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A rare early album by the legend Brazilian guitar genius – still bossa, but also recorded in the US – which gives the album a stronger jazz feel at times! The core focus here is still on Bonfa's lively guitar solos – but the presence of added jazz musicians make for a set that's a bit fuller and richer than some of the more solo-styled album from Luiz – not exactly Verve bossa, but somewhere close – and a wonderful record that manages to capture the best side of Bonfa's lyrical genius – thanks to a mix of original sambas and bossa tunes, plus Bonfa-ized versions of some American standards. Titles include "Brasilia", "Island Of Trinidade", "Blue Madrid", "Old Times", "Indian Dance", "Marajo", and "Arabesque".

A standout early album from Luiz Bonfa – one that features larger orchestrations than a number of his other sides, as well as a good blend of vocals in addition to Bonfa's haunting work on guitar. The album's got a full, rich sound – one that takes Bonfa to territory that we'd never expected, showing him to be a much more expressive artist than you'd hear on some of his "guitar with arrangements" sets. Maria Toledo sings on a few numbers as well, and titles include "Melancolia", "Mania De Maria", "Amor Demais", "Menina Flor", "Chorou Chorou", "Fio De Cancao", and "Indiferenca".

One of the better early bossa albums by Bonfa, and one that doesn't have the sleepy quality that you find on some of his other records. Luiz' guitar is backed by a nice little combo, and the tracks have a lively rhythm, with occasional vocals, and some nice flute solos from time to time. The whole thing sounds a bit like an early Baden Powell session – and includes the tracks "Amor Em Brasilia", "Amor De Solidao", "Murmurio", "Inquietacao", "Voce Chegou Sorrindo", and "Saudade De Bahia". Also issued in Brazil under the title O Violao E O Samba.

A pretty darn nice set of tracks that has Luiz mellow moody guitar augmented by some breezy easy arrangements by Pete Spargo. The overall feel is less bossa than it is mellow pop instrumental – but there's a wonderfully airy quality on the best tracks, with guitar, piano, and some wordless vocals floating around very nicely. Titles include "Xavente", "Non Stop To Brazil", "Sanctuary", "Tijuca", "Giselle", and "On The Sand".

Great guitar from Luiz Bonfa – two albums that have the bossa legend moving way past his roots! Introspection has Bonfa recording in New York – a superb solo guitar session that has him playing the instrument as a "miniature orchestra", shading in a rich array of colors, tones, and harmonic spaces through his expert manipulation of the strings. There's still a bit of his earlier bossa phrasing in the record – but it mostly shows Bonfa as a richly talented individual on his instrument, moving past simple instrumental modes into virtuoso territory! Titles include "Adventure In Space", "Reflections", "Enchanted Mirror", "Concerto For Guitar", and "Rain". New Face Of Luiz Bonfa is a wickedly wonderful record from Luiz Bonfa – one that has his bossa-inflected guitar style supported by larger arrangements by Marty Manning. The feel is kind of bossa meets 60s easy meets early CTI – as Manning's work reminds us a lot of the larger orchestrations penned by Don Sebesky or Claus Ogerman at the end of the 60s, a perfect foil for the tighter guitar work of Bonfa – making the album one of the best showcases of his style from the time! Tracks include "Helicopter 274", "Window Girl", "Peixe Bom", "Salvador", and "Africana" – and the record sounds like a lost 70s Italian soundtrack!

A pair of bossa classics – back to back on a single CD! The first Jazz Samba set is one of those records that no home should be without – not only a pivotal album in the growth of bossa nova in the 60s – but a set that also really helped set the career of tenorist Stan Getz on fire! The real credit here might almost go to guitarist Charlie Byrd – as Byrd was a big early proponent of bossa nova rhythms, and had already been experimenting with them on his records of the time – yet also gets a key extra "umph" here in the presence of Stan's tenor – a bold, rich, soulful sound that really helps give the music a lot of direction – in ways that still resonate strongly all these many years later! Getz is completely sublime – a master of tone and timing throughout – and perfectly fit to these tunes. Rhythms are mostly from Byrd's trio, augmented with some extra percussion – and titles include the classic "Desafinado", plus "E Luxo So", "Samba Dees Days", "Samba Triste", "O Pato", "Samba De Uma Nota So", and "Baia". Jazz Samba Encore is hardly an "encore" of the first Stan Getz Jazz Samba album – as this set's got a slightly different feel, and lots of great elements that make it really unique! This time around, Brazilian musician Luiz Bonfa is on guitar – already a skilled proponent of the bossa by the time of the record, and arguably one of the few who really got it going back home in Rio. Stan's tenor sounds wonderful – as carefully and soufully blown as on the first set, but also with some new colors and tones too. Bonfa's wife Maria Toledo sings a bit on the record – hinting at Stan's work to come with Astrud Gilberto (this album was cut right before the Getz/Gilberto collaboration) – and the record also features added work on piano and guitar from the great Antonio Carlos Jobim – more than enough proof that the album's got a pure bossa pedigree! Titles include "Menina Flor", "Ebony Samba", "Saudade Vem Correndo", "Sambalero", "Samba De Duas Notas", and "Mania De Maria".

