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There's almost a jazz-like complexity to the accordion work of Ze Calixto on this excellent 70s set – a quality that definitely shows that he's one of the most accomplished player on his instrument in Brazil at the time! The music is forro, but has an extra-special something going on –... read more

Smoking work on accordion from Ze Calixto – working here in a great blend of rootsy rhythms and complicated lines that perfectly sums up the sound of forro in Brazil! The sound of his instrument is as smooth as Ze's look on the cover – but the rhythms help give the set a nice bite... read more

A wealth of early work from the lovely Celly Campello – one of the biggest girl pop icons in the Brazilian scene of the 60s! Celly's work is more inspired by American rock and roll than previous Brazilian styles – and as such, these records are a crucial part in the formation of the... read more

Lovely samba work from Candeia – a singer with a voice that's richly expressive, but often without any effort at all – a laidback approach that's instantly compelling, laid over some lively old school arrangements! There's a bit of horns mixed in with the percussion and backing vocals... read more

A gem of a record from the pre-bossa years in Brazil – a set that's not just noteworthy for rich vocals from Elizeth Cardoso, but also for some early arrangements by Antonio Carlos Jobim! Jobim scored the whole set – and while the style is quite different than his later bossa material,... read more

A totally great compilation of work from Beth Carvalhos – a set that brings together early sides recorded for the Odeon and Tapecar labels, many of which haven't been on CD for years! The package spans a space of 10 years – 1965 through 1975 – and the first two CDs in the set are... read more

Sublime work from Alaide Costa – a beautifully mature album from the late 80s, and one that has her working with a host of great guest help from the Milton Nascimento camp, and the jazzier side of the MPB spectrum! In addition to vocals from Milton on one cut, the set also features... read more

Warmly wonderful sounds from Maria Creuza – really coming into her own at the time of this mid 80s set – and finding a way to blend together rootsy sounds and sophisticated production – all with a result that's a bit like Gal Costa at the time! There's a gentle feel to the set... read more

Pure magic from the lovely Maria Creuza – a singer who only seems to get more soulful as the years go on! The set's got a different feel than some of Maria's earlier work – rootsy some minutes, but with a soul-styled sophistication at others – often arranged with jazzy... read more

An album that bristles with soul and life from the very first note – one of a great run of 70s samba sets recorded by Xango Da Mangueira – all of them pretty darn great! This one's got all the right elements firmly in place – immediately catchy rhythms served up by simple... read more

Wonderful work from the later years of Moreira Da Silva – a quartet of albums recorded for the Odeon label at the end of the 50s, and which really show Da Silva hitting a mature sort of stride! The timing was perfect for these sets – as improved studio techniques in Brazil really... read more

An overlooked gem from 80s Brazil – a rare bit of indie samba work from Luiz Carlos Da Vila – and a record that's definitely a cut above the usual material in the genre! There's a wonderfully rich sound to the record right from the start – soulful vocals from Luiz Carlos, and... read more

Early samba work from the mighty Martino Da Vila – music recorded with help from some key contemporaries in the underground scene, in the years before his big albums of the 70s! The sound here is nice and raw – and very spontaneous, too – as the artists come together in a very... read more

Easygoing samba sounds from Mano Decio Da Viola – an overlooked 70s gem, but a set that stands with the best of Mano's bigger contemporaries in the samba scene! Mano's vocals have this raspy, personal feel – almost as if he's speaking instead of singing at some points – although... read more

The only album we've ever seen from Gilson De Souza – and a great bit of 70s samba with a really deep sort of feel! Gilson's got a laidback way of singing that's mighty nice – still enough punch to get things going, but couched in these really lovely backings that often have some... read more

Wonderful work from a percussionist extraordinaire – and a heck of a vocalist too – caught live here in a beautiful Brazilian TV setting from the early 70s! The performance is a great illustration of the enduring charm of Jackson Do Pandeiro – both his effortless skill on his... read more

An amazing live performance from the legendary Joao Donato – captured here at the height of his 70s revival years, but with a spirit that hearkens back to his classic work of the bossa generation! The setting is spare and stark – classic Ensaio footage from TV, with a strong focus on... read more

