Sweet and jazzy pop from early 70s Brazil – a great little album that we'd rank with our favorites by Marcos Valle and Edu Lobo! Arthur Verocai isn't nearly as well-known as those two, but he works in a similar territory – taking jazz, large arrangements, and nice touches of electric funk – and working them into a groove that has the soaring and ambitious feel of the best post-Tropicalia work of 70s Brazil! This rare gem was self-produced, and fell of the map almost as soon as it was released – but it really deserves wider recognition, and shines with a depth that makes it an instant classic to our ears! Titles include "Presente Grego", "Caboclo", "Pelas Sombras", "O Mapa", "Sylvia", "Karina", "Velho Parente", and "Dedicada A Ela". CD

The music of Lebanon never got much global exposure during the 70s – but it's clear that Ferkat Al Ard was bringing plenty of the globe's influences to play on this amazing record – mixing together bits of electric funk, Brazilian jazz, and soulful strings at a level that completely transcends the boundaries of language! The set's a bit like the classic self-titled set by Arthur Verocai from the 70s – music that's completely in a space that's all its own, and which has legendary properties, but also opens up to the listener with charms of its own that require no history or introduction at all – a set that's both personal and majestic at the same time, and which has charms that are impossible to put in words, but which grab you the moment you first give the set a listen. Titles include "Matar Naem", "Juma'A 6 Hziran", "Oghneya", "Matar Al Sabah", "Entazerni", and "Lahnon Lemra'Ati Wa Beladi". CD

An album with as much depth and richness as the title might imply – a wonderful record from Chico Buarque's newly sophisticated years at the end of the 70s! The set's got a quality that's almost timeless – an interwoven blend of styles that features some of Chico's modes from earlier years, but also an influence that's almost European at times – an approach that has Buarque rising up with some of the great global singer/songwriters, transcending standard MPB with a sense of confidence and personality that's really amazing. Arrangements are by Francis Hime, Tom Jobim, and Roberto Menescal – and most tracks have some prominent guitar played gently, but effectively next to the vocals – handled by players who include Octavio Burnier, Arthur Verocai, and Geraldo Azevedo. Titles are nearly all originals by Chico – with tracks that include "Vida", "Ja Passou", "Fantasia", "Qualquer Cancao", "Nao Sonho Mais", "Bye Bye Brasil", "Morena De Angola", and "De Todas As Maneiras". CD

A beautifully groovy album from Celia Reis – maybe the hippest set ever from this Brazilian singer who was equally at home in samba and bossa modes! Production and arrangements are by Arthur Verocai – which will give you an idea of the creativity that went into the record – as Verocai creates all these ambitious grooves that are very much in the best territory of some of the funky Marcos Valle work at the start of the 70s – basslines dipping under strings, all topped with Celia's wonderful vocals – which have a power here that we've never heard on other records – almost a Gal Costa sort of touch! Tracks include tunes by Valle, Verocai, and others – and titles include "Em Familia", "Mia", "Vida De Artista", "Dominus Tecum", "Ay Adelita", "Toda Quarta Feira Depois Do Amor", "A Hora E Essa", "E Preciso Dizer ADeus", and "Badalacao". CD

Fantastic sounds from the Far Out Monster Disco Orchestra – a group with family ties to Azymuth and Incognito, and who work here in the best blend of Brazilian and soulful elements that might imply! The ensemble is a crowning achievement for the Far Out label – a summation of all the great work they've done from the London scene, including their reintroduction of key Brazilian musicians of the 70s – all soaring to the skies here, with a richly collaborative energy! The group features lots of keyboards from Jose Roberto Bertrami, guitars from Alex Malheiros, and keyboards and rhythms from Daniel Maunick – plus great contributions from many others, including some help from the legendary Arthur Verocai. Most tunes groove in a mighty nice way – not vintage disco, but a soaring, righteous 21st Century version of club – on tunes that include "Step Into My Life", "Flying High", "Black Sun", "The Two Of Us", "Walking Bass", "Give It To Me", and "Where Do We Go From Here". CD also features bonus instrumentals of most songs on the album! CD

