A bossa nova dream come true – the early compositions of Marcos Valle, played by a young Deodato! This great set collects tunes from Deodato's early albums in Brazil – wonderful bossa nova instrumentals, all written by Marcos Valle, and performed here in a mix of groovy 60s styles. The sound is incredible – and very different than Deodato's funkier 70s work – more uptempo bossa at most points, and at few other times, dreamy and floating, with that impeccable style of arrangements that Deodato virtually pioneered in the 60s! Titles include "Crickets Sing For Anamaria", "Summer Samba", "Love For Nothing", "Chup Chup I Got Away", "Even More Beautiful", "Flap", "Out Of Time", "The White Puma", and "Maria's Dream". Album also includes a few alternate versions of tracks, done in different mixes. CD

A fantastic Deodato album from 1973! Although this was recorded at the same time as his American releases on CTI, the album has much more of the flavor of his tighter, jazzier, earlier work – with loads of funky keyboards, and lots of shorter tracks that drive along nicely with interplay between electric bass and Brazilian rhythms. The whole thing's a wonderful bit of electric Brazil from the 70s - with a groove that's hard to match by other albums. Some tracks have been issued on the CD Os Catedratecos 73 – but there appear to be other ones here too. Titles include "Skyscrapers", "Flap", "Rudys", "Soccer Game", "The Byrd", "Elizeth", "Boy Meets Girl", "The First Stone", "Cary & Carole", and "Down The Hill". CD

The first solo album by Rita Lee – cut back when she was a member of the groundbreaking Tropicalia trio, Os Mutantes! The album's got a very different feel than her work with that group – and has Rita stepping out as a sophisticated pop singer, almost in the way that Nico did on the Chelsea Girl album, after leaving the Velvet Underground. Arrangements have a weird twisted edge – as Rita makes her way through a set of originals and a few covers, in an almost deadpan, ice-blond mode that reminds us of some of Jane Birkin's early work. Arrangements are by the great Rogerio Duprat, and titles include "Sucesso, Aqui Vou Eu", "Prisioneira Do Amor", "Hulla Hulla", "Tempo Nublado", "Precisamos De Irmaos", and "Calma" – plus a nice cover of "And I Love Her". CD

Beautiful! This is perhaps one of the greatest records ever by this legendary Brazilian vocal group – and the album's a stunning mix of post-bossa arrangements, and the more baroque sort that some Brazilian groups were using at the time. Roberto Menescal produced the album – and one of the highlights is the group's incredible version of Milton Nascimento's "Cravo E Canela", and an amazing take on Marcos Valle's "O Cafona". Other tracks include "Valsinha", "Confirmacao", "Maria Das Dores", "Minha Historia", and "Mudei De Ideia". LP, Vinyl record album

Definitely a set to make you hallucinate – as the grooves are quite groovy, but in a really trippy way! The album's a bit like the classic Psicodelico set by Luiz Carlos Vinhas – a mix of older samba modes and wigged-out 60s sounds – sometimes odd production, sometimes offbeat instrumentation – really running through a variety of different sounds as the album moves on, almost with a party sort of feel! Some numbers have female vocals – used almost in a Brasil 66 way at points, or in a solo bossa diva mode at others – and the few instrumental tunes take nice advantage of the group's soulful piano, guitar, sax, and trombone. Titles include "Somos Todos Irmaos", "Poema Ritmico Do Malandro", "Sou Feliz Aqui", "Isn't A Dream", "Adeus Amor", "Hert", and "Bye Bye". CD

Definitely a set to make you hallucinate – as the grooves are quite groovy, but in a really trippy way! The album's a bit like the classic Psicodelico set by Luiz Carlos Vinhas – a mix of older samba modes and wigged-out 60s sounds – sometimes odd production, sometimes offbeat instrumentation – really running through a variety of different sounds as the album moves on, almost with a party sort of feel! Some numbers have female vocals – used almost in a Brasil 66 way at points, or in a solo bossa diva mode at others – and the few instrumental tunes take nice advantage of the group's soulful piano, guitar, sax, and trombone. Titles include "Somos Todos Irmaos", "Poema Ritmico Do Malandro", "Sou Feliz Aqui", "Isn't A Dream", "Adeus Amor", "Hert", and "Bye Bye". LP, Vinyl record album