Incredible 70s work from the lovely Astrud Gilberto – a rare effort for the CTI label that has her teaming up with arranger Eumir Deodato and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine – all in a groove that's totally different than most of her earlier work! Astrud's breathy vocals are still wonderfully intact – but they're given a more spacious approach in the arrangements – strings mixes with rolling basslines, soaring keyboards, and stone cold tenor from Stanley – in a groove that's simply wonderful, and which takes off in a whole new direction than before! Other players include Airto, Sivuca, Hubert Laws, and Dom Um Romao – and tracks include classic versions of "Ponteio", "Vera Cruz", and "Zazueira" that are all some of the most grooving takes on the tunes ever – plus "Historia De Amor", "Where There's A Heartache", "Brazilian Tapestry", and "Wanting Things". LP, Vinyl record album

Bebel Gilberto's really grown a lot over the years – and here, she emerges strongly as a fully-formed artist with a voice that's all her own – and a style that doesn't need to rest on the laurels of her famous family legacy! The album's easily one of the most interesting we've ever heard from Bebel – and it's got this slight spiritual undercurrent that's a real change from just bossa modes – a richer, deeper sound that almost shows echoes of some of the more compelling jazz talents in recent years, yet while still balancing out just the right sort of lovely sound for the vocals! Bass is more pronounced than before – often acoustic, but with a rollingly deep quality – on performances by both Kassin and Liminha – and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson brings in some sweet strings at points, but in a very gentle, subtle way. Seu Jorge joins Bebel on the track "Novas Ideais" – and other titles include "Tout Est Bleu", "Tom De Voz", "Nada Nao", "Somwhere Else", "Lonely In My Heart", "Areia", and "Saudade Vem Correndo". LP, Vinyl record album

Wicked early work from Azymuth – one of the albums that the group recorded when they were really starting to take off on the global scene – burning strong with a soulful fusion vibe, lots of Brazilian rhythm currents, and always hitting all the right notes in their music! The sound here is still relatively spare, and sublimely reliant on the keyboards of Jose Roberto Bertrami – who plays Fender Rhodes, organ, and percussion on the set. Ivan Conti handles the main percussion, though – a great mix of tight work on the drum kit and rootsier, Airto-like elements that are totally great – and the whole thing's driven along nicely by bass and guitar from Alex Malheiros – a perfectly fused lineup that really hits their own groove on the set. Guests include Aleuda on percussion and vocals, Gordinho on surdo, and Doto on repinique – and titles include "Papasong", "Outubro", "Maracana", "Un Amigo", "Carta Pro Airto", and "Dear Limmertz". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastically soulful album from Jorge Ben – one of his greatest records ever, and a key part of Brazilian music in the 70s! The album marks an earthier shift for Jorge – a sound that's still rooted in the samba influences of the 60s, but which also takes on a bit more soul at the bottom – thanks to rhythmic contributions from Trio Mocoto, who work here famously to help Ben shape the overall feel of the set! There's still a bit of larger orchestrations at moments, but these are used sparingly just to sweeten the sound – leaving the main force of the music to come from Jorge's guitar, and the cuica, percussion, and tamborim of the trio. The vocals are wonderful too – slightly raspy, and with a bit more feeling than we ever remember Jorge having on record – sometimes a bit intimate, yet always with an undeniable presence throughout. One of those records that still sends chills up our spines, year after year – with tracks that include "Oba La Vem Ela", "Ze Canjica", "Pulo Pulo", "Apareceu Aparecida", "Terezinha", "Mulher Brasileira", "Forca Bruta", "O Telefone Tocou Novamente", and "Charles Junior". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastically soulful album from Jorge Ben – one of his greatest records ever, and a key part of Brazilian music in the 70s! The album marks an earthier shift for Jorge – a sound that's still rooted in the samba influences of the 60s, but which also takes on a bit more soul at the bottom – thanks to rhythmic contributions from Trio Mocoto, who work here famously to help Ben shape the overall feel of the set! There's still a bit of larger orchestrations at moments, but these are used sparingly just to sweeten the sound – leaving the main force of the music to come from Jorge's guitar, and the cuica, percussion, and tamborim of the trio. The vocals are wonderful too – slightly raspy, and with a bit more feeling than we ever remember Jorge having on record – sometimes a bit intimate, yet always with an undeniable presence throughout. One of those records that still sends chills up our spines, year after year – with tracks that include "Oba La Vem Ela", "Ze Canjica", "Pulo Pulo", "Apareceu Aparecida", "Terezinha", "Mulher Brasileira", "Forca Bruta", "O Telefone Tocou Novamente", and "Charles Junior". LP, Vinyl record album

