A really beautiful early album from Baden Powell, and a really unique one as well – as the set features some guest work from harmonica player Mauricio Einhorn – a very jazzy talent who was a bit like the Toots Thielemans of Brazil at the time! The combination of harmonica and acoustic guitar is great – and production is handled by Roberto Quartin – the sonic maestro who really manages to bring a lot out of this very special meeting of talents. The small combo features bass from Edison Lobo and drums from Chico Batera – and titles include "A Chuva", "Pro Forma", "Tempo Feliz", "Deixa", and "Apelo". CD

A landmark session from the great Baden Powell – a record that completely transformed the sound of his music, and showed the world he had much deeper talents than just simple bossa guitar! The session was done in collaboration with poet Vinicius De Moraes, with additional vocals from Quarteto Em Cy – and the sound is a completely captivating blend of rootsy percussion, airy guitar, and poetic vocals – held together with a unique magic that was hardly ever duplicated again! There's a genius here that's hard to peg, but which is apparent from the very first note – and equal credit should possibly also be given to producer Roberto Quartin, who managed to make the whole thing happen with an echoey brilliance that's almost as important as the music itself. Titles include the original version of "Canto De Ossanha", plus "Tempo de Amor", "Tristeza E Solidao", "Lamento De Exu", "Bocoche", and "Canto De Xango". (Note: there is a slight dip in sound on the first minute or so of the record – and this is a tragic flaw in the original mastering, and not in this pressing.) CD

A landmark in Brazilian music – the first album ever from arranger Moacir Santos, and a groundbreaking blend of jazz, larger arrangements, and Brazilian rhythms – still as fresh today as it was back in the 60s! The group's a large one – with instrumentation that includes vibes, guitar, saxes, percussion, and trombone – but the music seems to hang magically in air, suspended on light waves of sound and space that encircle the recording with incomparable warmth. Santos' conception is a highly rhythmic one – but the recording differs greatly from other bossa and samba sessions of the time, and comes across as a masterpiece of understatement, thanks to impeccable production from the great Roberto Quartin! Titles include "Coisa No 4", "Coisa No 10", "Coisa No 1", "Coisa No 8", "Coisa No 6", "Coisa No 2", and "Coisa No 7". LP, Vinyl record album

A really beautiful early album from Baden Powell, and a really unique one as well – as the set features some guest work from harmonica player Mauricio Einhorn – a very jazzy talent who was a bit like the Toots Thielemans of Brazil at the time! The combination of harmonica and acoustic guitar is great – and production is handled by Roberto Quartin – the sonic maestro who really manages to bring a lot out of this very special meeting of talents. The small combo features bass from Edison Lobo and drums from Chico Batera – and titles include "A Chuva", "Pro Forma", "Tempo Feliz", "Deixa", and "Apelo". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from a young Chico Buarque – a record that seems to draw on all the best elements of 60s Brazilian pop, and forge them into a sound that's all its own! At one level, there's a post-bossa style of larger arrangements here that recalls the work of Edu Lobo – handled by Maestro Gaya in a mode that recalls some of the best bits of the time on the Elenco or Forma labels. But at another level, there's also a personal and slightly folksy style that reminds us of the initial power of Geraldo Vandre – a sound that's clearly present in Buarque's work, and which stands in a direct line to the best strengths of the emerging Tropicalia generation. The set's filled with classics that include "Carolina", "Roda Viva", "O Velho", "Ate Pensei", "Sem Fantasia", and "Desencontro" – and a few tracks feature Chico in duets with either Toquinho, Cristina, or MPB4! LP, Vinyl record album

The sublime debut album from Argentine guitarist Agustin Pereyra Lucena – a musician who learned plenty from the bossa guitar generation of the 60s, then took things into his own hand with this wonderful record! Agustin's acoustic guitar is the main instrumentation on the set – supported by light percussion, warm basslines, and some occasional wordless female vocals – which drift in and out of the set with a really wonderful tone – kind of breezy and gentle, a lot like the way that Baden Powell would have used a female voice on some of his European recordings during the same time – nicely moody, and almost more like a musical element rather than the usual lyrical style of vocals on a record. Tracks include a killer version of "Canto De Ossanha" – unlike any we've ever heard – plus "Tema Para Martin", "O Astronauta", "Samba Do Aviao", "Tristeza De Nos Dois", "Pro Forma", and "Berimbau". CD

