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One of Azymuth's best-remembered albums from their American years on Milestone – a really killer classic that beautifully blends Brazilian and American styles of fusion! There's a simple, elegant feel to these tunes that takes off nicely from the group's previous album for Atlantic in Brazil – a pushing forward of the soulful sides of their style, but with just the right blend of quirkier elements as well – one that still keeps the edge of the early years, yet helps the group reach out with a wonderfully warm sound! Most tracks are quite spare, and without any too-smooth polishing in production – and titles include the classic "Jazz Carnival", a funky fusion classic if there ever was one – plus "Light As A Feather", "Avenida Das Manguerias", "This Exists", "Partido Alto", "Dona Olimpia", "Amazonia", and "Young Embrace". CD also features four bonus tracks – "Jazz Carnival (full original mix)", "Avenida Das Manguerias (SS translation by Theo Parrish)", "Jazz Carnival (Yambee rework by Ashley Beedle & Yam Who)", and "Codsall Juniors" by Mark E.

Warm, wonderful, and incredibly far-reaching in scope – possibly the most ambitious record cut by Azymuth in recent years – a perfect blend of jazzy fusion, Brazilian rhythms, and some of the London broken beat culture that the group have come into contact with through their label, Far Out. The sound is clean and spare – a dance between percussion and keyboards that reminds us how great Azymuth can sound when they keep things simple. A few cuts have vocals, but the overall approach is instrumental – and the record features production and programming by Roc Hunter, and was recorded by Kirk Degiorgio. Titles include "Tempo Classico", "Em Marica", "Partido Novo", "Sudade Do Doutor", "Nome Dele E Joan", "Algoado Doce", and "Rede De Espera". CD has 12 tracks in all.

While in the post fusion years when lite jazz was beginning to take off a lot of jazz and fusion artists got a bit lost, Azymuth continued to make a number of fine recordings, some of the best of their career. Bertrami and crew continue to groove along in their tight Brazilian fusion mode, with a spacious airiness and a wonderful modern groove. We especially dig the mellow grooves of "Tropical Horizon" and "Diza", while the acoustic and vocal number "Tempo A Bessa" is also quite nice. Also includes "Bossa Nova USA", "O Pescador" and "Hobalala".

One of Azymuth's best-remembered albums from their American years on Milestone – a really killer classic that beautifully blends Brazilian and American styles of fusion! There's a simple, elegant feel to these tunes that takes off nicely from the group's previous album for Atlantic in Brazil – a pushing forward of the soulful sides of their style, but with just the right blend of quirkier elements as well – one that still keeps the edge of the early years, yet helps the group reach out with a wonderfully warm sound! Most tracks are quite spare, and without any too-smooth polishing in production – and titles include the classic "Jazz Carnival", a funky fusion classic if there ever was one – plus "Light As A Feather", "Avenida Das Manguerias", "This Exists", "Partido Alto", "Dona Olimpia", "Amazonia", and "Young Embrace".

Wicked Fantasy/Milestone work from Azymuth – really burning strong here with a soulful fusion vibe, and always hitting all the right notes in their music! The sound here is still relatively spare, and sublimely reliant on the keyboards of Jose Roberto Bertrami – who plays Fender Rhodes, organ, and percussion on the set. Ivan Conti handles the main percussion, though – a great mix of tight work on the drum kit and rootsier, Airto-like elements that are totally great – and the whole thing's driven along nicely by bass and guitar from Alex Malheiros. Guests include Aleuda on percussion and vocals, Gordinho on surdo, and Doto on repinique – and titles include "Papasong", "Outubro", "Maracan", "Un Amigo", "Carta Pro Airto", and "Dear Limmertz".

We never get enough of Jose Roberto Bertrami's vocoded vocal melodies! Sparkling Brazilian fusion, from the prolific Azymuth, with laid back grooves and light melodies, but not "lite" jazz. One of their more mellow outings, at most these tracks might approach mid-tempo, with a beautiful spaciousness throughout. Eight tracks in all, including "Tu Mi Delirio", "Broken Key", "If You'd Like To Know", Marcos Valle's "Pygmalion", the title track and "Samba Da Barra".

Jazzy dancefloor grooves from the legendary Azymuth – with remixes by Theo Parrish and LTJ Xperience – who work some magic on a couple of classic numbers from the Light As Feather record! Both producers are respectful of the original jams – with the spacey soul keys and funky bass on "Avenida Das Mangueiras" in full effect – and a nice club ready beat underneath – courtesy of Theo Parrish. The LTJ Xperience remix of "Partido Alto" is sweet, too – with a thick bassline and overall hazy, tripped out disco feel.