The start of an amazing legacy in Brazilian music – and a record that really lives up to its title! Jorge Ben completely reinvents the samba here – and comes up with his own new groove in the process – by blending sharp acoustic guitar lines with rootsy percussion – all at a level that's far more rhythmic than the used of the instrument in bossa nova. There's definitely a bossa element – but Joao's singing is a lot more soulful, as is the overall performance – and the styles started here not only launched Ben's career, but also had a huge influence on generations of musicians to come! Titles include the sublime original version of "Mas Que Nada" - plus "Tim Dom Dom", "Chove Chuva", "A Tamba", "Balanca Pema", and "Rosa Menina Rosa". Great stuff, and essential all the way through – we promise! LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked treasure from the great Jorge Ben – an album recorded between the fame of his "Taj Mahal" hit and Africa Brasil classic – and a set that's every bit as wonderful as those two records! There's a tight, choppy groove to most of the set – that mix of samba, soul, and currents of American funk that Jorge created in his music – turned here towards some of the unusual themes that showed up on his Tabua De Esmeralda album, but maybe given a bit more punch, too – so that even without the benefit of language, the vocals and grooves on the set are completely captivating to a global audience! There's loads of fresh sounds here – some real under-discovered gems from Jorge's key 70s years – and titles include "Cuidado Com O Bulldog", "Zagueiro", "Para Ouvir No Radio (Luciana)", "Jorge De Capadocia", "Dumingaz", "Se Segura Malandro", and "Jesualda". 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 fantastic album from this legendary Brazilian saxophonist – and one that's way different than the usual instrumental reading of the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim! The setting is less of a bossa-inspired one than a post-Coltrane mode – as Victor Assis Brasil blows alto sax, and a bit of soprano – on long, stretched out versions of Jobim compositions – often given a bit of modal energy, thanks to the group's strong piano and organ performances by Dom Salvador. The rest of the players are all great, too – Helio Delmiro on guitar, Edson Lobo on bass, and Edison Machado on drums – all players who grew up in the bossa jazz years of the 60s, but who here are set free to explore new territory by producer Roberto Quartin. The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "Bonita", "Wave", "Quartiniana", and "Dindi". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records that no home should be without – not only a pivotal album in the growth of bossa nova in the 60s – but a set that also really helped set the career of tenorist Stan Getz on fire! The real credit here might almost go to guitarist Charlie Byrd – as Byrd was a big early proponent of bossa nova rhythms, and had already been experimenting with them on his records of the time – yet also gets a key extra "umph" here in the presence of Stan's tenor – a bold, rich, soulful sound that really helps give the music a lot of direction – in ways that still resonate strongly all these many years later! Getz is completely sublime – a master of tone and timing throughout – and perfectly fit to these tunes. Rhythms are mostly from Byrd's trio, augmented with some extra percussion – and titles include the classic "Desafinado", plus "E Luxo So", "Samba Dees Days", "Samba Triste", "O Pato", "Samba De Uma Nota So", and "Baia". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

Olivia Hime sings vocals on a number of tracks that were written with music by Manuel Bandeira, in collaboration with other Brazilian artists like Toninho Horta, Ivan Lins, Wagner Tiso, and others. The highlight of the album is a great reading of Joyce's "Berimbau", done with all the tight jazzy changes of the original, and with some great vocal scatting by Olivia. Other titles include "Belo Belo", "Tema E Voltas", "O Impossivel Carinho", and "Desencanto". LP, Vinyl record album