A relatively mellow vocal outing from Ithamara Koorax – a voice that was introduced to us from her appearances on some groovy Brazilian dancefloor tunes, including some of those from Dom Um Romao's albums! The style here is quite different – very laidback, and in the ballad mode you'd expect from the "love" in the title. Instrumentation is a blend of mellow Brazilian and American jazz styles – with work by Jose Roberto Bertrami, Dom Um Romao, Luiz Bonfa, and Nelson Angelo – on titles that include "I Loved You", "Love Dance", "La Puerta", "Man Alone", "Amparo", and "Someday".

A really unusual album from guitarist Al Viola – all solo material, recorded in the mid 50s – and quite a change from some of the more dynamic albums that Al would record in later years! The guitar here has a warmly acoustic feel, yet is still quite jazz-based overall – yet also, in a way, prefaces some of the styles that would soon come from the bossa generation – such as work from Luiz Bonfa, some of the Latin-tinged sides of Laurindo Almeida, or some later studies on the guitar by Baden Powell! Yet the early date of the record really makes the whole thing stand out, and sound very fresh – on titles that include "Nocturne", "Alone Together", "Warm Valley", "Don't Blame Me", "My Romance", and "I'll Remember April".

Music from Joao Gilberto, Luiz Bonfa, Baden Powell & others.

Groovy stuff – with a great 60s Capitol finish! Jack Marshall arranged this set of 10 songs, half of which are Jobim songs, with other songs written by Joao Gilberto, Menescal, Luiz Bonfa and 2 songs credited to Jack Marshall. Songs include "Girl From Ipanema", "Manha De Carnival", "Meditacao", "Here Lies Love", "Ho-Ba-La-La", "Bim-Bom", "Desafinado", "Corcovado", "One Note Samba", "These Are The Ways Of Love", and "O Barquinho".

A beautiful collection of work from the legendary Joao Gilberto – some of the most important bossa nova recordings ever, plus a fair bit of rarities as well! The first CD in the set features three full early albums from Gilberto – Chega De Saudade, O Amor O Sorriso E A Flor, and Joao Gilberto – each a masterpiece in understatement – with breathy vocals and light guitar from the maestro, plus light percussion and orchestrations that never overwhelm at all – but simply hang their in air, and shade the songs with these really gentle hues and colors. The second CD features lots of rare material – including work from the film Copacabana Palace, with Gilberto, Norma Benguell, Luiz Bonfa, and others – and early recordings from Elizete Cardoso, Os Cariocas, and Joao himself. The set features 64 tracks in all, packaged in two groovy record sleeves with a booklet inside a slipcover!

Maybe the greatest album we've ever heard from bassist Nilson Matta – a set that mixes Brazilian jazz modes with a much more complex approach – all in a style that offers up a really rich reworking of the famous soundtrack to the film Black Orpheus! The original score by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfa is augmented by key passages from Matta himself – and other moments feature just spare percussion and cuica, in ways that recall the almost-ethnographic quality of the the original film recording. Yet together, these elements are all interwoven into a rich musical tapestry with a shimmering sense of sound – pulled together from diverse contributions by artists who include Kenny Barron on piano, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Anat Cohen on clarinet, Guilherme Monteiro on guitar, Anne Drummond on flute, and Leny Andrade on vocals. Titles include "Batucada", "A Felicidade", "Samba De Orfeu", "Repinique Interlude", "Ascend My Love", "Violao Interlude", "Hugs & Kisses", "Um Nome De Milher", and "Frevo De Orfeu".

Even though Paul Winter's always been a little bit of a phony, this bossa LP on Columbia is pretty good stuff! The record was recorded with some of Brazil's best bossa players – like Luiz Bonfa, Roberto Menescal, and Luiz Eca (of Tamba Trio fame). John Hammond produced the session, so you can be sure it's got the kind of rootsy sound that will make the tracks have a bit more kick than if the album was in the hands of a regular pop-bossa producer. Titles include "Avion", "Reza", "Vagamente", "Ela E Carioca", "Zomba", and "Alem Da Imaginacao".

A great guitar session from late 60s Brazil – bossa at its core, but with some other groovy touches too! Guitarist Heraldo Do Monte plays light acoustic, in a style that's right up there with Luiz Bonfa or Baden Powell – but the overall setting of the album also gives a nod towards some of the more advanced changes going on in Brazilian instrumental music at the time – the first inkling of some of the Blue Brazil touches from EMI/Odeon, with a deeper sophistication in some of the arrangements than just straight bossa. A few moments are straight ahead, mixed with others that have a nice degree of darkness – and titles include "Teletema", "My Cherie Amour", "Recit De Cassard", "Que Maravilha", "Casa Forte", and "Moanin".

Maybe the greatest album we've ever heard from bassist Nilson Matta – a set that mixes Brazilian jazz modes with a much more complex approach – all in a style that offers up a really rich reworking of the famous soundtrack to the film Black Orpheus! The original score by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfa is augmented by key passages from Matta himself – and other moments feature just spare percussion and cuica, in ways that recall the almost-ethnographic quality of the the original film recording. Yet together, these elements are all interwoven into a rich musical tapestry with a shimmering sense of sound – pulled together from diverse contributions by artists who include Kenny Barron on piano, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Anat Cohen on clarinet, Guilherme Monteiro on guitar, Anne Drummond on flute, and Leny Andrade on vocals. Titles include "Batucada", "A Felicidade", "Samba De Orfeu", "Repinique Interlude", "Ascend My Love", "Violao Interlude", "Hugs & Kisses", "Um Nome De Milher", and "Frevo De Orfeu".