A sweet neo soul set from Brazil – one that uses the raspy qualities of the vocals in ways that make the whole record completely sublime! Even if you can't understand the lyrics, you'll be captivated immediately – as the record has this warm swirl of keyboards that's fantastic – wrapped up warmly in this magical musical swirl, and set off by the way the vocals crackle crisply alongside – all in a mode that echoes plenty of underground American soul modes, but with a vibe that's really fresh! Titles include "Jazz", "Follow Me", "Meu Grande Amor", "Inebrio", "Nova York", "Cores E Peles", "Welcome", and "Se Foi". (Neo Soul, Brazil) CD

An excellent album of hard percussion tracks from congolero Guem – recorded in Sao Paulo in 1982, with accompaniment on djembe, bonga, and assorted other percussion instruments. The tracks are spare, but very driving – with tight rhythms on all cuts, which has made the album quite sought-after over the years. Almost like a Brazilian descarga record – with the cuts "Viagem", "Universo", "Tempestade", and "Riacho". (Global Grooves, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

Trio Mocoto first rose to fame as the funky band behind Jorge Ben on his early 70s classics – the combo that gave him such a soulful sound – and here on their own, they sound pretty darn great – with a style that follows the same evolution as Jorge's own sound at the time! The core elements are still a mix of funk, samba, and soul – but there's also a slightly warmer sound to the production – one that really ties the whole thing together, and maybe gives the group even more force than before! Riffing guitars snap alongside the lively percussion – and the trio trade voices in a mighty nice way – sometimes with a bit of backup from other singers too. Titles include "Nao Adianta", "Toda Tarde", "Rosa", "Onde Anda Voce", "O Meu Violao", and "Xuxu Melao". CD

Trio Mocoto first rose to fame as the funky band behind Jorge Ben on his early 70s classics – the combo that gave him such a soulful sound – and here on their own, they sound pretty darn great – with a style that follows the same evolution as Jorge's own sound at the time! The core elements are still a mix of funk, samba, and soul – but there's also a slightly warmer sound to the production – one that really ties the whole thing together, and maybe gives the group even more force than before! Riffing guitars snap alongside the lively percussion – and the trio trade voices in a mighty nice way – sometimes with a bit of backup from other singers too. Titles include "Nao Adianta", "Toda Tarde", "Rosa", "Onde Anda Voce", "O Meu Violao", and "Xuxu Melao". LP, Vinyl record album

The amazing first album from Brazilian modern musical genius Hermeto Pascoal – a set that would change the world of jazz and Brazilian music for years to come! By the time of the set, Hermeto was no stranger to the scene – he'd recorded famously in Quarteto Novo with Airto, and in some other key groups – yet this set also marks a real transformation, the rise of Pascoal as a new visionary, with endless fresh ideas for sounds, rhythms, and instrumental possibilities! And yet, the album's still very groovy – it follows nicely off the spirit of Quarteto Novo, and mixes tight rhythmic changes with all sorts of incredible instrumental inflections – work by Pascoal on keyboards and flute – augmented with drums and percussion from Airto, and a range of reeds from American jazz musicians Jerome Richardson, Maurico Smith, Joe Farrell, Jerry Dodgion, and Hubert Laws – as well as trombone from the great Garnett Brown, and trumpets from Thad Jones and Joe Newman. The mix of American players and Brazilian inspiration is wonderful – and Airto and Flora Purim produced the set – and the latter sings a bit on the record. Titles include "As Marianas", "Alicate", "Hermeto", "Coalhada", "Fabiola", "Guizos", and "Flor Do Amor". CD

The amazing first album from Brazilian modern musical genius Hermeto Pascoal – a set that would change the world of jazz and Brazilian music for years to come! By the time of the set, Hermeto was no stranger to the scene – he'd recorded famously in Quarteto Novo with Airto, and in some other key groups – yet this set also marks a real transformation, the rise of Pascoal as a new visionary, with endless fresh ideas for sounds, rhythms, and instrumental possibilities! And yet, the album's still very groovy – it follows nicely off the spirit of Quarteto Novo, and mixes tight rhythmic changes with all sorts of incredible instrumental inflections – work by Pascoal on keyboards and flute – augmented with drums and percussion from Airto, and a range of reeds from American jazz musicians Jerome Richardson, Maurico Smith, Joe Farrell, Jerry Dodgion, and Hubert Laws – as well as trombone from the great Garnett Brown, and trumpets from Thad Jones and Joe Newman. The mix of American players and Brazilian inspiration is wonderful – and Airto and Flora Purim produced the set – and the latter sings a bit on the record. Titles include "As Marianas", "Alicate", "Hermeto", "Coalhada", "Fabiola", "Guizos", and "Flor Do Amor". LP, Vinyl record album

Easily one of the greatest records that Brazilian percussionist Airto ever recorded – a stunning blend roots and jazzy currents, and a set that follows strongly off his work in the group Quarteto Novo! The set's got contributions from one of his key partners in that combo – reedman Hermeto Pascoal – and like Pascoal's material at this point, the whole thing is maybe one of the most perfect realizations of the musical vision that Airto was going for! There's none of the tighter, more polished sounds of his later fusion years – and this is the record that will show you just why his arrival on the American scene made such big waves at the time. Flora Purim also sings on the record – and titles include "Andei", "On Sonho", Papo Furado", and "O Galho da Rosiera". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky keyboards galore – and one of the greatest records ever from this legendary Brazilian jazz talent! The album follows nicely off Deodato's Prelude classic for CTI – and like that one, this set's built on long-flowing tunes that rise and fall with a wonderful sense of rhythm – a sublime electric piano groove that's quite different than anything Deodato recorded before – and possibly never realized this perfectly again after his CTI years. Other players include Stanley Clarke on bass, Billy Cobham on drums, and Hubert Laws on flute – and titles include the massive Latin funk track "Super Strut", plus the tunes "Pavane For A Dead Princess", "Skyscrapers", and a great version of "Nights In White Satin". Plus, this CD reissue features 3 bonus tracks – "Venus", "Do It Again", and "Latin Flute"! (Jazz, Brazil) CD