Amazing work from one of the coolest Brazilian combos of the 50s – the group of keyboardist Djalma Ferreira – an ensemble that had a great influence on the later sound of bossa and samba in the 60s! The group works in a cool combination of American jazz modes and rootsier Brazilian... read more

An incredible bit of soundtrack work by Gilberto Gil – and one of his best albums! The record was originally recorded to accompany the work of director Rogerio Szanzerla, and it's a wonderful mix of samba, jazz, and post-Tropicalia psychedelia – all recorded in a warm intimate style... read more

Some of the earliest work ever recorded by Gilberto Gil – served up here in a really great 2CD set! The first CD in the set a beautiful album of rough-hewn samba tracks, done in a really lively style! Gil's great vocals are very firmly in the lead of the album's arrangements – and... read more

A very groovy record with a very fitting title – especially once you hear the lyrics of the tunes! The Girls From Bahia are actually the Quarteto Em Cy – one of the best harmony groups of the bossa era, and famous for classic recordings on the Elenco label – but working here in a... read more

A rare American session from the Quarteto Em Cy – working here under the name of The Girls From Bahia, and singing in English as well as Portuguese! The album's got a sound that's quite similar to the group's classic 60s Brazilian records on Elenco – thanks to bossa-heavy backings from... read more

The legendary Brazilian vocal group – caught live on the Ensaio TV program! The performance is from much later years in the Golden Boys' history – far from the time of their 60s hits – but the vocals are still wonderful, and captured here with an intimacy that really lives up to... read more

Excellent work from Jorginho Do Imperio – a lesser-known sambista from 70s Brazil, but one who really shines brightly on this rare little set! There's a beautifully stripped-down feel to the whole thing – just Jorginho's rich vocals in the lead, and loads of lively instrumental work on... read more

Joyous samba from Jorginho Do Imperio – served up with really lively backing from Os Nacionais! The percussion and acoustic string lines are wonderful right from the start – more than enough, even without Jorginho's great lead vocals – which serve to really give the tunes focus,... read more

Rare early work from Joyce – a much-needed collection that brings together all the hard-to-find early bits recorded by this fantastic Brazilian singer – songs from compilations, live albums, singles, soundtracks, and other obscure sources! The 20 track set is a real treasure trove if... read more

A gem of a record from the early 60s – a freewheeling set of bossa jazz, played by the combo of tenor saxophonist Juarez! There's a fluid, open groove to the record that's mighty nice – really romping rhythms that set fire to the tenor of Juarez right from the start – as he moves... read more

Killer bossa jazz from tenor saxophonist Juarez – billed as a New York record on the cover, but a real Brazilian cooker all the way through! The only "New York" aspect of the set seems to be the American tunes chosen for the date – which are then recast with some sweet bossa... read more

Amazing bossa jazz from Brazilian tenor saxophonist Juarez – a record that moves and grooves with an even harder edge than any American session of the type from the time – with lots of raw percussion that sounds really great next to the soulful tenor! The album's quite early in the... read more

A festival of samba from mid 70s Brazil – a set that's packaged with an unassuming title and cover, but which contains a host of excellent samba tunes throughout! The artists' names are slightly submerged in the presentation – but the record smokes like some of the best music from the... read more

An overlooked 70s treasure from the great Carlos Lyra – and quite a different set than his more famous work of the bossa nova generation! The album's got some really wonderful electric piano – used in ways that help soften and deepen the feel of Lyra's aging vocals – similar to... read more

A crucial set of work from the overlooked Jards Macale – one of the hippest cats in Brazilian music during the 70s, heard here on one of his best early albums! The music here is really at the crossroads – a combination of the folksy edge of the 60s work of Geraldo Vandre, mixed with... read more

A rich collection of work from Brazilian singer Miltinho – an older-styled vocalist who made a great transition here in the 60s – picking up bits of samba and some stronger jazz influences – all of which really helped to open up his sound! Some tracks here are quite driving and... read more

A great package of work from this big Brazilian singer of the postwar years – six classic RGE albums by Miltinho, all presented with original artwork and a few bonus tracks as well! Miltinho's really growing here as an artist – using his already-great vocal approach to open up into... read more