The incredible first album by Tim Maia – Brazil's greatest soul star in the 70s, and for good reason too – given that Tim was one of the few who could match the depth of American soul and funk at the time! Yet the music here is way more than just a Brazilian version of American soul – as Tim brings in some rootsier elements from local musical styles, and even some of the trippier elements that were running through Brazilian music in the wake of Tropicalia – all to make for this heady brew of sounds that's completely unique, and completely wonderful all the way through! There's plenty of tracks here that would fit well alongside both familiar soul, and the modes of funky artists like Marcos Valle at the time – and the set also features work on guitar and backup vocals by Cassiano, who'd soon go onto become a Brazilian soul star on his own. Titles include the break-heavy "Padre Cicero" and "Voce Fingiu" – plus "Tributo A Booker Pittman", "Cristina No 2", "Jurema", "Flamengo", "Corone Antonio Bento", and "Primavera". 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

Samba is their gift – and we're all that much richer for it! Os Ipanemas return here in one of their best albums so far – a beautiful blend of earthy percussion, samba rhythms, and just a bit of bossa jazz – put together with a style that's personal and spontaneous, recorded without any extra fanfare – and in a mode that's almost more authentic than similar recordings from the 60s! Leave it to the Far Out label to get a session like this done the right way – because there's none of the too-slick sounds of some revival sessions, nor any of the fake roots that just come off as tired over-hashed ideas. Instead, what we've got here is a lively, organic batch of music that shows that percussionist Wilson Das Neves and guitarist Neco are still growing strongly in their talents – aided here by an array of guest players on trumpet, trombone, flute, and a fair bit of extra percussion – and sounding especially nice on those tracks where Wilson's warmly crackling vocals simmer nicely with the grooves! Titles include "Imperial", "Malandro Qando Vaza", "San Roque", "Valsamba", "Treze Trinta E Nove", "Folia No Samba", "Taioba", and "Samba Pra Mim Mesmo". LP, Vinyl record album

An essential introduction to the work of this legendary group – an important American issue of some of their best material – all of which never came out in our market back in the day! If you don't know Os Mutantes, prepare to be blown away – as they were a key part of the Tropicalia movement, alongside bigger names Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, and Gilberto Gil – creating music that was years ahead of its time, but which has gone on to become legendary over the years! There's so many different elements going on here, it's impossible to pin down – avant and psychedelic modes, Brazilian styles and postmodern ones, all put together with sublime production that's also way ahead of the pack! This Luaka Bop presentation was put together by David Byrne – and it features a total of 14 cuts in all – including an English and Portuguese reading of the famous "Baby", plus the tunes "Ave Lucifer", "Desculpe, Babe", "Adeus Maria Fulo", "Panis Et Circensis", "Bat Macumba", "Dia 36", and "Fuga No II". LP, Vinyl record album

A never-issued album by the great Hermeto Pascoal – recorded in the space between his 70s classics Slaves Mass and A Musica Livre – and every bit as amazing as those classics! The music here is fluid, open, and a fantastic mix of jazz and all of Hermeto's new ideas about musical structure – performed at a level that's highly organic, and with that completely individual vision that Pasocal brought to his sound from the start! This isn't typical Brazilian fusion of the time, but nor is it anything like the tighter sounds that Airto and Flora Purim were recording up in the US – instead, a musical mode that's completely in its own space, and which needs only one listen to convince you of the master's genius. The group here is overflowing with young talent – Lelo Nazario on keyboards, Nivaldo Ornelas and Mauro Senise on saxes and flute, Toninho Horta on guitar, Zeca Assumpcao on bass, and Ze Eduardo Nazario on drums – all important musical visionaries on their own, working together here to hit an even new level of creativity. Aleuda Chaves sings wordlessly on a bit of the record – and the whole thing has that blend of soaring sound and lyricism that marks Pascoal at his best. Titles include "Danca Do Paje", "Natal", "Casinha Pequinina", and "Mavumvavumpefoco". LP, Vinyl record album

