Fantastic forro from the Brazilian scene of the 60s – a really hard-hitting collection of work from Camarao – and some of the sharpest use of the accordion you'll ever hear! This isn't the accordion of the polka world, Lawrence Welk, Paris musette, or even Tex-Mex music – as the rhythms to the tunes are incredibly infectious – often just served up on a spare bass drum, which is used as if it's both an acoustic bass and a percussion instrument at once – setting up tunes which move quickly and with a frenzied sort of action – followed by bits of saxophone or other reeds, and lots of incredibly deft keyboard work from Camarao – who's clearly pumping his instrument with incredible speed to match his energy on the keys! If you've never heard Brazilian forro, you're about to hear one of the best – and even if you have, the excellent presentation here by Analog Africa makes the set really stand out from some of the blander collections on the market. Titles include "Rio Antigo", "Xeem", "Xaxando Com Garibaldi", "Os Camaroes", "De Serra Em Serra", "Camaro No Oriente", "Nao Interessa Nao", "Fim De Festa", "Voce Passa Eu Acho Graca", "Forrozinho Moderno", and "Retrato De Um Forro". LP, Vinyl record album

A warm jazzy gem from 70s Brazil – a set that's filled with incredible keyboard work from Guilherme Coutinho, who handles organ, electric piano, and other keyboards too – mixed with vocal modes that often have the best sorts of jazzy touches from the scene at the time! The blend is the sort you'd find on some of your favorites from back in the day – such as work by Joao Donato or Marcos Valle – but there are moments that are also more personal and unique, including a few spots where Coutinho gets all cool and moogy with the keys! Titles include "Fuga", "Flauta De Bambu", "Rio Corrente", "Foicera", "As Ferras", "Atalaia", and "Tema Pro Alvarito". CD

A warm jazzy gem from 70s Brazil – a set that's filled with incredible keyboard work from Guilherme Coutinho, who handles organ, electric piano, and other keyboards too – mixed with vocal modes that often have the best sorts of jazzy touches from the scene at the time! The blend is the sort you'd find on some of your favorites from back in the day – such as work by Joao Donato or Marcos Valle – but there are moments that are also more personal and unique, including a few spots where Coutinho gets all cool and moogy with the keys! Titles include "Fuga", "Flauta De Bambu", "Rio Corrente", "Foicera", "As Ferras", "Atalaia", and "Tema Pro Alvarito". LP, Vinyl record album

A new record by the legendary Sergio Mendes – bursting into the 21st century on a catchy wave of Will I Am production – reworking gems from the Brazilian songbook and more with guest appearances by Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Q-Tip, India Arie, Black Thought, Chali 2Na, Marcelo D2, John Legend and others! Will I Am has been annoying hip hop purists for years thanks to the relentless candy-coated pop gloss of recent Black Eyed Peas records – but he brings an intelligent, reverent and educated approach to the Brazilian keys legend Sergio Mendes – whose familiar grooves are a lovely accomplice to the sparkling hip hop/pop background. The guest stars seem to be here out of genuine love of the music – and provide far more graceful appearances than we would have expected! A very sweet surprise with bright, warm, and lovely moments – almost good enough for us to forgive Will I Am for "My Humps"! Tracks include "Mas Que Nada" feat Black Eyed Peas, "Berimbau/Consolacao" feat Stevie Wonder & Gracinha Leporace, "That Heat" feat Erykah Badu & Will I Am, "Let Me" feat Jill Scott & Will I Am, "Please Baby Don't" feat John Legend, "Samba Da Bencao" feat Marcelo D2, "Yes, Yes, Y'All" feat Black Thought, Chali 2Na & others and much more! CD

A contemporary set, but one that sparkles with all the best brilliance of the 70s scene in Brazil – and that includes such heady company as Marcos Valle, Azymuth, and Joao Donato! As with all those artists at the time, Lucas Arruda has a groove that's strongly based on Fender Rhodes – warm keys that are underscored with some great acoustic percussion that gives the whole thing an earthy core at the bottom, and a vibe that's quite different than any American fusion of the time! The music is completely sublime throughout – very jazzy in its inflections, but also with a more freewheeling approach – as you'd hear on classic keys from Jose Roberto Bertrami. The set's got a bit of vocals, but really focuses on the keyboards – and titles include "Physis", "Rio Afternoon", "Batuque", "Alma Nova", "Sambadi", "Carnival", and a sweet cover of "Who's That Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A wonderful album from this legendary Brazilian singer – and probably one of his best-ever! Farney began his career as a warm romantic vocalist in earlier pop years, but on this great set, he's emerging as a talented jazz singer, on a level with Leny Andrade or Elis Regina. The instrumentation's only a piano trio, and Farney's work on the keys fits perfectly with his moody vocals on tracks like "Este Seu Olhar", "Marina", "Ponto Final", "Uma Loira", and "Perdido De Amor". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible gem from Walter Wanderley's years in Brazil – a Quarteto Bossamba recording that features Wanderley on both piano and organ, often overdubbed at the same time for a very cool sound! The style is quite different from most of Wanderley's better-known records in the US – and the heavier bossa tones on piano provide a nicely soulful counterpoint to lighter grooves on Hammond – really fleshing out the tunes with an array of jazzy sounds and colors! Wanderley's work on the piano is almost far more expressive than his more familiar organ – as he hits the acoustic keys with a sense of lyrical grace and depth of feeling that's really striking. Titles include an excellent version of "Canto De Ossanha", plus "Chuva", "Cheganca", "Vivo Sonhando", "Maria Moita", and "Verdade Em Paz". LP, Vinyl record album

Proof that Azymuth were one of the few groups who could keep things real at a time when most of their fusion contemporaries were sounding cloying and commercial! The album's got a well-rounded sound that really shows the group's roots in the 70s, and their wonderful evolution over the years – that keyboard-heavy sound that's always warm and soulful, and never too tinny or beat-heavy. Jose Roberto Bertrami's keys come across with a 70s warmth that most groups were lacking by this time – and the backing from Alex Maheiros on bass and Ivan Conti is always very subtle, and simple too – swirled up alongside the keyboards, and mixed in with a few occasional bits of guest instrumentation – including trumpet from Marcio Montarroyos on one track, and flugelhorn from Paulinho Olivera on a few more. Titles include versions of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On", Jobim's "Song Of The Jet", and Ivan Lins' "The Island", plus the cuts "Universal Prisoner", "Candomble", and "Areis". LP, Vinyl record album

The rare second album by the Jongo Trio – a fantastic bossa group who mixed together vocals and keyboards with stunning magic! The trio's approach is similar to that of the more famous Tamba Trio – in that the three members groove on keyboards, bass, and percussion – while also harmonizing vocals in a soaring, airy style that really adds a lot to the set. This album's got the group using a bit of organ and electric piano in addition to their usual acoustic keys – making for a bossa style that's slightly electrified, with great results on the album's overall sound. The set includes a really great uptempo version of "Aguas De Marco", plus the tracks "Alo Feveiro", "Quem Vem La", "Cavaleiro De Aruanda", "Sandalia De Prata", "Bate Barriga", "Feitinha P'Ro Poeta", and "Duas Contas". CD