Beautiful early work from Doris Monteiro – a double-length set that brings together a range of material originally issued as 78rpm recordings – relatively obscure sounds from the years before she became one of the first interpreters of the music of Jobim! The style here is fuller, and... read more

Zeze Motta sings songs by Rita Lee, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, and Chico Buarque. Arrangements were done Liminha. Songs include "Baba Alapala", "Pecado Original", and "Trocando Em Miudos".... read more

Cool sounds from Sergio Murillo – a singer whose style here is right up in the same mode as the mid 60s Jovem Guarda in Brazil! Like that scene, Sergio's approach here is heavily rooted in American rock – particularly the core modes of a few years before – served up with lots of... read more

Sergio Murillo's a bit more laidback here than on some of his rocking work of earlier years – emerging as a warm-voiced singer, with just the sort of sound you'd expect from his image on the cover – set to arrangements that sometimes have a few great groovy touches! Most of the music... read more

The first album we've ever seen from O Terco – a set done for the legendary Forma label, with sublime arrangements from Arthur Verocai! The record's got a wicked blend of late 60s psych and some of the groovier styles of Brazilian music at the time – almost as if a truck full of... read more

A great little album from O Terco – a later album from the group, but one that still has them sounding plenty wonderful! As before, there's a progressive vibe to the music – a mixture of jazz and rock that really comes through well in the mature, fusion-based instrumentation of the... read more

Wonderful early work from O Terco – an early EP, packaged here with enough bonus tracks to make a full album! The groove is great – very upbeat, playful, and less heavy rock-oriented than the group's later famous sets – a nicely organic mix of samba generation beats and some of... read more

Classic work from this cool 70s combo – one of their smoking samba sets for the Tapecar label – a great illustration of the rich energy going on in the Brazilian indie scene at the time! Samba really burst strongly back to the forefront in the 70s – and although some artists... read more

Os Pratideiros Do Pla get some great help here – guest appearances by a number of different artists, who all join in the lively festivities to make things even livelier! As with other records from this time, the group has a great way with upbeat percussion – criss-crossing rhythms... read more

Heavy percussion, tight guitar, and some really joyous vocal passages – a very festive outing from this hip indie samba group of the 70s – served up with a rootsy brilliance you'd never find on a bigger label! There's a feeling here that's almost live, given that the recording really... read more

A really obscure little set from late 50s Brazil – and a record that's a key link between jazz and bossa nova! Singer Paulinho's got a style that's definitely rooted in jazz – as is the Pacifico Mascarenhas combo, which uses great piano lines to underscore the light rhythms on drums... read more

A really cool shift for this hip Brazilian combo – one that you might guess right away from the "samba" in the title! This time around, the rhythms are even more lively than before – lots of tight percussion that spurs the group on strongly, and which also seems to have given... read more

Cool guitar-driven rock from 60s Brazil – a group that's less pop than you might guess from their name, and who work in a burning blend of twangy guitar and moody organ lines! The set's a charmer right from the start – with a slinky feel on many numbers, different than the usual... read more

Ultra-cool guitar work from 60s Brazil – a stone classic by a combo who get better and better with each new release! This gem from 1967 really has The Pops hitting their stride on guitar – opening up with lines as deft as The Ventures or Surfaris, but often tuned towards a different... read more

Groovy cats from 60s Brazil – a hip rocking quartet who clearly draw influences both from mod London and the Sunset Strip scene – but who also manage to make things come out in a style that's all their own! Guitar is at the lead on most of these tracks – often played with a twang... read more

A beautiful take on the music of The Beatles – done in a completely different style than the originals! The tunes here are all famous numbers from the glory days of the fab four, plus a few later solo songs too – but Ze Ramalho performs them all in a mellow, stripped-down setting that... read more

Vintage live work from this legendary Brazilian rocker – a series of different concerts, all brought together in a very cool 2CD package! The set features material from the shows Atlantida (1973), Um Dia Antes Da Vida (1976), Tres Aboios Diferentes (1974), and Coletiva De Musica Paraibana... read more

