Featuring Chris Cheek on saxphones, Diego Urcola on trumpet, Freddie Bryant on guitars, Edward Simon on piano, Avishai Cohen on bass, Jordi Rossy on drums and Gilad on percussion. (Jazz, Brazil) CD

Sublimely soulful work from Azymuth – 2 albums back to back on a single CD! Cascades is fantastic fusion from a group who just couldn't miss during these early 80s California years! The sound here is smooth, but never slick – always a little offbeat, and quite different from more mainstream US fusion of the time – thanks to the genius of Jose Roberto Bertrami's keyboards, which glide one moment, dip the next, and often have these slight changes in speed that are totally great. Other members of the core trio include Alex Malheiros on bass and guitar and Ivan Conti on drums and percussion – and the set also features guest work by Mauricio Einhorn on harmonica, Jose Carlos on flute, and Sidney Moreira on percussion. Titles include "Remembering Milton", "Club Morocco", "Through The Window", "Festa Nativa", "Cascade Of The Seven Waterfalls", and "Indian Pepper". Rapid Transit is a set with a really warm groove overall – hardly the too-fast, or too-urban record you might expect from the title! Instead, there's a nicely organic sensibility going on here – a sound that feels fresh and spontaneous, even when it's in the highly electric territory of Jose Roberto Bertami's keyboards. There's a slight bit of added flute and percussion on the set, but most of the sounds here are from the core Azymuth trio – who even vocalize wordlessly on one of the album's best tracks. Titles include "Missing Doto", "Make Mine Guarana", "Gate Of Time", "I'm Just Looking Around", "Somewhere In Brazil", and "Afternoon". CD

A really wonderful album – timeless in sound and style, and a set that almost takes us back to the warmth of some of our favorite Brazilian records from the 70s! Bala Desejo have a way of mixing harmonies with lead vocals that's completely sublime – often set to light percussion, acoustic guitar, and other spare instrumental touches that glow as nicely as the vocals! If you've heard some of the 70s material from Quarteto Em Cy, you'll know part of the vibe here – but there's also maybe a more contemporary sense of songwriting too, which really keeps things fresh – on titles that include "Lua Comanche", "Nesse Sofa", "Chupeta", "Faixa Tecnica", "Chronofagia", "Muito So", "Dourado Dourado", and "Lambe Lambe". CD

A really wonderful album – timeless in sound and style, and a set that almost takes us back to the warmth of some of our favorite Brazilian records from the 70s! Bala Desejo have a way of mixing harmonies with lead vocals that's completely sublime – often set to light percussion, acoustic guitar, and other spare instrumental touches that glow as nicely as the vocals! If you've heard some of the 70s material from Quarteto Em Cy, you'll know part of the vibe here – but there's also maybe a more contemporary sense of songwriting too, which really keeps things fresh – on titles that include "Lua Comanche", "Nesse Sofa", "Chupeta", "Faixa Tecnica", "Chronofagia", "Muito So", "Dourado Dourado", and "Lambe Lambe". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful album – timeless in sound and style, and a set that almost takes us back to the warmth of some of our favorite Brazilian records from the 70s! Bala Desejo have a way of mixing harmonies with lead vocals that's completely sublime – often set to light percussion, acoustic guitar, and other spare instrumental touches that glow as nicely as the vocals! If you've heard some of the 70s material from Quarteto Em Cy, you'll know part of the vibe here – but there's also maybe a more contemporary sense of songwriting too, which really keeps things fresh – on titles that include "Lua Comanche", "Nesse Sofa", "Chupeta", "Faixa Tecnica", "Chronofagia", "Muito So", "Dourado Dourado", and "Lambe Lambe". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic bit of jazzy fusion from Chick Corea and the legendary Return To Forever group that included Flora Purim and Airto! The sound of the album influenced a generation, and although the album was overlooked by groovers for years, partly due to its success, it still sounds surprisingly fresh – skipping along with an amazing mix of fusion, Brazilian rhythms, and free-thinking solos! The album's overflowing with great-grooving goodies – and titles include the great original version of "Captain Marvel", plus "Light As A Feather", "Spain", and "500 Miles High". (Jazz, Brazil) CD

