A mighty new effort from the amazing Tom Ze – a wild, heaving stylistic sprawl that's as dense and wonderful as his other recent efforts for Trama – but far more ambitious than anything he's done in many years! If you know anything about Tom Ze, you know that the man's aural art is quite difficult to describe, from the post-Tropicalia heyday to today! This set is a 16 song operatic suite that seems to be a stylistic sibling to his great (and quite rare) Estudando O Samba album from the mid 70s. Tom is taking on Greek mythology and age-old issues of gender oppression here – on an album produced with a sly, sinister groove by Jair Olivera. Incredible stuff – with all of the jerky, pulsating avant funk and leftfield grooves of Tom Ze at his recent best! The tracks are divided into 3 sections (Primero Ato, Segundo Ato and Terciero Ato) and include "Ave Dor Maria", "Estupido Rapaz", "O Amor E Um Rock", "Elaeu", "Para La Do Para", "Prazer Carnal", "Teatro (Dom Quixote)", "A Volta Do Trem Das Onze" and more! CD

A brilliant pairing of two musicians who never recorded together during their early days on record – but who more than made up for that lack with later classics like this! The cover's got the boldness of an FMP album from the 70s, and the music within follows that spirit – a bold live performance at Chicago's Empty Bottle, a frequent home to both musicians at the time – with Joe McPhee on trumpet, alto, and tenor – Peter Brotzmann on alto, tenor, clarinet, and tarogato – driven by tremendous work on bass from Kent Kessler and drums by Michael Zerang. The set features two long live improvisations – "Guts" and "Rising Spirits". CD

An album that marked a huge return to form for the legendary Tom Ze – brought back to all the power and creativity of his groundbreaking work of the 70s! The set was given huge global circulation by the folks at Luaka Bop – who were key in introducing most of the world to Tom's music – which although groundbreaking, barely made it outside of Brazil in the 70s – and every aspect of the record is done just the right way to showcase the mania that Ze always brought to his music. Some tracks are quite spare, and have the poetic structure of some of Tom's classics – while others have more of a tuneful approach, but with an offbeat vibe that really sets them apart from most Brazilian music of the period. The set marked a huge interest in Tom's music for a new generation – and for good reason too. Titles include "Dancar", "Juventude Javali", "Valsar", "Xiquexique", "Olho Do Lago", and "Politicar". CD

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Although it's hard to understand from the perspective of over a decade (especially one that's seen Tom Ze rise to fame again), when this compilation was first put together, the music of Tom Ze had all but fallen off the musical map of Brazil. Ze was one of the founding fathers of Tropicalia – and unlike other members of that group, who rose to great fame during the 70s, and straighted up their act a bit, Ze always remained a committed modernist, as you'll hear on this sampling of 13 tracks from his rare releases on a number of labels. The style's incredibly hard to pin down – and in fact, we might describe the recordings as being "anti-style" – but if you've heard any of Ze's work, you know you're in for a treat. Titles include "Ma", "Doi", "Hein?", "Cademar", "Um Oh E Um Ah", and "A Felicidade". CD

Incredible new work from Tom Ze – possibly his best since the 70s! The style of the album reminds us very much of his groundbreaking post-Tropicalia records – with a mixture of spare guitar, vocals, and percussion, all filtered and sifted into a mad mad blend that's completely beyond description. Ze's lost none of his edge on this recording – and the 14 tracks that make up the album are a perfect complement to any of his albums from the 70s. Titles include "Jimi Renda-Se", "Passagem De Som", "Medo De Mulher", "Conto De Fraldas", "Asa Branca", "Cafuas, Guetos E Santuarios", and "Sonhar". Plus, the CD comes with a "CD Auxilhar" that includes a bunch of extra material! CD

A classic early album for Ze Records, like other sets on Ze at the time a brilliant blend of funk, punk, rock, and soul – done with a post-P Funk approach to the grooves that puts plenty of bass on the bottoms, and which also flows lots of other interesting instrumentation into the grooves to keep things fresh. The production is stellar – soulful, bouncing, and joyously aware of every element of the full album's potential – and the whole album's a lively ensemble affair that features work by artists as diverse as Wayne Kramer, Marcus Belgrave, and Sweet Pea Atkinson! 8 tracks in all, including "Oh, Mr Friction!", "Out Come The Freaks", "It's An Attack", "Carry Me Back To Old Morocco", "The Sky's Ablaze" and "Tell Me That I'm Dreaming". CD