Jazzy MPB with a wonderfully warm finish – served up sweetly on this overlooked Brazilian nugget from the 70s! Fernando Ribeiro's got a style that's got some of the sophistication of Lo Borges or Milton Nascimento – particularly in the way his lyrics come across with lots of jazz-based... read more

A treasure trove of work from Pery Ribeiro – an important Brazilian singer in the early years of bossa nova – and one who never got his due up here in the US! Pery's a singer who's rooted in jazz, but whose style turned out to be a perfect fit for the new modes of the bossa generation... read more

A weird mix of folksy roots and more ambitious sounds – put together by Sergio Ricardo in the 70s, in one of his most compelling projects ever! Sergio handles lead vocals and instrumentation – but the set also features other vocal work from Alceu Valenca, Geraldo Azevedo, and others... read more

Beautiful sounds from Sergio Ricardo – a Brazilian artist we barely know at all, but who really won us over with this incredible album from the early 70s! There's a complicated vibe to the record right from the start – rich arrangements by Theo Barros that lie somewhere in a space... read more

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Mindblowing work from Sergio Ricardo – really one of his best albums ever, done with an incredible sound that's unlike anything else we've ever heard from him! There's a hip, folksy, post-Tropicalia vibe running through the record – of the sort you'd hear on some of the more obscure... read more

Soulful samba from the great Sergio Sampaio – stepping out here on one of his better-remembered records from the 70s! The album's got a really unique approach – in that it's not always all-out rhythm and energy – but occasionally hits these mellower moments that are really nice... read more

Claudette Soares, moving way beyond bossa nova – stepping out here in a wonderful live date from recent years – in a mode that mixes earlier roots with some beautifully mature styles too! Claudette's got this raspy edge to her vocals that she never had in her youth – and the... read more

Standout samba from Elza Soares – a cracker of an album from the mid 70s, and exactly the best sort of record to get you started appreciating her talents! Elza's got a great blend here – some of the soulful elements of her samba contemporaries, mixed with a bit of the fullness of... read more

Elza Soares grooves things nicely here – working in a samba mode that's relatively traditional, but which is also warmed up by arranger Ed Lincoln! Ed's backings here are different than those used on his famous organ albums of the 60s – but they've got the equal sort of soul and swing... read more

One of the best albums we've ever heard from Brazilian singer Elza Soares – a great blend of rootsy samba and jazzy 70s electric arrangements, handled in a style that's warm and bubbling, and which really brings a different sound to Elza! Keyboards and arrangements are handled by Gilson... read more

Surprisingly nice 80s work from Elza Soares – a record that features plenty of timeless samba numbers, mixed in with a few more that feature more contemporary touches! Elza's vocals are as wonderful as ever – and even on some of the numbers that feature electric keyboards, she comes... read more

Three incredible albums from Marcos Valle – quite different than his 60s and 70s records, but really wonderful too! These 80s sets have Valle coming off of a brief stretch working in the US on soul music – particularly some sublime efforts with Leon Ware for Elektra Records – a... read more

A massive collection of work from the lovely Wanderlea – all her key albums from the 70s, presented with bonus tracks too – in a box that also contains a full extra CD of rare material as well! Wanderlea's got a style that's maybe a bit more sweet than some of the usual Brazilian... read more

Amazing work from a key force in jazz organ – not Jimmy Smith, not Jack McDuff, but Brazilian musician Walter Wanderley! Not long after American artists first started hitting the Hammond for groovy sounds in the 50s, Wanderley picked up the instrument down in Brazil – and fused a jazz... read more

Early EMI/Odeon stunners from organ genius Walter Wanderley – all of them stunners from his better-known years at Verve! Even at this early date, Wanderley had an amazing way around the keyboard – a sweet jazzy groove that was perfect for the bossa rhythms that helped him get his start... read more

A pretty amazing little package – one that traces the evolution of 100 years of Brazilian music – with an especially strong focus on the best styles of the 20th Century! The performance is a live one – and features a host of talents, both famous and lesser-known – all very... read more

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One of the coolest collections of Beatles work by Brazilian artists in this hip series from Discobertas – a set that features groundbreaking material penned by the group in 1968 – a few tracks from famous albums, but also some real obscurities too – including some key compositions... read more