The sublime debut album from Argentine guitarist Agustin Pereyra Lucena – a musician who learned plenty from the bossa guitar generation of the 60s, then took things into his own hand with this wonderful record! Agustin's acoustic guitar is the main instrumentation on the set – supported by light percussion, warm basslines, and some occasional wordless female vocals – which drift in and out of the set with a really wonderful tone – kind of breezy and gentle, a lot like the way that Baden Powell would have used a female voice on some of his European recordings during the same time – nicely moody, and almost more like a musical element rather than the usual lyrical style of vocals on a record. Tracks include a killer version of "Canto De Ossanha" – unlike any we've ever heard – plus "Tema Para Martin", "O Astronauta", "Samba Do Aviao", "Tristeza De Nos Dois", "Pro Forma", and "Berimbau". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice little compilation with a dozen songs from Joao Donata & Lisa Ono, John Pizrelli, Eliane Elias, Arto Lindsay, Paul Desmond, Randy Brecker, Harry Allen, Larry Goldings, Forma De Agua, and Sadao Watanabe. CD

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Amazing early work from Azymuth – rare demo recordings done at the home studio of keyboardist Jose Roberto Bertrami, in the short space before the group issued their legendary debut! The tracks here are as much jazz funk as they are the later modes that Azymuth would put forth – killer instrumentals that are really driven by great keyboard lines from Bertrami, who'd already been making music in other formats for years – and who works here on Fender Rhodes, Arp, Clavinet, Hammond, and a range of other keyboards too! The drums are fantastic, too – handled by a young Ivan Conti, who gets help on percussion from an early fourth member of the group, Ariovaldo Contesini – and as you might guess, the incredible basslines of Ivan Mamao Conti really help the whole thing groove. All material is very well-recorded – these aren't rough or unfinished tracks at all – and the whole thing should just be thought of as a first chapter for the group, right before they started putting out their famous records. Titles include "Prefacio", "Castelo", "Melo Do Cuica", "Xingo", "Laranjeiras", "Eqiupe 68", "Unknown Song For Mario Telles", "Manha", "Duro De Roer", "Quem Tem Medo", "Juntos Mais Uma Vez", and "Bateria Do Mamao". CD

The start of an amazing legacy in Brazilian music – and a record that really lives up to its title! Jorge Ben completely reinvents the samba here – and comes up with his own new groove in the process – by blending sharp acoustic guitar lines with rootsy percussion – all at a level that's far more rhythmic than the used of the instrument in bossa nova. There's definitely a bossa element – but Joao's singing is a lot more soulful, as is the overall performance – and the styles started here not only launched Ben's career, but also had a huge influence on generations of musicians to come! Titles include the sublime original version of "Mas Que Nada" - plus "Tim Dom Dom", "Chove Chuva", "A Tamba", "Balanca Pema", and "Rosa Menina Rosa". Great stuff, and essential all the way through – we promise! LP, Vinyl record album

A great little live set from Maria Bethania – one recorded with the lighter, looser sound she was using in the early 80s – and which stands as a nice contrast to her more dramatic concert performances of the 70s! The music director for the show is Gilberto Gil, and there's a bit of the warmer overtones that Gil was using in his own music at the time – not really the soulful modes, but stronger use of electric keyboards and flowing rhythms that bring in a bit of jazz and a nice sense of fullness. Titles include "Prenda", "Luzes De Ribalta", "Gas Neon", "O Que E O Que E", "Cantico Negro", "Cancao Da Volta", "De Noite E De Dia", and "Nossos Momentos". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic double-length set – two full albums of music, essential for any fan of Brazilian jazz – or even jazz in general! First up is Esperanto – an incredible album from one of Brazil's greatest reed players of the 70s – the mighty Victor Assis Brasil – a free-thinking spirit who really took Brazilian jazz in bold new directions at the time! The record shows Victor absorbing a lot of post-Coltrane influences, and blending them with a tight approach to rhythm – laid down here by Dom Salvador on piano (and organ), Edison Lobo on bass, and Edson Machando on drums. The group is completed by Helio Delmiro on guitar, and Claudio Roditi plays trumpet on one track – but the real highlight is the amazing reed work by Brasil, which is filled with soul and warmth, plus a deep sense of exploration. The whole session was put together by Roberto Quartin in 1970 – and it's still extremely fresh today. Titles include "Children", "Gingerbread Boy", "Senegal", and "Marilia". Next is Toca Antonio Carlos Jobim – a fantastic album from this legendary Brazilian saxophonist – and one that's way different than the usual instrumental reading of the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim! The setting is less of a bossa-inspired one than a post-Coltrane mode – as Victor Assis Brasil blows alto sax, and a bit of soprano – on long, stretched out versions of Jobim compositions – often given a bit of modal energy, thanks to the group's strong piano and organ performances by Dom Salvador. The rest of the players are all great, too – Helio Delmiro on guitar, Edson Lobo on bass, and Edison Machado on drums – all players who grew up in the bossa jazz years of the 60s, but who here are set free to explore new territory by producer Roberto Quartin. The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "Bonita", "Wave", "So Tinha De Ser Come Voce", and "Dindi". CD also features two bonus tracks – alternate takes of "Ao Amigo Quartin" and "Marilla". CD