Gorgeous sounds from Xenia Franca – a Brazilian soul singer with a sound and style that should make her huge, if the world has any justice – but who's also more than great enough as the kind of special discovery that keeps us searching for unusual music from around the globe! Xenia's got a voice that's incredible – every bit as rich and powerful as any American female soul singer in recent years, but set to arrangements and instrumentation that are more inventive than anything in the mainstream – and which seem to get a special sort of crispy crackle from the Portuguese in the lyrics. We loved her first album, but this one is even more amazing – with titles that include "Magica", "From The Heights", "Ancestral Infinito", "Futurivel", "Interstelar", and "Animus X Anima", which features a guest appearance from Arthur Verocai! CD

A really wonderful project that was years in the making – a mix of American club and Brazilian elements – put together by a group that includes members of Azymuth and Banda Black Rio, as well as the legendary Arthur Verocai! Jose Roberto Bertrami's the strongest contributor here – and the music really echoes that great late 70s/early 80s point when the Azymuth fusion groove crossed over into tighter, funkier territory – coming off here with a sound that's got really universal appeal and a wickedly classic vibe overall – like some unusual cross-breeding of Brazilian grooves and Salsoul Records! Vocals are by Mia Mendes and Marcina Arnold, but the instrumentation is even better than the lyrics – filled with jazzy touches, blended with bits of strings, and perfectly produced all the way through. Really tremendous stuff – one of the freshest records we've heard from Far Out in years – with titles that include "Mystery", "Keep Believing", "Dead Dance", "The Last Carnival", "A Disco Supreme", "Vendetta", and "Don't Cha Know He's Alright". 2CD set features 8 more bonus remix tracks too! CD

A tremendous lost masterpiece from Jose Mauro – a less-remembered figure in Brazilian music at the start of the 70s – but one we'd rank right up there with the best of the time, on a short list that would include Marcos Valle, Milton Nascimento, and Arthur Verocai! Like those three giants, Mauro's got a way with a tune that's completely his own, and very different than music taking place in the Anglo scene at the time – sophisticated, but never full of itself – personal, but also always reaching for higher ideas too – set up in these sublime arrangements by Roberto Quartin, who recorded the date for his own famous label – with a killer studio group that includes Dom Salvador on organ and piano, Paulo Moura on alto, sax, and Wilson Das Neves on drums. Jose's vocals are fantastic, as is his subtle use of acoustic guitar – and arrangements on the set are by Maestro Gaya, who you might know from a wealth of brilliant work for the EMI/Odeon label in Brazil. The set includes three never-issued tracks – "Rua Dois", "Moenda", and "Variacao Sobre Um Antigo Tem" – plus "A Viagem Das Horas", "O Nino", "Morango Encanto", "O Oitava Morada", "Romanza", and "O Cavaleiro De Antonina". CD

Strictly Samba, and strictly great stuff – a mix of contemporary work from the Far Out label and a host of other artists too – almost all of whom work here in a relatively classic mode! Although most of the tunes are recent, they'd fit right next to some of your classic samba sides from years past – thanks to an adherence to rootsy percussion, acoustic instrumentation, and recording techniques that really let the vocals come through strongly – adding a bold sense of soul to the music that really makes it groove. The package is really well done – and the non Far Out tracks make it way more than a straight label sampler – with work that includes "Beleza Beleza Beleza" by Trio Mocoto, "Era Bom" by The Ipanemas, "Maria Jose" by Nereu Mocoto & Swing, "Swingue Do Samba" by Roge, "Foi Um Rio Que Passou Em Minha Vida" by Tereza Cristina E Grupo Semente, "Sorri Pra Nos" by Armando Marcal, "Na Cadencia Do Samba" by Grupo Batuque, "Tudo De Bom" by Arthur Verocai, "Jongo Jade" by Aparecindinha, "Casamento Na Favela" by Zaira, and "Samba De Silvia" by Joyce. CD