A beautiful little album that shows a whole new side of Sinatra! Frank's a bit late on the bossa game – but the record's a wonderfully gentle batch of bossa nova tunes, performed with musical and occasional vocal accompaniment by Jobim, and larger orchestral backings by Claus Ogerman. Far more than a gimmicky fake bossa album – this is a wonderful set of tracks that show that Sinatra could still hit a gentle ballad without going as over the top as he did on some of his other Reprise work. Jobim's talent is very respected – and the record is a true blending of musical styles, in a way that does justice to both artists equally. Titles include "Change Partners", "Dindi", "Meditation", "How Insensitive", and "I Concentrate On You". (Vocalists, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique little album from Sergio Mendes and Brasil 77 – one that's in a much more rootsy style than any of his other work! The "primal roots" here are taken seriously, and like some of his other contemporaries in Brazilian music, Sergio's looking back a bit, and towards a rural setting for inspiration – pulling together some especially strong styles from the northeast of Brazil, and fusing them with his soaring, jazzier mode of the 60s. The blend is a great one – and the record is easily one of Sergio's greatest – with titles that include Dorival Caymmi's "Promise of a Fisherman", Oscar Castro Neves' "After Sunrise", and a great 18 minute version of Edu Lobo's "Circle Game", with great baroque arrangements. LP, Vinyl record album

Great European work by Baden Powell – recorded with a quartet at the core, plus some larger arrangements by Jean-Michel Defaye that include French jazz musicians, like Lou Game on flute and Pierre Gossez on tenor. Most tracks have a nice little groove and a more complicated approach than Baden's Brazilian 60s recordings – kind of like the best of the MPS records, and like those, with some occasional vocals that sound very nice! Titles include "Batuque No B", "Pra Que Chorar", "Refem De Solidao", "Rapaz De Bem", and "Atirei O Pau No Gato". LP, Vinyl record album