A really funked-up batch of dancefloor tunes – produced with a uniquely cross-cultural approach! Ze Records diva Lizzy Mercier Descloux works here with influential post-disco, post-punk producer Steve Stanely – on a set of tunes cut in Nassau, with some great backing by a combo that includes Wally Badarou on keyboards. The resulting groove takes the skittish pan-club sound of the early 80s Ze Records scene, and infuses it with the hippest take on Jamaican rhythms of the time – resulting in a groundbreaking batch of tunes that were years ahead of their time! Titles include "Room Mate", "Sports Spootnicks", "Payola", "Funky Stuff", "Slipped Disc", "Lady O K'Pete", and "Bim Bam Boum". CD features bonus tracks "Maita", "Mister Soweto", "Sun Is Shining", "Don't You Try To Stop Me", and "Corpo Molli Pau Duro". CD

The second set of madness from the legendary Os Mutantes – and like the first, an album done in close collaboration with arranger/producer Rogerio Duprat, whose talents add a new level of genius to the record! The album's got a compelling mix of styles that strikes out on the very first tune – a playful pastiche that's partly postmodern, partly psychedelic, and still tremendously powerful decades later – even if you can't understand most of the lyrics! Styles are just about impossible to pin down, but that's what makes the record so unique and essential – and if you ever needed one album to convince you of the mindblowing energy taking place during the Tropicalia years, this one may well be it! A few tracks are written by Tom Ze, and titles include "Dom Quixote", "Dia 36", "Magica", "Rita Lee", "Algo Mais", "Qualquer Bobagem", and "Fuga No II". CD

An amazing introduction to one of the most significant cultural movements in the latter half of the 20th Century – the groundbreaking years of Tropicalia in late 60s Brazil! The music and legacy of Tropicalia are referenced often, but hardly ever presented this well – and this package is everything we could have hoped for as an introduction to the movement – filled not just with great music, but also an overwhelming amount of notes that trace the history of Brazilian music and art through their changes in relation to Tropicalia! In fact, the notes are almost worth the price of the compilation alone – very densely written over 48 pages in the CD booklet, with more information in one place than we've ever seen before. But as you might imagine, it's the music that really makes the set special – and Soul Jazz have done an excellent job of pulling together key late 60s works from the most important musicians associated with Tropicalia – an great starting point for the movement that's filled with most essential tracks! Titles include "Bat Macumba" by Gilberto Gil, "Tuareg" and "Sebastiana" by Gal Costa, "A Minha Menina" and "Panis Et Circenses" by Os Mutantes, "Alfo Mega" and "Tropicalia" by Caetano Veloso, "Gloria" and "Jimmy Renda-Se" by Tom Ze, "Procissao" by Gilberto Gil, "Ave Genghis Khan" by Os Mutantes, "Take It Easy My Brother Charles" by Jorge Ben, "Quero Sambal Meu Bem" by Tom Ze, "Lost In The Paradise" by Caetano Veloso, "Bat Macumba" by Os Mutantes, "Domingo No Parque" by Gilberto Gil & Os Mutantes, and "Irene" by Caetano Veloso. CD

One of the great ones from Ian Dury – a record that goes way beyond simple quirky rock, and explodes with some wonderful jazzy touches! The sound here is totally great – very much in the sway of Chaz Jankel's musical direction, and filled with great bits on sax, keyboards, and guitar that have a fair bit more warmth and soul than Dury's original records. There's actually less standout hits here – but that's ok, because the record has a really unified feel overall – strongly in the funky arty dancefloor mode that you might expect from some of the Ze Records camp. Titles include "Dance Of The Screamers", "Inbetweenies", "Quiet", "Sink My Boats", "Don't Ask Me", "This Is What We Find", and "Uneasy Sunny Day Hotsy Totsy". CD

