive group brings a depth of percussion, horns, strings and vocals – delivering timeless and dexterous jazzy Brazilian funk and dancefloor soul. The guest list includes classic and contemporary greats like Seu Jorge, Elza Soares, Marcio Local, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and others! Includes "Louis Lane" with Seu Jorge & Mano Brown, "Super Nova Samba Funk (9 No Samba)", "America Do Sul", "Isabela" feat Elza Soares and Cesar Camargo Mariano, "Samba Nova", "Quem Vem La" feat Marcio Local, "Deixa Estar" feat Aleh, "Lindos Olhos" feat Seu Jorge and Don Pixote, "Paname" feat Pyroman, "Final Feliz", "Irere" feat Gilberto Gil, "Aos Pes Do Redentor" feat Caetano Veloso and more. 16 tracks on the CD version. CD

A stunner of a record from the mighty Jorge Ben – and a record that catapulted the Brazilian singer to international fame at the time! Ben had already been making magic for almost a decade down in Brazil – and his compositions and grooves left an undeniable impact on the scene in the post-bossa years – but this album has Jorge really emerging as the global soul star he was destined to be – from his powerful stare on the cover, right down to the grit in the grooves! The sound here is a refinement of the samba soul mode that Ben had been brewing up from the late 60s onward – a skittish mix of older samba elements, American soul, and some slight fuller production that really comes into its own here – mixing all the acoustic elements at the core with just a slight electric flourish, but never losing its edge in the process – all to provide Jorge with a sublime backdrop for his really amazing vocals. The set's a monument in funky Brazilian soul – and it includes the huge hit "Taj Mahal", which still sounds great, even after all these years – plus loads of other gems that include "O Circo Chegou", "Domingo 23", "Fio Maravilha", "Paz E Arroz", "Morre O Burro Fico O Homem", and "Que Nega E Essa". A gem all the way through – and a record we'd never part with! CD

A stunner of a record from the mighty Jorge Ben – and a record that catapulted the Brazilian singer to international fame at the time! Ben had already been making magic for almost a decade down in Brazil – and his compositions and grooves left an undeniable impact on the scene in the post-bossa years – but this album has Jorge really emerging as the global soul star he was destined to be – from his powerful stare on the cover, right down to the grit in the grooves! The sound here is a refinement of the samba soul mode that Ben had been brewing up from the late 60s onward – a skittish mix of older samba elements, American soul, and some slight fuller production that really comes into its own here – mixing all the acoustic elements at the core with just a slight electric flourish, but never losing its edge in the process – all to provide Jorge with a sublime backdrop for his really amazing vocals. The set's a monument in funky Brazilian soul – and it includes the huge hit "Taj Mahal", which still sounds great, even after all these years – plus loads of other gems that include "O Circo Chegou", "Domingo 23", "Fio Maravilha", "Paz E Arroz", "Morre O Burro Fico O Homem", and "Que Nega E Essa". A gem all the way through – and a record we'd never part with! CD

A fantastically soulful album from Jorge Ben – one of his greatest records ever, and a key part of Brazilian music in the 70s! The album marks an earthier shift for Jorge – a sound that's still rooted in the samba influences of the 60s, but which also takes on a bit more soul at the bottom – thanks to rhythmic contributions from Trio Mocoto, who work here famously to help Ben shape the overall feel of the set! There's still a bit of larger orchestrations at moments, but these are used sparingly just to sweeten the sound – leaving the main force of the music to come from Jorge's guitar, and the cuica, percussion, and tamborim of the trio. The vocals are wonderful too – slightly raspy, and with a bit more feeling than we ever remember Jorge having on record – sometimes a bit intimate, yet always with an undeniable presence throughout. One of those records that still sends chills up our spines, year after year – with tracks that include "Oba La Vem Ela", "Ze Canjica", "Pulo Pulo", "Apareceu Aparecida", "Terezinha", "Mulher Brasileira", "Forca Bruta", "O Telefone Tocou Novamente", and "Charles Junior". CD

