An organ bossa classic from the legendary Eumir Deodato – one of his strongest albums from his early years in Brazil! There's a very jazzy feel to the set all the way through – thanks to a tightly arranged group that not only features the organ and percussion you might expect from such a date, but which also features some great horn work as well! Trombone, tenor, and baritone sax all get in some nice licks – and Deodato's organ cooks wonderfully throughout, often with a quick-stepping bossa jazz sound that really keeps things lively. Titles include "O Sol Nascera", "Samba Do Dom Natural", "Terra De Ninguem", "E Bom Parar", and "Ataque". CD

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A stunner of a record from the mighty Jorge Ben – and a record that catapulted the Brazilian singer to international fame at the time! Ben had already been making magic for almost a decade down in Brazil – and his compositions and grooves left an undeniable impact on the scene in the post-bossa years – but this album has Jorge really emerging as the global soul star he was destined to be – from his powerful stare on the cover, right down to the grit in the grooves! The sound here is a refinement of the samba soul mode that Ben had been brewing up from the late 60s onward – a skittish mix of older samba elements, American soul, and some slight fuller production that really comes into its own here – mixing all the acoustic elements at the core with just a slight electric flourish, but never losing its edge in the process – all to provide Jorge with a sublime backdrop for his really amazing vocals. The set's a monument in funky Brazilian soul – and it includes the huge hit "Taj Mahal", which still sounds great, even after all these years – plus loads of other gems that include "O Circo Chegou", "Domingo 23", "Fio Maravilha", "Paz E Arroz", "Morre O Burro Fico O Homem", and "Que Nega E Essa". A gem all the way through – and a record we'd never part with! CD

A stunner of a record from the mighty Jorge Ben – and a record that catapulted the Brazilian singer to international fame at the time! Ben had already been making magic for almost a decade down in Brazil – and his compositions and grooves left an undeniable impact on the scene in the post-bossa years – but this album has Jorge really emerging as the global soul star he was destined to be – from his powerful stare on the cover, right down to the grit in the grooves! The sound here is a refinement of the samba soul mode that Ben had been brewing up from the late 60s onward – a skittish mix of older samba elements, American soul, and some slight fuller production that really comes into its own here – mixing all the acoustic elements at the core with just a slight electric flourish, but never losing its edge in the process – all to provide Jorge with a sublime backdrop for his really amazing vocals. The set's a monument in funky Brazilian soul – and it includes the huge hit "Taj Mahal", which still sounds great, even after all these years – plus loads of other gems that include "O Circo Chegou", "Domingo 23", "Fio Maravilha", "Paz E Arroz", "Morre O Burro Fico O Homem", and "Que Nega E Essa". A gem all the way through – and a record we'd never part with! CD

A fantastic early album from Jorge Ben – and one that's also a bit obscure, given that it was one of the few that he didn't cut for Philips Records during the first decade of his career! The album's one of Jorge's most upbeat, most lively – with the kind of ebullient mix of samba and soul influences that he brought to his first big hits – but recorded here in a way that's maybe even more frenetic, especially when piano lines spin out quickly next to his incredible vocals – with a style that's almost soul jazz at times! The whole thing's wonderful – a record that matches, if not tops any of his other 60s albums – and titles include the killer "A Jovem Samba" – worth the price of the album alone – plus "Nascimento De Um Principe Africando", "Menina Gata Augusta", "Si Wanda", "Rosa Mas Que Nada", "Amor De Carnaval", and "Todo Colorida". LP, Vinyl record album

Bruno Berle's titled this album in a way that's similar to his debut – but it's way more than just a "part 2", as the Brazilian singer has really grown a lot since that release! There's a rock-solid sound to the record that takes us back to some of our favorite MPB work of the past – not just the 70s, but also that late 90s/early 00s period when it seemed like all these new ideas were coming together in Brazilian music, with a way of pushing the best bits of the past forward into a restyled vision for the future! The instrumentation here mixes lots of acoustic touches on percussion and guitar with just the right use of electronics – delivered on a number of cuts by Batata Boy, who co-produced and arranged the album with Bruno. There's a few other singers along the way, too – and titles include a beautiful remake of Arthur Russell's "Love Comes Back", plus "Sonho", "Margem Do Ceu", "E So Voce Chegar", "Dizer Adeus", "New Hit", and "Te Amar Eterno". CD

Bruno Berle's titled this album in a way that's similar to his debut – but it's way more than just a "part 2", as the Brazilian singer has really grown a lot since that release! There's a rock-solid sound to the record that takes us back to some of our favorite MPB work of the past – not just the 70s, but also that late 90s/early 00s period when it seemed like all these new ideas were coming together in Brazilian music, with a way of pushing the best bits of the past forward into a restyled vision for the future! The instrumentation here mixes lots of acoustic touches on percussion and guitar with just the right use of electronics – delivered on a number of cuts by Batata Boy, who co-produced and arranged the album with Bruno. There's a few other singers along the way, too – and titles include a beautiful remake of Arthur Russell's "Love Comes Back", plus "Sonho", "Margem Do Ceu", "E So Voce Chegar", "Dizer Adeus", "New Hit", and "Te Amar Eterno". LP, Vinyl record album