A wide-ranging look at the talents of August Darnell – an artist who's probably best known to the world as Kid Creole, but who also had a hand in a number of other dancefloor acts of the late 70s and early 80s! All tracks here have that trademark August Darnell groove – a good ear for jazzy, playful rhythms – often with styles borrowed from previous decades in the 20th century, retooled with hipper, leaner styles for the time! Darnell was one of the first to actively reach back into the past for ideas to use on the dancefloor – and although the practice is quite common now, the tracks here have a sound that few contemporary artists could ever hope to match. And when he wanted to, Darnell could also hit a club groove as great as any other artists on the New York scene of the late 70s – a pulsing, hypnotic approach to rhythm that was probably best know from his side projects on Ze Records. The tunes go way beyond familiar Kid Creole hits – and titles include "Goin To A Showdown" and "I'm An Indian Too (12" mix)" by Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band, "Is That All There Is" by Cristina, "Paradise" and "Emile (Night Rate)" by Aural Exciters, "There But For The Grace Of God Go I (12" version)" by Machine, "Don't Play With My Emotions" by Ron Rogers, "On A Day Like Today" by Gichy Dan's Beachwood #9, "Pharoah (Can't Take It To The Grave" by Coati Mundi, "Sunshower" by Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, and the Kid Creole tracks "He's Not Such A Bad Guy After All (12" version)", "Double On Back", "Off The Coast Of Me", and "Going Places (Zemix version)". CD

Great stuff from global funk phenoms Nomo – deftly blending Afro steeped funk with an astral reach – with more of a spiritual jazz influence and off kilter avant touches! Invisible Cities arrives just about a year since their breakthrough Ghost Rock opened so many doors, and although productivity and consistency have never been a problem with Elliot Bergman & co, we're still pretty awestruck – especially given that Ghost Rock set the bar pretty high! Blazing horns, dynamic rhythms and rapturous percussion galore, with the electric kalimba still defining the group's identity nicely, with lots of sweaty funk, more spacious spiritual jazz atmosphere, and a couple of choice covers – Moondog's "Bumba" gets a bit of Caribbean funk treatment with steel drums, plus a reverent take on Tom Ze's "Ma"! Other tracks include "Invisible Cities", "Waiting", "Crescent", "Patterns", "Elijah" and "Nocturne". CD

Kind of a silly name, but a really great group – and one without any of the hoke you might expect! The sound is definitely what's promised, a meeting of samba rhythms and older American jazz – but there's a breezy sort of warmth to the record that's light years from standard boogie woogie – much more in the warmest territory that you'd find in Brazilian jazz from the 70s onwards! The tunes are mostly older Brazilian numbers, and they've got a slight hint of nostalgia – but one that's very small, and flavored more by the younger energy of the musicians and singers in the project. Vocalists include Monica Salmaso, Roberto Sa, Mario Adnet, Ze Renato, and Maucha Adnet – and arrangements are by Mario Adnet, and mostly feature small combo jazz instrumentation. Titles include "Adeus America", "O Trombone Do Tribuza", "Brasil Pandeiro", "Tintim Por Tintim", "Conversa De Samba", "Baiana No Harlem", "Boogie Woogie Do Rato", "Eu Quero Um Samba", "Morena Faceira", and "Nada De Rock Rock". CD

Music from Timbalada, Silvia Torres, Daniela Mercury, Ze Paulo, Riachao, Ile Aiye, Muzenza, Marcia Short, Marisa Monte, Tom Ze, Margareth Menezes, Edson Gomes, Tony Mola & Percucia Banda. CD

A fantastically soulful album from Jorge Ben – one of his greatest records ever, and a key part of Brazilian music in the 70s! The album marks an earthier shift for Jorge – a sound that's still rooted in the samba influences of the 60s, but which also takes on a bit more soul at the bottom – thanks to rhythmic contributions from Trio Mocoto, who work here famously to help Ben shape the overall feel of the set! There's still a bit of larger orchestrations at moments, but these are used sparingly just to sweeten the sound – leaving the main force of the music to come from Jorge's guitar, and the cuica, percussion, and tamborim of the trio. The vocals are wonderful too – slightly raspy, and with a bit more feeling than we ever remember Jorge having on record – sometimes a bit intimate, yet always with an undeniable presence throughout. One of those records that still sends chills up our spines, year after year – with tracks that include "Oba La Vem Ela", "Ze Canjica", "Pulo Pulo", "Apareceu Aparecida", "Terezinha", "Mulher Brasileira", "Forca Bruta", "O Telefone Tocou Novamente", and "Charles Junior". CD