One of Azymuth's best-remembered albums from their American years on Milestone – a really killer classic that beautifully blends Brazilian and American styles of fusion! There's a simple, elegant feel to these tunes that takes off nicely from the group's previous album for Atlantic in Brazil – a pushing forward of the soulful sides of their style, but with just the right blend of quirkier elements as well – one that still keeps the edge of the early years, yet helps the group reach out with a wonderfully warm sound! Most tracks are quite spare, and without any too-smooth polishing in production – and titles include the classic "Jazz Carnival", a funky fusion classic if there ever was one – plus "Light As A Feather", "Avenida Das Manguerias", "This Exists", "Partido Alto", "Dona Olimpia", "Amazonia", and "Young Embrace".

Ron Trent and Jose Rico working together as Indigenous Travels – on a single that serves as a tribute to Azymuth's Jose Roberto Bertrami – and sure enough, it's got the tropical percussion and Brazilian flavour to show for it! "Paradise Ritmito Carnival" really does show some love for the feverish percussion and spacey atmoshere of Azymuth – blended with the cosmic clubby soul of Ron Trent and Downbeat Records' Jose Rico.

Always-lovely work from Sabrina Malheiros – serving up a sublime blend of Brazilian roots and soulful overtones – a style that's easily made her one of the best artists on the Far Out label over the years! Sabrina's got a family lineage that traces back to Azymuth – and the music here has the similar blend of fusion instrumentation, earthy Brazilian percussion, and soaring American soul that you'll find in the best classics by that group – all with the added special spark that comes from her sweet vocals too! Production and arrangements are by Daniel Venom Maunick, who brings in a slight dose of Incognito soul too – really making for a record that's quite possibly the best we've heard from Sabrina so far – and that's saying a heck of a lot. Titles include "Lirio De Venus", "Bobeira", "Opara", "Candeia", "Fragil", "Can't Hide Love", "Primeira", and "Paranoia".

A second amazing look at the Cosmic club scene in early 80s Italy – a book-like package that tells the story of DJ Daniele Baldelli, complete with text in English and Italian, and lots of vintage photos – then goes onto include two CDs' worth of vintage music, all selected by Baldelli himself! As with the first volume, there's lots of electricity in the music – the kind of keyboard-heavy grooves that really defined the sound of Cosmic – mixed with some warm numbers that also show the emergence of some African and Brazilian influences on the dancefloor. Titles include "Salaly Muhamed" by Toure Kunda, "No B" by Explorer, "Song From India" by SFF, "Robot Is Systematic" by Lectric Workers, "Ink Man" by Kevin Harrison, "All Right All Right All Right" by Prima Volta, "Massa Massa" by Zara Thustra, "Air Pocket" by Roger Powell, and "Young Embrace" by Azymuth. One CD is mixed, the other unmixed, and book is full color – over 100 pages long!

A HUGE batch of samba-soul grooves from Seu Jorge! Jorge previously knocked around Brazil as a member of the late 90s pop group Farofa Carioca, but his first solo outing is a massive step forward into the upper echelon of the Brazilian scene! Like the best of his contemporaries, Jorge uses the rich history of samba and bossa as a springboard – but it's the pronounced contemporary qualities, such as production and mix work by Beastie Boy producer Mario Caldato – that push Carolina way over the top and make it much more than a genre exercise! The title track echoes the earlier work of Jorge Ben, who actually pens the reggae-inflected tune "Em Nagoya Eu Vi Eriko", and the tracks "Mangueira" and "O Samba Tai" have the classic samba groove and crisp background vocals that would sound right in place on Tom Ze's Se O Caso E Chorar. "Hagua" has a deep reggae thump, and nearly everything here has kind of a 70s soul feel thanks to some bright, almost Kool & The Gang-like horn arrangements! The group includes Azymuth drummer Mamao, Paulinho Black on bass, Banda Black Rio's William Magalhaes on keyboards, and Josimar Monteiro on violin. Another great new solo artist from Brazil, and one that we expect amazing things from in the years to come!

The deepest jazz funk material Madlib has ever laid down – possibly the best album yet from Yesterday's New Quintet – featuring turns at freewheeling avant funk, electro jazz groove, furious sound library styles, a few chill moments, and a boundless sound overall! Yesterday's Universe features 15 unique tracks – purportedly played by 10 acts (The Last Electro, The Jahari Massamba Unit, The Eddie Prince Fusion Band, Young Jazz Rebels, etc), but in truth it's all from the feverishly talented mind of Madlib – with special guests including drummer Karriem Riggins and Azymuth precussionist Mamao! It's heavily steeped in fusion funk, but we're equally impressed by the cooler, slightly straighter moments – which display just how wide of a grasp Madlib has on the deepest, darkest corners of the spectrum. The wide range of influences flows naturally – amazing work from one of the most talented wizards in the game! Titles include a heady adaptation of "Bitches Brew", "Umoja (Unity)", "Slave Riot", "One For The Monica Lingas Band", "Street Talkin'", "Marcus, Martin & Malcolm", "Two For Strata East", "Cold Nights And Rainy Days", "Mtume's Song", "Vibes From The Tribes Suite (For Phil)", "Upa Neguinho" and more.