The sound of The Beatles, completely re-imagined by a host of hip acts from Brazil – a stunning lineup that includes some under-discovered talents from the younger generation, plus a few key artists from earlier years as well! As you'd guess from the "69" in the title, most of the... read more

The sound of The Beatles, completely re-imagined by a host of hip acts from Brazil – a stunning lineup that includes some under-discovered talents from the younger generation, plus a few key artists from earlier years as well! As you'd guess from the "69" in the title, most of the... read more

The sound of The Beatles, completely re-imagined by a host of hip acts from Brazil – a stunning lineup that includes some under-discovered talents from the younger generation, plus a few key artists from earlier years as well! As you'd guess from the "69" in the title, most of the... read more

A cool take on the Beatles' White Album – served up by a host of different Brazilian artists who really make the most of the music! The record is easily the most experimental set ever issued by The Beatles – and the artists here definitely keep that fact in mind – shifting their... read more

A mighty fresh take on The Beatles' White Album – served up by a host of underground Brazilian talents from the past decade or so – all with versions that are very liberal takes on the original tunes! The album's definitely one of the most far-reaching in this great Brazilian Beatles... read more

A cool tribute to the music and lyrics of Bob Dylan – served up by a host of hip Brazilian performers, all of whom come across with a very different feel than you might expect! The lyrics are mostly in English, and the inflections are definitely Dylan-esque – but the range of artists... read more

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... read more

A great tribute to the other half of the Double Fantasy team – in a sweet set of Brazilian remakes of songs by Yoko Ono! The package has a surprisingly sensitive feel – none of the offbeat, avant Ono in the mix – and instead, a wonderfully sweet quality that almost comes through... read more

Legendary work from a crucial component of Brazilian culture in the late 60s – the International Song Festivals of the time – a very important way of presenting both new talent and new compositions as well! The events were really unique, and often quite striking – from both a... read more

Legendary work from a crucial component of Brazilian culture in the late 60s and early 70s – the International Song Festivals of the time – a very important way of presenting both new talent and new compositions as well! The events were really unique, and often quite striking –... read more

Great versions of tunes penned by George Harrison – all of them by Brazilian artists, and most of them of older vintage too! Given that Harrison often wrote some of the edgiest tunes of The Beatles, the recordings here are already on good footing – and given that the collection does a... read more

Great songs from George Harrison's All Things Must Pass album – all redone here by a host of different Brazilian artists! George had a huge influence on Brazilian music in the 60s and 70s, and the songs here are not only faithful tributes to Harrison's genius – but also act as... read more

The music of John Lennon, but handled by a host of different Brazilian artists – on this cool set of tracks pulled together from albums of the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s – plus a few tracks from more recent years too! The set shows a really lasting influence of this Beatle's music on Brazil... read more

The musica popular Brasileira here is pretty great samba all the way through – in a set that's a classic survey of some of the lesser-known Brazilian artists on the scene! The album's got a rootsy charm all the way through – even on a few of the tunes that are a bit more tightly... read more

The music of Paul McCartney – not only given a Brazilian twist, but a feminine one as well! The set features a host of fresh reworkings of Paul's best compositions – mostly Beatles' tunes, and really done in some compelling new versions – hardly covers at all, and more like... read more

A cool remembrance of the contributions of the fourth Beatle – a package that features some of Ringo's own compositions both from the solo years and his time with the fab four – plus a few of the other covers that Starr would sing when with the group! Some tunes are more old school... read more

Festive sounds galore – in what must have been one hell of a concert to attend in person! This May first show begins with music that's just sung by the audience before anyone even gets on the stage – then an all-star lineup perform before a crowd that's so entranced with their music,... read more

A really joyous musical celebration – filled with the kind of festive energy that May Day brings in other scenes around the world! The crow's enthusiasm is right up front in the mix – which seems to spur on even bolder performances from the artists than we're used to hearing on records... read more

A tremendous set of 70s samba – a rare gem issued on the smaller Tapecar album, and a vivid portrait of some of the best indie talents of the genre at the time! There's a freshness here that really grabs us right away – the kind of sublime sounds that keep us digging for rare samba... read more