One of the few albums by Jorge Ben that was issued in America – a mid-70s set that brings together some of the best work he recorded for Philips Records in Brazil in the late 60s and early 70s! The work here is the stuff of legend – sounds that effortlessly blend samba and soul, all without ever sounding forced – and with an undeniably infectious groove that comes through strongly in Jorge's fantastic presentation of the material! His vocals are amazing – the kind that really grab you, even if you don't understand the language – and the rhythms are full of rootsy percussion and riffing acoustic guitar – plus some basslines that are very unique, and really drive the tunes. The whole thing's wonderful – every track is a killer – and titles include "Ze Cangica", "O Circo Chegado", "Morre O Burro Fica O Homem", "Paz E Arroz", "Oba, La Vem Ela", "Apareceu Aparecida", "Oba La Vem Ela", and "Errare Humanum Est". CD features two bonus tracks – "Que Maravilha" and "Taj Mahal (1972 version)". CD

The one that catapulted PJ Harvey from a critical favorite to something of a popular favorite on both the US and UK – and her most remarkable creative stride to date! At the time, it felt like this was the one where Polly Harvey made a conscious choice to go "big" with sound, working with producer Flood after that famously stripped down Rid Of Me with Steve Albini engineering, but in hindsight it's amazing how the bigger sound, unafraid of electronics and all around grander atmosphere never even comes close to hiding the by turns intimate and mysterious lyricism – and it might be the best showcase for Polly's voice on record – projecting varying, unpredictable mood from track to track. Includes "To Bring You My Love", "Meet Ze Monsta", "Down By The Water", "Send His Love To Me", "The Dancer" and more. CD

The long awaited return of Brazilian iconoclasts Os Mutantes – featuring original Mutante Sergio Dias and a great new band – plus songwriting contributions from Tom Ze and Jorge Ben – a forward looking endeavor, not at all a nostalgia trip! It's been around 30 years since the previous Os Mutantes album, and the never predictable Dias sounds as fresh and energized as we hoped he'd be – with bright, catchy-as-hell melodies, wildly playful carnivalesque sounds as well as more rootsy acoustic bits, on songs that fearlessly blend genres and influences. It's hard to imagine that we'll ever love records from Mutantes, or anyone else in any genre, as much as we love the late 60s stuff – but this is excellent, and among the better Mutantes records since the Rita Lee era. Dias sings and plays electric & acoustic guitars, Egyptian oud, organ, percussion, harmonica and handles the string arrangements, and fellow Mutantes this time out include percussion, drums & vocals by Dinho Leme and Bia Mendes, vocals, piano & keys by Henrique Peters and Fabio Recco, percussion & sound design by Simone Sou, bass, flute, strings and string arrangements and more by Citor Trida. Titles include "Hymns Of The World (Intro)", "Querida Qierida", "Teclar", "2000 E Agarrum", "Baghdad Blues", "O Careca", "O Mensageiro", "Anagrama" featuring Tom Ze, "Aamba Do Fidel", "Nada Mudou", "Gopala Krishna Om", "Hymns Of The World (Final)" and more. CD

Music from Jota Quest, Roger, Toni Platao, Rosa Marya Colin, Kleiton & Kledir, Paulinho Moska, Branco Mello, Ivan Lins, Ze Renato, Nando Reis, and more. CD

Music from Gilberto Gil, Molejo, Grupo Raca, Royce Do Cavaco, Chico Salles, Jorge Ben Jor, O Rappa, Leandro Sapucahy, Linha De Frente, Kiko, Waldir Azevedo, Molejo, Ze Maria E Seu Orgao, and Maria Alcina. CD

A cheesy cover, but a rock-solid set of work from the mighty Eric Alexander – who seems to be stretching out even more here than before! Alexander's always been a hell of a straight ahead talent on the tenor, but here he's almost hitting a few more modern modes at times – not "out" in his soloing, but a bit more free thinking in the overall construction and execution of the tunes – willing to change things up a bit in the rhythms, and give the record even more freshness than we might have expected. Alexander's easily one of the greatest living talents in jazz recording today – and we're already huge fans of his work – but he's won us over even more with this set, and a few of the chances he takes on some of the tunes. The group's a well-matched batch of regulars – including Jim Rotondi on trumpet, David Hazeltine on piano, Nat Reeves on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums – and titles include "The Temple Of Olympic Zeus", "Someday We'll All Be Free", "Lucas Too", "Blues For David", "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life", "I'll Keep Loving You", and "Dave's System". CD

