One of Azymuth's best-remembered albums from their American years on Milestone – a really killer classic that beautifully blends Brazilian and American styles of fusion! There's a simple, elegant feel to these tunes that takes off nicely from the group's previous album for Atlantic in Brazil – a pushing forward of the soulful sides of their style, but with just the right blend of quirkier elements as well – one that still keeps the edge of the early years, yet helps the group reach out with a wonderfully warm sound! Most tracks are quite spare, and without any too-smooth polishing in production – and titles include the classic "Jazz Carnival", a funky fusion classic if there ever was one – plus "Light As A Feather", "Avenida Das Manguerias", "This Exists", "Partido Alto", "Dona Olimpia", "Amazonia", and "Young Embrace". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Azymuth's best-remembered albums from their American years on Milestone – a really killer classic that beautifully blends Brazilian and American styles of fusion! There's a simple, elegant feel to these tunes that takes off nicely from the group's previous album for Atlantic in Brazil – a pushing forward of the soulful sides of their style, but with just the right blend of quirkier elements as well – one that still keeps the edge of the early years, yet helps the group reach out with a wonderfully warm sound! Most tracks are quite spare, and without any too-smooth polishing in production – and titles include the classic "Jazz Carnival", a funky fusion classic if there ever was one – plus "Light As A Feather", "Avenida Das Manguerias", "This Exists", "Partido Alto", "Dona Olimpia", "Amazonia", and "Young Embrace". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Azymuth's best-remembered albums from their American years on Milestone – a really killer classic that beautifully blends Brazilian and American styles of fusion! There's a simple, elegant feel to these tunes that takes off nicely from the group's previous album for Atlantic in Brazil – a pushing forward of the soulful sides of their style, but with just the right blend of quirkier elements as well – one that still keeps the edge of the early years, yet helps the group reach out with a wonderfully warm sound! Most tracks are quite spare, and without any too-smooth polishing in production – and titles include the classic "Jazz Carnival", a funky fusion classic if there ever was one – plus "Light As A Feather", "Avenida Das Manguerias", "This Exists", "Partido Alto", "Dona Olimpia", "Amazonia", and "Young Embrace". CD also features the bonus track "Montreux"! CD

A brilliant new vision for the legendary Banda Black Rio – the pioneering samba, soul and funk combo that broke so much ground in the 70s and remain vital to this day – led here by William Magalhaes, in a mode that celebrates decades of the best Brazilian music, while fearlessly moving it forward! William's father Oberdan Magalhaes was a driving force behind the original Banda Black Rio, and we couldn't really imagine a more appropriate new vision for the group than his son's. William wrote or co-wrote each track and he sings, plays keys and synth, guitar, bass, drums and more. The expansive group brings a depth of percussion, horns, strings and vocals – delivering timeless and dexterous jazzy Brazilian funk and dancefloor soul. The guest list includes classic and contemporary greats like Seu Jorge, Elza Soares, Marcio Local, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and others! Includes "Louis Lane" with Seu Jorge & Mano Brown, "Super Nova Samba Funk (9 No Samba)", "America Do Sul", "Isabela" feat Elza Soares and Cesar Camargo Mariano, "Samba Nova", "Quem Vem La" feat Marcio Local, "Deixa Estar" feat Aleh, "Lindos Olhos" feat Seu Jorge and Don Pixote, "Paname" feat Pyroman, "Final Feliz", "Irere" feat Gilberto Gil, "Aos Pes Do Redentor" feat Caetano Veloso and more. 16 tracks on the CD version. 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". 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

A sweet mix of Brazilian grooves and New York attitude – an overlooked session from the end of the 90s – recorded in the US by Brazilian saxman Leo Gandelman, with soulful help from a variety of American players – including Reuben Wilson on organ and both Charlie Hunter and Grant Green Jr on guitar! There's a rich sort of 70s vibe to the record – a tight, funky blend of jazzy riffing and Brazilian percussion, all put together at a level that almost reminds us of Kudu Records at its best – lean, soulful, and surprisingly focused throughout – a great step forward for Gandelman, and for percussionist Juliano Zanoni, who co-arranged the set with Leo, and also wrote most of the tunes. Supposedly, the record never saw the light of day when it was recorded – making this sweet Far Out package its first-ever release! Titles include "Safari", "Pau Grande", "April 7th", "Dance", "Prince Samba", "Groove In The Head", "Pirulito", and "Charlie 1". CD

A nice step forward for Ceu – and a record with a bit more of an edge than we might have expected! The set's still heavy on those sweet Brazilian vocals with an old school vibe – but the production, although often spare, has this nice raspy quality we really love – subtle elements that underscore the lyrics with a gently creative mode – a bit like the sounds you'd hear from other releases from the Kassim/Moreno Veloso camp – although perhaps not as edgey as those. Still, we've gotta give producer Gui Amabis credit for keeping things interesting on Ceu's behalf – on tracks that include "Amor De Antigos", "Falta Dear", "Contravento", "Palhaco", "You Won't Regret It", "Sereia", and "Fffree". LP, Vinyl record album