A very cool vocal group from the Brazilian scene of the 90s – a quintet who issued this album initially only on CD, but with a sound that's got a much more classic vibe than you'd expect from the date! The harmonies are great – and follow in a legacy that includes older groups like Trio Esperanca or Quarteto Em Cy – but the setting is a bit different, and borrows as much from Latin music at times as it does from Brazilian rhythms – often served up with some really bold, jazzy currents in the instrumentation that really send the whole thing over the top! Titles include "Pe No Chao", "Cristalina", "Horas", "Meu Lugar", "Rio Seco", "Ave No Ninho", "Sertao Mar", "Esse Amor", and "Pai Do Criacao". LP, Vinyl record album

A great follow-up to Claudio Roditi's Braziliance record – and like that set, a record that's filled with a similarly warm and breezy groove! There's a range of bossa and post-bossa elements at work in the mix, plus some slight Latin jazz touches too – and Roditi's horn sounds wonderful in the setting, really stretching out with these well-blown lines over work from a group that includes Romero Lubambo on guitar, Michael Dease on trombone, Helio Alves on piano, John Lee on bass, and Duduka Da Fonseca on drums. All songs are originals by Roditi – and titles include "Slow Fire", "Piccolo Blues", "A Dream For Kristen", "Blues For Ronni", "Vida Nova", "Winter Dreams", and "Spring Samba". (Jazz, Brazil) CD

Raul Seixas follows a similar path as Rita Lee, Caetano Veloso, and other important Brazilian artists of the 70s – and uses this live date to really pay tribute to the American music of the past that inspired his crazier work at the time – taking older songs of the 50s and 60s, but delivering them with some of the rawer energy he was bringing to his own tunes! Lyrics move between English and Portuguese effortlessly – as Raul takes on tunes that include "Roll Over Beethoven", "So Glad You're Mine", "My Baby Left Me", "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans", and "Blue Moon/Asa Branca". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever cut by singer Vi Velasco – and a great vocal follow-up to the Zoot Sims bossa albums on Colpix! Zoot plays tenor on this record too – mixing his solos with Vi's vocals in a style that's like the interplay between Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto – with a similar blend of American jazz and Brazilian roots! Arrangements are by Al Cohn and Manny Albam – and the players also include Marky Markowitz on trumpet and Jim Hall on guitar – who brings in some nice Brazilian flavors on his instrument. Titles include "Recado", "Tu E Eu", "Sem Saudades De Voce", "Exactamente Como Tu", "Nao Branques Com O Amor", and "Tenho Ritmo" – many of which are bossa versions of familiar tunes. LP, Vinyl record album

David Byrne waited a full decade before giving the world a follow up to his original Beleza Tropical collection of funky Brazilian music – yet during that time, it's also clear that he learned a lot more about the scene – and was able to pick up on some very hip artists who were much more contemporary than the first time around! The record has a fair bit of late 90s gems from a time when Brazilian music was really catching fire again – inspired both by its own experiments of the past, and new attention to its more groundbreaking styles by artists up north – which then seemed to let loose a new era of fresh sounds and styles! The set's got a total of 15 tracks in all – and titles include "O Seu Olhar" by Arnaldo Antunes, "Coriosidade" by Tom Ze, "Tanacara" by Gonzaguinha, "Balanca Pema" by Marisa Monte, "Acho" by Carlos Carega, "Bog La Bog" by Carlinhos Brown, "Pregoes Do Rio" by Moleque De Rua, "Batuque" by Daniela Mercury, "Hoje Eu Quero Sair So" by Lenine, and "Rios, Pontes, & Overdrives" by Chico Science. LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant follow-up to the first Brasilianos set from Hamilton De Hollanda – one that's even more dynamic than the first, and which comes with a bonus DVD as well! The group is awash in warm acoustic sounds – Hamilton on 10-string mandolin, Daniel Santiago on acoustic guitar, Gabriel Grossi on harmonica, Andre Vasconcellos on bass, and Marcio Bahia on drums – all working in ways that link the best Brazilian jazz modes of the 70s and 80s with some of the tones of the American acoustic underground! The use of harmonica is especially nice – played with a rich chromatic flair in ways that are similar to Mauricio Einhorn – and titles include "Ano Bom", "O Mundo Nao Acabou", "Paz Paes", "Ajaccio", "Carolina De Carol", and "Rafaela". Also features a bonus DVD – with a live performance! CD

One of Baden Powell's grooviest albums ever – a brilliant blend of his bossa roots with the freer 70s grooves of MPS! The album follows the mode of some of his other European recordings, but is still a bit different – in that the overall sound is a bit freer than before, with tracks that really open up beautifully – including one or two that hit a nicely heavy groove! The lovely Janine De Walyene sings these wonderful wordless vocals on some of the album's best tracks – scatting heavily on the famous jazz dance number "Blues A Volante" – and drifting moodily behind the guitar on other numbers. Other instrumentation includes bass, drums, and a bit of Brazilian percussion – and titles include the classic "Blues A Volante", plus "Violao Vagabundo", "Canto", "Ate Eu", and "Conversacao Comigo Mesmo". LP, Vinyl record album