An overlooked gem from the Verve bossa years – a session that features the sweet tenor sax work of Stan Getz, alongside some swinging bossa arrangements from the great Gary McFarland! Given the strength of Gary's own work for Verve at the time, it's no surprise that he's a perfect accompanist for Getz on the session – working with just the right amount of space to let Stan stand out from the pack, and really creating a great blend of Brazilian rhythms and some of the modder 60s styles at Verve. Gary contributed a number of originals to the session too – and titles include "Bim Bom", "Manlancolico", "Balanco No Samba", "Noite Triste", "Chega De Saudade", and "Manha De Carnival". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set of hard samba and bossa tracks by one of Brazil's best organists! Ed always knows how to keep a groove, and he manages to do so nicely on this set of hits from the 60s – packaged up in a nice cover that has a picture of him looking pensively out at the rainforest. Includes the great groovers "O Ganso" and "The Blues Walk", plus "A Rosa", "Pergunte Ao Joao", "Centenario", "Miss Balanco", and "Carioca". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest Brazilian albums you could ever hope to buy – and one that's not even from Brazil, either! This little gem was recorded in France in the early 70s – but it's got a swinging groove that's very similar to the work of Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 during the 60s – upbeat, bossa-inflected, and with a strong undercurrent of jazz! Mesquita's group is a lot like Sergio's – right down to its mix of two vocalists on the lyrics – but there's a few important differences: this group's got one male and one female singer, a lot more percussion than Sergio ever used, and an overall sound that's less pop-oriented, and much harder overall! The whole album's great – tight, driving, and lively, with some incredible production – and titles include "Balanca Pema", "Dabadeia", "Aguas De Marco", "Fechado Pra Balanco", "Zanzibar", and "O Gato". LP, Vinyl record album

Jazzy organ grooves from Brazil – a sweet 60s swinger that packs a heck of a punch! The album's one of the few by Primo Jr, and features a great blend of organ, percussion, vibes, vocals, and guitar – all dancing around with a groove that's similar to the best mid 60s work by Ed Lincoln, who was clearly an inspiration for this session. Grooves are in a fast bossa and samba mode, played with a nice touch of jazz – and very lively and swinging throughout! Titles include "Leila", "E Com Pimenta", "Romantic Partners", "Joao Quatrocentao", "Gira Mundo", "Balanco Do Rio", "E De Manha", and "Macas E Bananas". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool 60s live set from Jair Rodrigues – one that captures his vocals with a raspy, earthy edge that's really great – mixed up here both in upbeat jazzy samba backings, and some folksier moments too! The album has all the great energy that Jair brought to his famous live dates with Elis Regina – and he seems to borrow a lot from her style on the album's groovers, of which there are many! Titles include "Contracanto", "A Rita", "Vem Menina", "Disparada", "Rapaz Da Moda", "Inae", "Deixa Como Esta", and "No Balanco Do Jequibau". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic early bossa session from Wilson Simonal! His deep soulful voice is in perfect form – and it sounds super next to sweet lilting arrangements by the great Lyrio Panicalli – who uses larger orchestrations to open up that soulful side of Wilson's vocals – the sort that made him a key precursor of the 70s samba soul generation! The whole thing's upbeat and groovy – in a way that really points towards some of Simonal's giant work to come – and titles Include a version of Marcos Valle's "Tudo De Voce", plus the tracks "Telefone", "Lagrima Flor", "Menino Triste", "Samba E Verbo", and "Balanco Zona Sul". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set of rare bossa tracks, all performed by artists related to the legendary scene that circled around the Paramount Theatre, one of Brazil's leading showcases for bossa material in the 60's! Includes versions of "Garota De Charme" and "Balanco Zona Sul" by Zimbo Trio, "Morrer De Amor" and "Onde Esta Voce" by Alaide Costa, "Dorme" and "Desencanto" by Yvette, "Diz" by Walter Santos, "Azul Triste" by the Oscar Castro Neves Noneto, and the groovy "Zero Hora" by Bossa Jazz Trio. LP, Vinyl record album