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Two classic Chess albums from Chuck Berry – issued here on a single CD! First up is One Dozen Berrys – the fresh fruits of the labors of a young Chuck Berry – heard here at his raw, early best! The sound here is stunning – a version of Chuck that gets way past any oldies cliches – and which reminds us that at the start, his music was coming from the same Chess Records fount as Bo Diddley's riffing guitar and Muddy Waters' Chicago blues! The tunes all work together perfectly – and the familiar numbers fit in perfectly with overlooked gems that really make the album great – especially when Chuck's guitar is really given a chance to step out and solo. Titles include "La Juanda", "Sweet Little Sixteen", "It Don't Take But A Few Minutes", "Rock & Roll Music", and "Low Feeling". Juke Box Hits is way more than a "hits" album – as it's filled with some great obscure material that always gets eclipsed by Chuck's big hits. Despite the idea that these would be "new jukebox hits", the material has an approach that was probably a bit too hard for radio, but that's ok with us! Titles include "13 Question Method", "Don't You Lie To Me", "The Way It Was Before", "Away From You", "I'm Talking About You", and "Stop & Listen". CD

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A beautiful early album by Elizete Cardoso – arguably one of the first bossa nova records ever, and a set that features some great early tracks penned by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius De Moraes! The record is a haunting showcase for the genius of Jobim and Vinicius, and it includes early recordings of many many tracks that have now become bossa standards – like "Chega De Saudade", "Outra Vez", "Modinha", "Janelas Abertas", and "Cancao Do Amor Demais". The orchestrations are beautiful – arranged by Jobim, who also plays piano – and featuring a bit of guitar from Joao Gilberto, amidst flute, trombone, trumpet, and a bit of strings. Elizete's voice is richer and more emotional than that of most of the later bossa divas – and the record is a key link in a number of Brazilian musical traditions! CD

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, there's still a wonderful sensitivity to sound – that richness that Jobim discovered strongly in later years, and a perfect fit for the soulful vocals of Elizeth. The pair at this point went onto have an undeniable influence on Brazilian music for years to come – as you'll hear on tracks that include "Caminha", "Linda Flor Yaya", "So Voce Mais Nada", "Nunca Mais", and "Cancao Da Volta". CD features 6 bonus tracks that include "Ocultei", "Zanguei Com Meu Amor", "Nao Tenho Lar", and "Velha Praca". CD

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Joe Diorio on guitar and Ira Sullivan on flutes, soprano sax, alto sax, and percussion. CD

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Bill Evans is reunited with singer Monica Zetterlund – in a live date done more than a decade after their classic Waltz For Debby album! The first side of the record features Evans in a trio mode – working instrumentally, without Monica, in a group that features the great Eddie Gomez on bass and Eliot Zigmund on drums – easily some of the better-recorded European live material by Bill from the 70s, caught in a way that really shows his new sensitivity in the later decade. Evans' piano is breathtaking here – a subtle symphony of shades and tones that delights the ears at each new twist and turn – recorded in some slightly longish takes on tunes that include "Sugar Plum", "Sareen Jurer", "Very Early", and "Gloria's Step". Bill continues the feeling of the first side wonderfully on the flip – as Zetterlund joins the group, and shows how much she's matured as well since here last meeting with Evans. Most of the tunes are standards, but they've got a sensitivity that goes way beyond familiar readings – carried off wonderfully by Monica in some beautifully dark-toned vocals. Titles include "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "The Second Time Around", "Once Upon A Summertime", "What's New", and the lovely "Samba". CD

A spacey soul classic – with a sound that never gets old! Faze-O will be forever remembered for their massive cut "Riding High", the leadoff on this album – a stretched out slow funk jam that has amazing keyboards, floating guitars, and a super-dope groove that's stayed fresh from the moment it was first set to wax back in 1977! This album's the group's first, and best – and it's a really wonderful record that blends together funky fusion and heavy soul – filled with killer cuts arranged by the Ohio Players, and with lots of great keyboards by the group! Includes, of course, the massive cut "Riding High" – plus "Toe Jam" and "Funky Reputation"! CD

Scott Fields on guitar – with Marilyn Crispell on piano, Hans Sturm on bass, and Hamid Drake on drums! CD

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A seminal bit of Japanese rock from the early 70s – performed by a group that included Haruomi Hosono, and who has a style that borrows from the best of the LA scene of the late 60s! The tunes are extremely catchy – done in a folksy style that has compressed guitars and spacious production that evoke bits of The Byrds, Graham Parsons, Beau Brummels, late Association, and some of our other favorite work from those magical years. Lyrics are all in Japanese, but sung in a simple and compelling style that somehow makes you forget that fact! CD

Concept album telling the story of a woman named Journey through sung compositions and spoken word. CD