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A great blend of Brazilian roots and piano jazz – played here by a trio that's all-solid, all the way through – serving up some really wonderful music that never relies on bossa cliches, or any sort of tricks and gimmicks! Instead, there's a really rich mixing of modes – one that's so deep down, it comes through with its own fresh flavor out on the top – thanks to magically fluid work from the trio of Helio Alves on piano, Nilson Matta on bass, and Duduka Da Fonseca on drums! There's plenty of sets out there that boast titles and concepts like this one – but trust us when we say that this trio's really head and shoulders above most of the rest. Titles include "Embalo", "O Cantador", "Cosntelacao", "O Boto", "Luiza", "Bolivia", "Isabella", and "Quebra Pedra".

Samba jazz, but lots more too – a set that's got plenty of dark edges amidst the warmer rhythms – which makes for one of the most compelling albums we've heard so far from drummer Duduka Da Fonseca! The group's a quintet, with some especially nice work on tenor from Anat Cohen – whose tone really helps flesh out the sound of the record, and bring in a strong sense of depth – amidst some lighter sounds from Guilherme Monteiro on guitar and Helio Alves on piano. Lenoardo Cioglia rounds out the combo on bass – and titles include "O Guarana", "The Peacocks", "Rancho Das Nuvens", "Sabor Carioca", "Depois Da Chuva", and "Melancia".

Very early work from the team of Ricardo Ray and Bobby Cruz – a stone cooker that shows that they were perfectly matched, right from the start! The rhythms are super-tight – way more so than on later recordings – and the instrumentation has all the jazzy flourishes that really seem to set the vocals soaring – a fluid, soulful style that really shows the changes this young pair were bringing to Latin music at the time! The whole thing's great – not really Latin soul, but a great precursor, with equally open energy – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Viva Richie Ray", "Yenyere Jala Jala", "Bravo De Verdad", "Mi Guaguanco", "El Montuno De Hoy", and "Pachanga Medley".

A rare 80s set from Astrud Gilberto – cut at a time when she was hardly doing any new recording at all! As you'll guess from the title, the album has Gilberto teaming up with German groovemaker James Last – who handles all the orchestrations for the record, and shows a surprising sensitivity towards Astrud's bossa styles in his music. Last can sometimes be a bit over the top, but he's quite subtle here – leaving lots of room for Gilberto's sweetly sensitive vocals, and the music of her core combo, which features Romero Lubambo on guitar and Dudu Da Fonseca on percussion. Paulo Jobim guests on vocals and guitar on a few tracks – and titles include "Aqua De Beber", "Champagne & Caviar", "Samba Do Soho", and "Saci".

A great reminder of the impact of the music of John Lennon on the sounds of Brazil – as the set features remakes of Lennon's tunes by a list of top-shelf heavyweights that includes Ze Ramalho, Gilberto Gil, Arnaldo Baptista, Zelia Duncan, Nando Reis, Milton Nascimento, and others! Most tunes are taken in a relatively straight way – a very respectful adherence to the sound of solo Lennon in the post-Beatles years, with just some occasional touches to personalize the music for each artist. Celso Fonseca directed the whole project – and titles include "Look At Me" by Zelia Duncan, "Bless You" by Toni Platao, "Beautiful Boy" by Lulu Santos, "Give Peace A Chance" by Arnaldo Baptista, "Imagine" by Gilberto Gil & Milton Nascimento, "Mind Games" by Nando Reis, and "Instant Karma" by Lobao.