A classic bit of jazzy fusion from Chick Corea and the legendary Return To Forever group that included Flora Purim and Airto! The sound of the album influenced a generation, and although the album was overlooked by groovers for years, partly due to its success, it still sounds surprisingly fresh – skipping along with an amazing mix of fusion, Brazilian rhythms, and free-thinking solos! The album's overflowing with great-grooving goodies – and titles include the great original version of "Captain Marvel", plus "Light As A Feather", "Spain", and "500 Miles High". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

Gal Costa gets some great help here from Celso Fonseca – who produced the album, and gives Costa a fresh sound that makes the album one of her best from the 90s! The music's a bit in Fonseca's own mode on his recordings – currents of bossa that bring a classic feel at times, but also modernized a bit in the arrangements, and creative use of contemporary instrumentation – at levels that keep the whole thing from just being a back-to-bossa session! Gal's voice is wonderful – able to turn a line with such subtle power, she grabs us even when we can't understand the lyrics – and the instrumentation is right in there to underscore all the best elements, with the right touches on piano or guitar. Titles include "A Voz Do Tambor", "Imunizacao Racional", "Qui Nem Gilo", "Sertao", "Calling You", "Habib", and "Aguarte Agora". CD

Very tasty set of jazz tracks by legendary Brazilian pianist Joao Donato, performed as a loving tribute to Jobim, and with the same polished bossa sound as many other titles on the Lumiar label. Donato himself handled most of the arrangements, and the sound is nice and spare, with backing by sax, flute, and trumpet. The titles are all quite familiar, but Donato's playing is quite fresh, and the set is one of his best albums of the past 20 years. Titles include "Fotografia", "Vivo Sonhando", "Caminhos Cruzados", "Outra Vez", and "Wave". CD

A totally sweeeeeeeet batch of Brazilian grooves – recorded in San Francisco, with a great 70s Bay Area sound! Victor M leads the group on percussion and vocals – but the real charm of the set is in its electric piano riffing, and soulful electric vibe. Most of the cuts have vocals – kind of in a Sergio Mendes 70s style, or in the mode of some of Marcos Valle's more electric work – and although the tunes are mostly familiar numbers like "Reza", "Agua De Beber", "Zazueira", "Upa Neguinho", and "Crickets Sing For Anamaria", they're done in a mode that's very fresh – kind of a bridge between 60s Brazilian interpretations, and later ones by recent groups! CD

Dreamy loveliness from Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66! The album's one of their true 60s classics for A&M – a sublime blend of female vocals, Brazilian rhythms, and jazzy instrumentation – groovily dancing with a light and breezy sound that influenced a generation, and which still sounds pretty darn fresh to our ears today! The album's filled with great versions of Brazilian tunes – and titles include Marcos Valle's "Viola", Edu Lobo's "Crystal Illusions", Milton Nasimento's "Empty Faces", plus "Song Of No Regrets", "Salt Sea", and "Dois Dias". Nice stuff, and very groovy! 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

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 landmark album for Caetano Veloso – a full set of tracks sung in English, as beautifully done as we ever could have hoped! The arrangements are really fresh – in a style that makes the album far more than just a set of standards – and instead gives it the edgey approach of some of Caetano's best recent work. The set was co-produced by Jacques Morelenbaum, and has a range of instrumental approaches that shifts to fit the mood of each new track – and given that the work on the set runs from tunes by Cole Porter to Nat King Cole, Nirvana, David Byrne, Arto Lindsay, Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder, and Bob Dylan – you can imagine the changing moods at work! Titles include "So In Love", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Diana", "Manhattan", "Nothing But Flowers", "Cry Me A River", "Nature Boy", "Jamaica Farewell", "If It's Magic", "Detached", "Blue Skies", and "Something Good". Loads of tracks, too – 22 in all – and packaged beautifully! CD