Joao Selva has a great way of bridging classic Brazilian modes and contemporary sounds – a quality we loved on his debut, and which seems to be even more fully-formed here on his second release! Maybe that past/present quality is no surprise, though, when you consider that the record's a collaboration with Bruno "Patchworks" Hovart – a man who's given us so much great music over the years, often in ways that move between decades and global scenes – borrowing just the right bits, and making something really new and fresh in the process! Selva almost acts like a lyrical focus for the grooves of Patchworks – who's equally at home in a Brazilian setting as he is in other tropical modes – on titles that include "Meu Mano", "Cade Voce", "Navegar", "Se Voce", "Tudo Vai Dar Pe", and "Devagar". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's as striking as the image on the cover – a wonderful set that mixes the soulful vocals of the great Elza Soares with some larger samba backings from Oswaldo Borba – a leader we don't know at all, but who really knocks it out of the park on the set! Elza always seems to do best in settings that have a more unique sort of hybrid – the less-traditional modes that EMI/Odeon was using to really transform Brazilian music during this generation! The record's subtitle refers to "a bossa negra de Elza Soares", and the groove's definitely the main force that makes the record so strong – as you'll hear on titles that include "Era Bom", "Teleco-Teco No 2", "Cartao De Visita", "Sal E Pimenta", "Dedo Duro", and "Samba Em Copa". LP, Vinyl record album

In the years before the emergence of MPB giants like Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, Geraldo Vandre was a huge talent that promised to break big – a young vibrant singer who pushed past the romantic stylings of other vocalists, a free thinker who embraced new styles but didn't succumb to the copycat rock of the "Jovem Guarda", and a new force in music who made it seem dangerous and exciting again. Most of his best work's been out of print since the years it came out, which is why we're super-pleased to have this set of 14 tracks from the mid 60s – featuring work that Vandre recorded for Continental, RGE, and BMG, work that we almost never see on vinyl. Titles include "Ladainha", "Vou Caminhando", "Asa Branca", "Disparada", "Hora De Lutar", "Despedida De Maria", "Dia Da Festa", and "Pra Nao Dizer Que Nao Falei Das Flores". CD

A really unique album from the legendary percussionist Nana Vasconcelos – one that continues the groundbreaking tradition of his 70s work, but with a very special style here! Some of the tracks use overdubs, so that Nana is mixing berimbau, percussion, voice, and other percussion instruments with a sonic complexity that lives up to the best tradition of ECM at the time – still rootsy, but really showing the modernist elements that lie in his music as well! Egberto Gismonti adds in guest guitar on one long track, and there's a bit of strings on the record too – but most of the energy comes from Nana himself. Titles include "O Berimbau", "Vozes", "Ondas", and "Dado". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most beautiful work ever recorded by Caetano Veloso – an album that carries on the style of English language lyrics used on his session in exile in 1971, but which also introduces him back to the world of Brazilian popular music! The album's a great transition for Veloso – a set that's served up with some of the newly personal qualities his music developed in London, but which still has a good ear for experimentation and keeping things interesting. Titles include the wonderful "Nine Out Of Ten" – a haunting tune about his time in exile – plus "Neolithic Man", "Nostalgia", "Triste Bahia", "It's A Long Way", and "You Don't Know Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most legendary albums from groundbreaking Brazilian music pioneer Tom Ze – and a record that introduces itself with an equally legendary cover image! (Hint: that's not an eyeball on the front.) Ze had already been recording a bit by the time of this record – but this set is easily his most experimental album ever – a record that even makes the work of the late 60s Tropicalia generation sound a bit more catchy and tuneful – as Tom's drawing here from all sorts of strands of avant poetry and instrumentation. The vibe is almost like some of the most experimental Saravah Records albums of the period – unusual songwriting served up in an approach that mixes hard percussion, spare production, quirky guitar, and some of the strangest vocals ever recorded in Brazil. Titles include Complexo De Epico", "A Noite Do Meu Bem", "Dodo E Zeze", "Brigitte Bardot", and "O Riso E A Faca". LP, Vinyl record album