A fantastically soulful album from Jorge Ben – one of his greatest records ever, and a key part of Brazilian music in the 70s! The album marks an earthier shift for Jorge – a sound that's still rooted in the samba influences of the 60s, but which also takes on a bit more soul at the bottom – thanks to rhythmic contributions from Trio Mocoto, who work here famously to help Ben shape the overall feel of the set! There's still a bit of larger orchestrations at moments, but these are used sparingly just to sweeten the sound – leaving the main force of the music to come from Jorge's guitar, and the cuica, percussion, and tamborim of the trio. The vocals are wonderful too – slightly raspy, and with a bit more feeling than we ever remember Jorge having on record – sometimes a bit intimate, yet always with an undeniable presence throughout. One of those records that still sends chills up our spines, year after year – with tracks that include "Oba La Vem Ela", "Ze Canjica", "Pulo Pulo", "Apareceu Aparecida", "Terezinha", "Mulher Brasileira", "Forca Bruta", "O Telefone Tocou Novamente", and "Charles Junior". CD

A fantastically soulful album from Jorge Ben – one of his greatest records ever, and a key part of Brazilian music in the 70s! The album marks an earthier shift for Jorge – a sound that's still rooted in the samba influences of the 60s, but which also takes on a bit more soul at the bottom – thanks to rhythmic contributions from Trio Mocoto, who work here famously to help Ben shape the overall feel of the set! There's still a bit of larger orchestrations at moments, but these are used sparingly just to sweeten the sound – leaving the main force of the music to come from Jorge's guitar, and the cuica, percussion, and tamborim of the trio. The vocals are wonderful too – slightly raspy, and with a bit more feeling than we ever remember Jorge having on record – sometimes a bit intimate, yet always with an undeniable presence throughout. One of those records that still sends chills up our spines, year after year – with tracks that include "Oba La Vem Ela", "Ze Canjica", "Pulo Pulo", "Apareceu Aparecida", "Terezinha", "Mulher Brasileira", "Forca Bruta", "O Telefone Tocou Novamente", and "Charles Junior". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Jorge Ben's greatest albums – a groundbreaking blend of samba and soul that forever went onto transform the face of Brazilian music! The record works off the groove set down by Jorge's earlier hit "Mas Que Nada" (which appears on another LP), and takes the blend of bossa, samba, and jazz, and infuses it with a sense of folksy soul delivered by Jorge's raspy vocals and acoustic guitar work. The combination of styles works perfectly – and every track on the album sparkles with a sense of excitement and new musical discovery that will probably blow away most of the recent records you've bought for your collection! Titles include "Nena Nana", "Espero Por Voce", "Nao Desanima, Joao", "Carnaval Triste", "Gimbo", "Capoeira", and "Anjo Azul". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic early album from Jorge Ben – and one that's also a bit obscure, given that it was one of the few that he didn't cut for Philips Records during the first decade of his career! The album's one of Jorge's most upbeat, most lively – with the kind of ebullient mix of samba and soul influences that he brought to his first big hits – but recorded here in a way that's maybe even more frenetic, especially when piano lines spin out quickly next to his incredible vocals – with a style that's almost soul jazz at times! The whole thing's wonderful – a record that matches, if not tops any of his other 60s albums – and titles include the killer "A Jovem Samba" – worth the price of the album alone – plus "Nascimento De Um Principe Africando", "Menina Gata Augusta", "Si Wanda", "Rosa Mas Que Nada", "Amor De Carnaval", and "Todo Colorida". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime little set – quite possibly the greatest album ever from Brazilian keyboardist Manfredo Fest! Manfredo first cut his teeth on the bossa scene of the 60s – but by the time of this rare indie session, he'd moved up to the US – and was working with sweet keyboards to really electrify his groove! The record's a wonderful blend of 70s Brazilian fusion modes and just a dash of American soul – and in addition to Manfredo's wonderful work on Fender Rhodes, the set also has these brilliant vocals from Roberta Davis – a singer who works wordlessly, using her voice as an instrument in this really cool way – sliding along with the grooves, and making the album sound unlike anything else we can think of. The overall feel is a bit like Joao Donato's excellent Quem E Quem album – and titles include "Jungle Cat", "Facing East", "Who Needs It", and "Brazilian Dorian Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost bit of dreamy bossa from the 60s – recorded in Brazil at the end of the decade, but unavailable to most of the world for years! The session's got a gently snapping, always jazzy approach that easily matches the best takes on the bossa coming out from Rio and LA at the time – and the album's done in a style that really makes best use of the warmly soulful piano lines of Dom Salvador, while also hitting some harder rhythms that bristle with plenty of bossa jazz energy, thanks to the presence of drummer Wilson Das Neves! Vocals are often in a mode that showcases singer Valeria, but with support from harmonies on the chorus – and the record's got a sunny sort of groove that almost reminds us of classics by Mario Castro Neves & Samba SA! Titles include "Sambou Sambou", "Ponteio", "Viola Enluarada", "Vesti Azul", "Lady Madonna", "Deixa", "Alegria Alegria", and "Retrato Em Branco E Preto". CD