Bruno Berle's titled this album in a way that's similar to his debut – but it's way more than just a "part 2", as the Brazilian singer has really grown a lot since that release! There's a rock-solid sound to the record that takes us back to some of our favorite MPB work of the past – not just the 70s, but also that late 90s/early 00s period when it seemed like all these new ideas were coming together in Brazilian music, with a way of pushing the best bits of the past forward into a restyled vision for the future! The instrumentation here mixes lots of acoustic touches on percussion and guitar with just the right use of electronics – delivered on a number of cuts by Batata Boy, who co-produced and arranged the album with Bruno. There's a few other singers along the way, too – and titles include a beautiful remake of Arthur Russell's "Love Comes Back", plus "Sonho", "Margem Do Ceu", "E So Voce Chegar", "Dizer Adeus", "New Hit", and "Te Amar Eterno". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible little record with a sound that's unlike anything else we've ever heard before – a set that mixes jazzy inflections on vibes, organ, guitar, percussion, and flute – the last of which is played here by a young Hermeto Pascoal! The set was done after Pascoal's work in Quarteto Novo but before some of his more complicated jazz albums of the 70s – and it's got a style that mixes his own love of playful rhythms and complicated shadings with a lighter, freer approach to the music – one that's almost in line with some of the EMI/Odeon work of the time, but which comes off with a slightly different feel. The drums get quite funky at times, and the mix of instruments reminds us a fair bit of the legendary Aquarians album on Uni from the US – but with an influence that's more bossa-driven, in comparison to the Latin modes of that set. At times, there's a lightly dancing beauty to the record that's almost in soundtrack mode – but tunes are more focused overall, and clearly aware of their own instrumental power. Titles include "Gamboa", "Rhodosando", "Cancao Latina", "Summer Hill", "Pavane", "Chaye", "Gosto De Ser Como Sou", "Casa Forte", and "O Passaro". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Chico's strongest albums of the late 70s – a masterful set of sophisticated tunes, recorded with some great guest help from Milton Nascimento, Zizi Possi, and Elba Ramalho! The album's got a slightly melancholy feel overall – not completely somber, but a slightly world-weary sound that makes the album a bit different and more mature than some of Chico's earlier work – and which beautifully unlocks a new chapter in his tremendous talents. The style is great – perfect for Buarque's growing international fame at the time, but not in a way that's ever too commercial. Titles include "Calice", "Feijoada Completa", "Tanto Mar", "Apesar De Voce", "Pequena Serenata Diurna", and "Ate O Fim". LP, Vinyl record album

An early record that really links Chico Buarque to the European scene – an audience that would keep Chico's music strong for many years, and with a reach that went far beyond some of his contemporaries! The set was recorded in Italy, but with all the charm and sparkle of his classic Brazilian recordings – and Chico sings in Italian, doing versions of some of his best early songs – all in a lively mode, inflected with samba and post-bossa grooves, and some of the best young songwriting of his youthful years. There's a slightly different vibe here than some of his other early records – but the overall sound is every bit as appealing – and titles include "La TV", "La Banda", "Juca", "Ole Ola", "Far Niente", "Maddalena E Andata Via", and "C'E Piu Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the strangest albums in the career of Chico Buarque – and one of the best-remembered too! Os Saltimbancos is a children's play adapted by Buarque from original text by Sergio Bardotti – set to music by Luiz Enriquez Bacalov, and recorded in both Rome and Rio! Most of the album is spoken, with narration by Magro from MPB-4 – and the story is about some unhappy animals that are on their way to the big city to become musicians! The donkey (played by Magro) gets tired of doing hard labor and meets a dog (played by Ruy, another of the MPB-4 guys), a cat (played hilariously by Nara Leao), and a hen (Miucha, the sister of Chico Buarque). The music is pretty strange, and some of the tracks have a sound that's actually kind of avant-poetry, with lots of strange sounds, shouts, and whispers – in a manner that's almost as experimental as it is whimsical. Titles include "Minha Cancao", "Bicharia", "O Jumento", "Todos Juntos", and "A Batalha". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection that Milestone issued in 1973 that includes tracks from three of Byrd's early 60s Bossa Nova records – Latin Impressions, Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros and Once More/Charlie Byrd's Bossa Nova. Byrd and his unamplified guitar are joined by Keter Betts on bass and Bill Reichenbach on drums and Latin percussion; other players are also featured. The tracks are mainly composed by the big names of Bossa Nova – Jobim, Powell, Caymmi, Lyra – but there are several Byrd originals as well such as "Azul Tiple", "Bogota", "Mexican Song No 2", and "Amor Flamengo". CD also includes the album Once More! Charlie Byrd's Bossa Nova, a lovely little record from the man who helped Stan Getz find his bossa – and a set that's done with just a bit more backing than usual from Byrd for the time! The album makes nice use of additional percussion, vibes, cello, and a bit of flugelhorn to back up Byrd's work on acoustic guitar – never in a way that dominates too strongly, with just enough added sound to color in the grooves with a slightly deeper tone. Titles include "Presente De Natal", "Three Note Samba", "Limehouse Blues", "Cancao De Nimar Para Carol", "Chega De Saudade", and "Anna". (Jazz, Brazil) CD