Gal Costa pays tribute to one of the greatest Brazilian songwriters of an earlier age – the great Ary Barroso, one of the first to also get his songs translated into other global languages too! The language here is all Portuguese, though – but nicely updated by Gal in that range of styles she was using at the end of the 70s – a bit of jazz at times, and with that evolved level of MPB arrangement that was helping song artists find their way forward – done on this set by arrangers Roberto Menescal and Perna Froes. Caetano Veloso joins Gal on a duet of "No Tabuleiro Da Bahiana", and other tracks include "E Luxo So", "Folha Morta", "Camisa Amarela", "Aquarela Do Brasil", and "Novo Amor" – plus Gal's classic reading of "Aquarela Do Brasil". LP, Vinyl record album

A great step forward for the legendary Tim Maia – working here in a style that's even tighter and more sophisticated than before – yet still equally filled with funk and soul! The arrangements are a bit bigger than before, and the production a bit more professional – but that change only brings Tim into even more heavenly soul territory – with a mix of grooves and strings that lays somewhere between the best early 70s work on labels like Curtom or Motown! Tim's got a new sense of majesty on the album – and also sings in English in a few spots – at a level that makes us wonder why he was never able to crack the American soul market at the time. An essential record from the man who brought American soul music to Brazil – with tracks that include "Over Again", "New Love", "O Balanco", "Reu Confesso", "Preciso Ser Amado", "Amores", and "Do Your Thing Behave Yourself". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album by Sergio and crew – and a real push forward for the group! The basic format of two-female harmony leads is still in place – but for some reason, this album gives a bit more of a nod to Brazilian roots than before, and really spices things up with an even more interesting array of songs! There's a bit less of the pop/cover style than before, and a bit more of a nod towards the hipper side of Brazilian music – especially the modernists of the bossa nova generation. Brazilian tunes include versions of "Constant Rain", "Cinnamon & Clove", "Bim Bom", and "Wave" – and there's also a few nice English numbers, like their hit version of "Night & Day", and a great reading of "Watch What Happens"! LP, Vinyl record album

Gentle, breezy, and wonderful – a rare 1974 album by Osmar Milito, a Brazilian arranger of the post-bossa era, and a mad talent with a bit of a dark edge! The record takes all the airy brilliance of the previous Brazilian generation, and moves it forward with a different sense of space and sound – almost a transformation of the Deodato or Jobim style of arranging in the 60s, but with a much moodier feel overall. Miltio plays piano on the set – working in front of larger orchestrations in a mode that's not unlike the late 60s albums of Burt Bacharach, but fitted with some different touches that give the set a bit more of a groovy 70s sound. Titles include "Bonita", "Sangue Latino", "Viagem", "Eu Bebo Sim", and "Planalto Geral". LP, Vinyl record album

An ambitious mix of rootsy samba and soaring orchestrations – one of the strongest 70s albums by Clara Nunes, and set to arrangements by Francis Hime, Nelsinho, and Maestro Gaya! The record manages to sit on both sides of a sound with tremendous ease – never getting bogged down in its own ambition, yet still pushing Clara forward with a fresh approach. Titles include "Canto Das Tres Racas", "Fuzue", "Risos E Lagrimas", "Ai Quem Me Dera", "Tenha Paciencia" and "Retrato Falado". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Brazilian artists of all time – stepping out here with a record that really lives up to all the faith we've had in his music over the decades! Back at the start of the 90s, Valle had all but disappeared from the recording world – but since that time, he's continued to mature and grow as an artist – really stretching himself, expanding his sound, and moving forward his groundbreaking styles of the 60s and 70s, which continue to influence new generations as time goes by! Here, there's some of the warmth of the soul records that Marcos cut in the 80s, including his collaborations with Leon Ware – but with touches of more unusual, more personal elements too – so that you'll have a sweet electric sound on one number, and a more pronounced acoustic element on the next – all made even more interesting by some of the collaborative help on the album's compositions, which include contributions from Moreno Veloso, Domincio, Kassin, and Emicida. Titles include "Se Proteja", "Pelo Sim Pelo Nao", "Rastros Traros", "Nada Existe", "Posto 9", "So Penso Em Jazz", "Lugares Distantes", and "Cinzento". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing leap forward for the incredible Walter Wanderley – a record that has him mixing his earlier bossa groove with the wider vision of late 60s A&M/CTI – supported by an amazing cast of American and Brazilian artists! The vibe is wonderful from the very first note – a refinement of bossa with the more sophisticated scoring touches of CTI – arrangements from both Deodato and Don Sebesky, working wonderfully to support Wanderley's lead keyboard lines on organ and electric harpsichord! The record's arguably more sophisticated than most work of this nature coming from Brazil at the same time – and with classic production by Creed Taylor, the sound is sublime through and through! A few tracks feature a slight bit of vocals – from Milton Nascimento, Anamaria Valle, and others – and instrumentalists helping on the session include Hubert Laws on flute and Marvin Stamm on flugelhorn. Titles include great versions of "Open Your Arms", "When It Was Done", "Reach Out For Me", "Ponteio", "Surfboard", "Baiao Da Garoa", "Capoeira", and "Ole Ole Ola". LP, Vinyl record album