Lovely bossa from a lesser-known singer – and a rare little gem that was originally issued on the tiny Farroupilha label in 1964! The album's got a really unique feel – one that's certainly classic bossa at its best, but which also somewhat different than usual too. Vera's vocals are breathy and gentle – and they mix wonderfully with the light backings directed by Luiz De Andrade. But perhaps best of all is the guitar – played by Vera as well, often in a way that has the notes skipping along lightly at the high range of the sound spectrum – trickling beautifully like gentle drops of water, and forming a perfect accompaniment for her vocals! The tracks are all pretty darn fresh too – mostly originals penned by Vera, with titles that include "Samba Bom", "Era Uma Vez", "Rimas De Ninguem", "Minha Fe Meu Amor", "O Menino Desce O Morro", "Nao E Por Falar", and "Tema Para Recordacao". CD

A fantastic setting for the sublime vocals of Marcos Valle – the Brazilian singer who first rose up during the bossa years, soon expanded into mindblowing styles of his own – and has then had a few great revivals over the years! Yet this record may well give Marcos the fresh spin he really needed – while also respecting the soulful, jazzy currents of his early 70s work – set up with the kind of perfect arrangements and production that Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad have brought to this Jazz Is Dead series – but which comes out sounding completely different here, thanks to the qualities of Valle's vocals – which maybe sound more rhythmic and jazzy than we've heard in years. Incredible throughout – with titles that include "A Gente Volta Amanha", "Our Train", "Gotta Love Again", "Oi", "Isso E Que Eu Sei", "Quiera Bem", and "Nao Saia Da Praca". (Deep Funk, Brazil) CD

It's no secret that the city of Rio De Janeiro has an amazing musical legacy – one that began in the years before bossa nova became their calling card in the 60s, through so many musical revolutions in the 70s – on up to the current day, when the city is still abuzz with all sorts of amazing and fresh musical styles! Not long ago, we were very plugged into the sound of Rio through countless great records issued on the Brazilian scene – but more recently, things have gone digital and a bit more underground – which makes a collection like this such an essential way of keeping in touch with the music – a really well-done collection that shows just how much has been happing in Brazil in recent years! There's definitely echoes of older styles in the music, but they resonate with a freshness that's amazing – with qualities that make each new tune on the set a real delight – in a lineup that features titles that include "Sigo Num Site/Marmore" by Rosabege, "Vento De Bierada" by Dora Morelenbaum, "Bandeide" by Troa, "Gigolo" by Jonas Sa, "Soar Estranho" by Tiago Nassif, "Cliche" by Pedro Fonte, "Saudade"b y Ana Frango Electrico, "Avos De Experienca" by Exercito De Bebes, "Briga De Familia" by Vovo Bebe, "Apreco Antigo" by Le Ameida, "Sambolero" by Os Ritmistas, and "Dois Litorais" by Joana Quieroz. CD

It's no secret that the city of Rio De Janeiro has an amazing musical legacy – one that began in the years before bossa nova became their calling card in the 60s, through so many musical revolutions in the 70s – on up to the current day, when the city is still abuzz with all sorts of amazing and fresh musical styles! Not long ago, we were very plugged into the sound of Rio through countless great records issued on the Brazilian scene – but more recently, things have gone digital and a bit more underground – which makes a collection like this such an essential way of keeping in touch with the music – a really well-done collection that shows just how much has been happing in Brazil in recent years! There's definitely echoes of older styles in the music, but they resonate with a freshness that's amazing – with qualities that make each new tune on the set a real delight – in a lineup that features titles that include "Sigo Num Site/Marmore" by Rosabege, "Vento De Bierada" by Dora Morelenbaum, "Bandeide" by Troa, "Gigolo" by Jonas Sa, "Soar Estranho" by Tiago Nassif, "Cliche" by Pedro Fonte, "Saudade"b y Ana Frango Electrico, "Avos De Experienca" by Exercito De Bebes, "Briga De Familia" by Vovo Bebe, "Apreco Antigo" by Le Ameida, "Sambolero" by Os Ritmistas, and "Dois Litorais" by Joana Quieroz. LP, Vinyl record album