Vinicius Cantuaria sounds as wonderful here as ever – lean, sharp, and with his trademark style of mixing all the charm of older Brazilian music with more contemporary presentation – not in a way that's commercial or overdone, but just with this sensibility that really keeps all the urgency of the best MPB work firmly in place! The vocals are great, with a warmth that only seems to get better with age – and the group is a small one, with mostly just bass and drums next to Cantuaria's guitar – plus some occasional percussion. Yet the production also has a way of widening out these core elements nicely – this wash of sound that echoes some of the great Brazilian production modes of the past. Titles include "Berlin", "Uirapuru", "Rio Negro", "E Preciso Perdoar", "Verde Mata", "Humanos", and "Nossa Estrada". CD

Classic work from one of Brazil's greatest soul singers of the 70s – an album of rich feeling that's a wonderful bridge between American soul music and some of the sophisticated song stylings of the MPB generation! Cassiano's somewhere in the territory of contemporary Tim Maia – but is a bit smoother and more sophisticated – more of a mature soul mode next to Maia's rougher funk – served up here with impeccable arrangements that really draw from all the best changes in Brazilian music during the early 70s. The album includes the funky "Central Do Brasil", the extended midtempo groover "Onda", the semi-hit "Hoje E Natal", and the cuts "De Bar Em Bar", "Ana", "A Lua E Eu", and "Salve Essa Flor". LP, Vinyl record album

Really mindblowing work from legendary drummer Ivan "Mamao" Conti – a key part of Azymuth through that group's many years – and still going strong here as a solo artist on his own! The album's almost a 21st Century realization of the sound that Azymuth was going for back in the day – cascading percussion with plenty of influences from Brazilian music and jazz, often given some electric elements along the way – but always in a style that's warmly organic, and right on the groove! Conti gets help from younger Azymuth and Incognito generations – as Alex Malherios plays bass on the record and Daniel Maunick handles keyboards, more percussion, and production – all at a level that never stomps on Ivan's vision at all – and which instead makes the whole thing as rewarding as any Azymuth session we've heard over the past few decades. Most tracks are instrumental, save for some airy wordless vocals – but Thiago Martins sings lead on "Que Legal", and other titles include "Aroeira", "Bacurau", "Poison Fruit", "Jemburi", "Ecos Da Mata", "Encontro", and "Tempestades". CD features bonus mixes – "Ilha Da Luz (Tenderlonius rmx)", "Encontro (Glenn Astro rmx)", "Que Legal (Reginald Omas Mamode IV rmx)", "Encontro (Max Graef rmx)", and "Poison Fruit (Dokta Venom's digital dub rmx)". CD

A warm jazzy gem from 70s Brazil – a set that's filled with incredible keyboard work from Guilherme Coutinho, who handles organ, electric piano, and other keyboards too – mixed with vocal modes that often have the best sorts of jazzy touches from the scene at the time! The blend is the sort you'd find on some of your favorites from back in the day – such as work by Joao Donato or Marcos Valle – but there are moments that are also more personal and unique, including a few spots where Coutinho gets all cool and moogy with the keys! Titles include "Fuga", "Flauta De Bambu", "Rio Corrente", "Foicera", "As Ferras", "Atalaia", and "Tema Pro Alvarito". CD

A warm jazzy gem from 70s Brazil – a set that's filled with incredible keyboard work from Guilherme Coutinho, who handles organ, electric piano, and other keyboards too – mixed with vocal modes that often have the best sorts of jazzy touches from the scene at the time! The blend is the sort you'd find on some of your favorites from back in the day – such as work by Joao Donato or Marcos Valle – but there are moments that are also more personal and unique, including a few spots where Coutinho gets all cool and moogy with the keys! Titles include "Fuga", "Flauta De Bambu", "Rio Corrente", "Foicera", "As Ferras", "Atalaia", and "Tema Pro Alvarito". LP, Vinyl record album

Pretty strong 80s fusion – Cesar's on lots of electric keyboards, and the album features guest appearances from Ivan Lins and Sadao Watanabe. There's some nice moments buried in the mix, but the production is a bit slick, toning down the emotion and funk of Mariano's earlier records. Songs include "Amor Em Paz", "Send One Your Love", and "Tokyo". CD

A Brazilian group, but one who play with a wonderfully spiritual sound – with currents of jazz that take us back to the early 70s years of Strata East and Impulse Records, but given perhaps a bit more of a contemporary twist! The large lineup definitely lives up to the orchestra in their name – with a great mix of reed instruments, plus keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, and additional percussion – all used in these ways that start in jazz, then pick up a globe's worth of musical context along the way – not just Brazilian elements, but some Afro-Cuban and Afro Funk modes as well – but used in ways that are relatively unique, and which really give these guys their own sort of special flavor. Titles include "Samurai", "Sonhos De Toquio", "Bedum", "Doce Agonia", "Drago Do Mar", "Morning Birds", "Humaita", and "Garuda". (Global Grooves, Brazil) CD