A live and lively little bossa vocal set – recorded at the Cangaceiro nightclub, with backing by a really great small combo! The style here is similar to other live bossa jazz sets from the time – such as Elis Regina's classic with the Zimbo Trio – and although Helena's vocal style is a bit full and sometimes emotive, the spontaneous nature of the performance really helps keep things lean and clean! The combo here is named after the club – and features Raul Mascarenhas on piano and supposedly Rildo Hora on a bit of harmonica – although he doesn't seem to appear on the record as much as the cover might indicate. Titles include "Oitavo Botequim", "Penumbra", "Ponto E Chuva", "Aconteceu", "Desilusao", "Verdade Da Vida", and 2 longer "Pot-Pourri" tracks. LP, Vinyl record album

A hell of a record from Brazilian pianist Amaro Freitas – an artist we already loved before, but who's really stepping forth boldly with this release! Freitas has a way with the piano that's unlike anyone else we can think of – that freshness we maybe first felt when hearing a player like Robert Glasper many years back – and he works in a trio setting at a level that completely transforms the format – thanks in part to the very inventive assistance he gets from Jean Elton on bass and Hugo Medeiros on drums and percussion! If you think Freitas looks righteous on the cover, just wait until you hear his music – as he's definitely the real deal, and bound to be a big force in the jazz generation to come. Titles include "Malakoff", "Nascimento", "Sankofa", "Ayeye", "Vila Bela", "Baquaqua", and "Cazumba". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

A very different record than the first collaboration between Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto – but that's also one of the things that makes it great! The album's more of a split LP than a shared one – as side one features a live performance from the great mid 60s Stan Getz quartet that featured Gary Burton on vibes – a wonderfully cool combo that was very under-documented on record, and which makes a key appearance here. The combination of Burton's vibes and Stan's tenor is pure genius – a sound that's got all the subtle hues and cool colors of the Getz bossa recordings, but which is quite different overall. Stan's tone is amazing on these tunes – and titles include "Here's That Rainy Day", "Tonight I Shall Sleep With A Smile On My Face", "Grandfather's Waltz", and "Stan's Blues". Side two features Joao Gilberto without Stan – playing in a very groovy trio that's more straight bossa than most of his other US recordings – cool small combo grooving that's totally great! The lineup features Gilberto on guitar and vocals, Keeter Betts on bass, and Helcio Milito on drums – all working in a sweetly grooving mode on titles that include "Samba De Minha Terra", "Meditation", "Bim Bom", "Rosa Moreno", and "O Pato". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous little album from Joyce – a rare session originally only issued in Italy, recorded in a folksy style that's a bit different than her other work! Tracks are all pretty short – many under 2 minutes long – and feature spare guitar, percussion, and lovely vocals from Joyce – really stretching out here in the laidback and open-ended format. The record is a magical treasure, and one of the best she ever recorded – a unique mix of jazzy and folksy stylings, all held together with some of the loveliest vocals ever recorded by a Brazilian singer! Titles include "Pelo Telefone", "Pesadelo", "De Frente Pro Crime", "Joia", "Chora Doutor", "Fado Tropical", and "A Historia Do Samba". LP, Vinyl record album