A grand tribute to the work of Vinicius De Moraes – sung by Miucha, the vocalist who recorded some great albums with Vinicius and Jobim in the 70s! The set's done in a lush and dreamy style – that sophisticated approach to classic bossa done on many recent sessions from the Biscoito Fino label. Miucha sings with an assortment of guest stars – including Bebel Gilberto, Toquinho, Daniel Jobim, Zeca Pagodinho, and Chico Buarque – and arrangements are by Cristovao Bastos, Leandro Braga, and Eduardo Souto Neto. Titles include "Tomara", "Tempo Sera", "Cancao De Nos Dois", "Cem Por Cento", "Valsa De Euridice", "Georgiana", "Serenata Do Adeus", and "Ai Quem Me Dera". CD

An overlooked gem from Airto – recorded after his 70s years on bigger labels, but a set that almost tops all of them in the end! There's a wonderful mix going on here – a blend of rootsy and electric, and Latin and Brazilian – the former clearly from the placement of the record on New York's Montuno label – an imprint that did plenty of great sessions filled with Latin jazz! The shift makes for a fresh one for Airto – still plenty of room to show off his famous percussion impulses, yet in a slightly different way – often grooving in a Latin fusion mode that's a nice maturation from the CTI years. The set's filled with all-star players – including Jorge Dalto on electric piano, Raul De Souza on trombone, Joe Farrell on flute, Alphonso Johnson on bass, and Oscar Castro Neves on keyboards, guitar, and cavaquinho – and the lovely Flora's also on board to sing a bit on the set. Titles include the extended jammer "Tombo", plus "Aqui Se Pede", "Jump", "The Return", "Sin Salida", and "Anatelio". LP, Vinyl record album

A wickedly funky album from Joao Donato – quite different than his earlier bossa sessions, and recorded in LA with a sweet jazzy bounce! The album's overflowing with great keyboard work – and Joao plays both piano and organ, in a group that includes percussion from Emil Richards, who also produced the set with this mad skittish edge that's awash in crazy and off-kilter rhythms! Deodato helped a bit with the arrangements, too – and the album's got an electric feel that's somewhat similar to Deodato's own work on CTI, but a lot more messed up – and with that sense of odd instrumental placement that we love so much in Donato's classic Quem E Quem album! Tracks are all pretty darn great – and titles include "Mosquito", "Bambu", "Cade Jodel", "Lunar Tune", and "The Frog", nicely done here in a funky version! LP, Vinyl record album

A bold leap forward from Gilberto Gil – his first album recorded during the Tropicalia years, and an amazing collaboration with arranger Rogerio Duprat! The album's got a sound that really bridges scenes in Brazil – elements of older folkloric musics, folded with samba rhythms, folded again with psychedelic touches from Os Mutantes – who also help out on the set – all wrapped together with a sound so revolutionary, it still crackles with energy all these many years later! The sound and style are impossible to describe accurately, which is part of the charm of the record – and it's key placement as one of the prime musical texts of the Tropicalia years. Titles include "Marginalia II", "Luzia Luluza", "Pega A Voga, Cabeludo", "Frevo Rasgado", "Domingou", and "Domingo No Parque". CD also features 4 bonus tracks – "Barca Grande", "A Coisa Mais Linda Que Existe", "Questao De Ordem", and "A Luta Contra A Lata Ou A Falencia Do Cafe". CD

Wicked funky fusion from Opa – a Brazilian-inspired set, and one with loads of great electric moments! Although originally from Uruguay, Opa are best known for their Brazilian-tinged albums on the soul/jazz Fantasy records label in Cali during the mid 70s – great placement, given that their sound is a bit like Azymuth – with a similar mix of South American roots and contemporary electric grooves! This album is actually their first – captured in America before their two classics on Fantasy – and featuring a sharp quartet that includes legendary pianist Hugo Fattoruso on keyboards – a great talent who'd already made jazz and bossa records in the 60s – working here with George Osvaldo Fattoruso on drums, percussion, and flute – plus Ringo Thielmann on bass. The core trio is also joined for this record by percussionist Pappo Atiles – and although there's some light vocal touches, they've got that breezy style that was often used in Brazilian jazz at the time – almost more instrumental than vocal. Titles include a great take on Edu Lobo's "Casa Forte" – plus "Back Home (The Inner City)", "Brother Rada", "African Bird", "Goldenwings", "Brooklynville", and "One & One & One Is Two". (Jazz, Brazil) CD

Wicked funky fusion from Opa – a Brazilian-inspired set, and one with loads of great electric moments! Although originally from Uruguay, Opa are best known for their Brazilian-tinged albums on the soul/jazz Fantasy records label in Cali during the mid 70s – great placement, given that their sound is a bit like Azymuth – with a similar mix of South American roots and contemporary electric grooves! This album is actually their first – captured in America before their two classics on Fantasy – and featuring a sharp quartet that includes legendary pianist Hugo Fattoruso on keyboards – a great talent who'd already made jazz and bossa records in the 60s – working here with George Osvaldo Fattoruso on drums, percussion, and flute – plus Ringo Thielmann on bass. The core trio is also joined for this record by percussionist Pappo Atiles – and although there's some light vocal touches, they've got that breezy style that was often used in Brazilian jazz at the time – almost more instrumental than vocal. Titles include a great take on Edu Lobo's "Casa Forte" – plus "Back Home (The Inner City)", "Brother Rada", "African Bird", "Goldenwings", "Brooklynville", and "One & One & One Is Two". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful tribute to Suba – the underground electronician who's had such a strong effect on the sound of Brazilian grooves over the past decade or so. Suba's lifetime journey – from Yugoslavia, to Paris, to Brazil – left him with a wealth of cultural influences, and at the time of his early death in 1999, he was just beginning to realize his full potential. You'll get a good idea of how much he had to offer on this album – which brings together the 2 surviving tracks from his last album with a host of other collaborations, and "tribute" tracks recorded for him by other artists. The groove is light and breezy – better than most other recent projects of this nature – and titles include "Voce Gosta mix" by Phil Asher, "Nightly Sins" by Joao Parahyba, "Tantos Desejos mix" by Modern Quartet & Cibelle, "Segredo Remake" by Boyz From Brazil, "Felicidade Mix" by Buscemi, "Sereia, Amor D'Agua' by Cibelle, "Future Primitivo 1, 2, & 3" by Suba & Joao Parahyba, "Lagoa Pinheiros" by Suba & Marina Lima, and "Samba Do Gringo Paulista" by Bigga Bush. CD

One of the key records that helped cement the Tom Ze legacy back in the day – a set that's unlike any other work of the period from other Brazilian artists – including some of Ze's earlier contemporaries in the Tropicalia scene! There's a great mix of styles going on ranging from some spare percussive tracks, to others that have a smoother production style – and throughout it all, Ze's got that crazy approach to lyricism that marks his vocally striking work from this time. Arrangements are directed by Otavio Basso, with lots of work on both acoustic and electric instruments – keyboards mixed with cavaquinho, guitar mixed with percussion and cuica – on titles that include "Amor De Estrada", "Carta", "Morena", "Menina Jesus", "Na Parada De Sucesso", and "Pecado Rifa E Revista". LP, Vinyl record album