Maybe the greatest album to date from Toco – warm, jazzy, and filled with all of the best influences from Brazilian music – served up with live instrumentation that brings even more soul to the music than some of the artist's sparer sessions! Toco since throughout, with this raspy charm that's even more compelling than we remember from years back – and the larger lineup of players mixes plenty of percussion with guitars, vibes, berimbau, and cavaquinho – as well as a nice array of keyboard work from Stefano Tirone, who's working here in territory that's a lot warmer than some of his clubbier project as S-Tone! The whole thing is wonderful – and very much in the classic reworking of Brazilian styles that was one of the first great marks of the Schema label many years back – still very much at the top of their game, on titles that include "Vento Doce", "Mar", "Lagrima", "Luz Da Bahia", "Alma De Turista", "Clube", "Carnaval Primeiro", and "Coragem". CD

Maybe the greatest album to date from Toco – warm, jazzy, and filled with all of the best influences from Brazilian music – served up with live instrumentation that brings even more soul to the music than some of the artist's sparer sessions! Toco since throughout, with this raspy charm that's even more compelling than we remember from years back – and the larger lineup of players mixes plenty of percussion with guitars, vibes, berimbau, and cavaquinho – as well as a nice array of keyboard work from Stefano Tirone, who's working here in territory that's a lot warmer than some of his clubbier project as S-Tone! The whole thing is wonderful – and very much in the classic reworking of Brazilian styles that was one of the first great marks of the Schema label many years back – still very much at the top of their game, on titles that include "Vento Doce", "Mar", "Lagrima", "Luz Da Bahia", "Alma De Turista", "Clube", "Carnaval Primeiro", and "Coragem". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky grooves, psychedelic sitar, and mod Hammond organ – a magnificent blend that's every bit as dynamic as the image on the cover – served up as the long-awaited debut album from this cool European combo! The album's got a feel that's somewhere between 60s spy soundtracks and Brit library work – but also carries a tighter, funkier groove overall – a contemporary ear for the best funky elements of the old days, served up with production styles that continue a very classic groove! The whole thing's a real unexpected delight – a set that grabs us with the same sort of energy as the older Blow Up scene during its best years – with no kitsch, no nonsense, and a brilliant sense of sound throughout. Titles include "Bengali Corporation", "Bumblebee", "Sitarmania", "Fuzz Party", "Per La Riviera Tolonesa", "La Panthere Pop", "Jerk A La Vague", and "Moog Traffic". (Deep Funk, New Grooves) CD

Genius work from a man who's ready to take on the best bossa arrangers of the 60s! Guitarist Carl Henry Breuggen may hail from Chicago, but he's got a sound that's as sunny as Rio and the Italian Riviera all put together – a wonderful wash of light strings, bossa rhythms, gentle guitar, and wordless female vocals that are enough to rival the best Italian soundtracks of the glory years. The production on the entire set is incredible – arranged with Claus Ogerman-like perfection, and recorded at a level that's far beyond that of most bossa-revival work these days. All three tunes fit together perfectly – and although the CD's a short one, it's completely without fault to our ears – and is a title that we're gladly stocking next to classics like Jobim's Stoneflower and Wave albums for CTI! CD