An amazing full length debut from Democustico – one of the best new Brazilian albums we've heard in years, and a set that easily matches the best work by classic artists on the Far Out label! The pair mix older and modern modes of expression – using lots of post-bossa jazz in their grooves, particularly the soaring modes explored heavily on the Brazilian scene at the end of the 70s – but also topping things off with some wonderful vocals from Gabriela Geluda, who has a spacious, joyous quality that reminds us a lot of Joyce at her best! Other instrumentation includes piano, keyboards, acoustic guitar, and percussion – as well as some light rhythm patterns from Roc Hunter, long a Far Out associate – and one with a great sensitivity for preserving the warm soul of Brazilian music. Titles include "Summer Of Flora", "Grito", "Rejoycing", "O Sonho", "A Sereia", "Vaga-lume", "Nunca Never", and "Pera". CD

A really great entry in this excellent series – one that not only features lots of great Fender Rhodes from Brazilian jazz legend Joao Donato, but also vocals from Loren Oden on almost every track – which makes the whole thing feel like a fantastic hybrid of Joao's genius with a righteous approach to spacey soul! Oden sounds maybe even better here than ever before – singing jazzily, and drifting in and out of the instrumentation – which often has a more dynamic lead in the mix, with lots of work on a variety of instruments from Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – upbeat, but just a few shades short of funk, which works perfectly for the way that Donato slides his Rhodes in and out of the tunes. Titles include "Forever More", "Sua Beleza E Beleza", "Desejo De Amor", "Aquarius", "Nao Negue Seu Coracao", "Liaisons", and "Adrian Ali & Gregory". (Deep Funk, Brazil) CD

A rootsy set with a jazzy vibe – a set that blends the wonderful vocals of Eloah with some heavy percussion, soaring horns, and other great instrumental touches – all in a blend of modes that's pretty darn unique! The album might belong in the school of samba, but it's got a much more ambitious vibe overall – as if those core samba inspirations were taken to new heights through some of the larger, fuller arrangements that were bubbling in the Brazilian scene of the period – as you might find in the music of Edu Lobo or Marcos Valle! Eloah's also got a power that's all her own, too – some of the soul of a singer like Elza Soares, but also the kind of majesty we love in the music of Zelia Barbosa – or in a male version, maybe Geraldo Vandre – who's an equally unique artist of his own. The whole thing's a real lost treasure – with a vibe that's more late 60s than late 70s, given the production and instrumentation – and titles include "Oxala", "Exu", "Ogun", "Xango", "Yemanja Berimbau", "Axe Opo Afonja Aluja", and "Logun Ede". CD