An overlooked gem from Airto – recorded after his 70s years on bigger labels, but a set that almost tops all of them in the end! There's a wonderful mix going on here – a blend of rootsy and electric, and Latin and Brazilian – the former clearly from the placement of the record on New York's Montuno label – an imprint that did plenty of great sessions filled with Latin jazz! The shift makes for a fresh one for Airto – still plenty of room to show off his famous percussion impulses, yet in a slightly different way – often grooving in a Latin fusion mode that's a nice maturation from the CTI years. The set's filled with all-star players – including Jorge Dalto on electric piano, Raul De Souza on trombone, Joe Farrell on flute, Alphonso Johnson on bass, and Oscar Castro Neves on keyboards, guitar, and cavaquinho – and the lovely Flora's also on board to sing a bit on the set. Titles include the extended jammer "Tombo", plus "Aqui Se Pede", "Jump", "The Return", "Sin Salida", and "Anatelio". LP, Vinyl record album

CTI Records meets that Brazilian fusion sound of the 70s – served up here on two classic albums! Fingers is one of Airto's greatest records ever – a really hard hitting batch of tracks that mix sharp-edged fusion lines with some earthier Brazilian percussion touches – all in a way that nicely steps off of Airto's first few American releases, and warms the groove up with a nice dose of California soul! Flora Purim joins in here on both vocals and percussion – and the rest of the group features Hugo Fattoruso on keyboards and harmonica, Jorgte Fattoruso on drums, and David Amaro on both electric and acoustic guitars – shifting nicely between both instruments in a way that further underscores the blended vibe of the record! Most of these tracks are Airto classics – like "Tombo in 7/4", "San Francisco River", "Romance Of Death", "Ringers", and "Wind Chant" – and the record has a very sweet CTI production style, but is still rough enough around the edges to keep things nice and real! Deodato In Concert is an excellent little live set from Deodato – hard to believe because the sound's just as tight and funky as his studio albums, and possibly even more interesting because he manages to pull it off equally well in a live setting! The record features percussion by Airto, guitar by John Tropea, and vocals by Flora Purim – and those are just the marquee names of a large and amazing grew of great musicians! All tracks are long and complicated, for very hynotic feel throughout. The funkiest number is "Tropea", which has a nice long 8 minute groove – and the set also features a cover of Steely Dan's "Do It Again", plus the tracks "Parana", "Branches", "Baubles, Bangles And Beads" and "Skyscraper". Amazing! CD

Nice reissue of some of Johnny Alf's rare bossa nova sides from the mid 60's! Unlike some of the other Brazilian bossa artists who made it big in the states (like Jobim and Joao Gilberto), Johnny Alf was a major talent in Brazil, but never really got exported properly. His sound is warm and mellow, and he's sings and plays piano in a sweet sultry way. Most of the stuff on here has him performing in front of larger orchestrations, with some good jazzy moments, and some that are more lush and romantic. The stuff's all great, though, and it's an excellent lost chapter in the history of bossa nova that we've had trouble getting up until now! Cuts include "Ceu Alegre", "Bossa So", "Gismi", "Imenso Do Amor", and "Samba Sem Balanco". CD

A sweet 80s groover from the mighty Azymuth – a set that's early in their run of albums during the decade for Fantasy Records, and one that offers up a nice adaptation of the groove from their early Brazilian classics! Tracks are nice and lean, and acoustic percussion is blended with keyboard work at a level that really opens up the sound – and which makes Azymuth so different from so many other fusion outfits recording in the US during the time – as does the occasional use of wordless vocals, and that really special sense of rhythm that the group deliver so well! The set includes the classic ten minute "Last Summer In Rio" – a great Fender Rhodes number that was once a huge steppers cut in Chicago – plus the great tracks "The House I Lived In", "What Price Samba", and "May I Have This Dance". CD

A sweet 80s groover from the mighty Azymuth – a set that's early in their run of albums during the decade for Fantasy Records, and one that offers up a nice adaptation of the groove from their early Brazilian classics! Tracks are nice and lean, and acoustic percussion is blended with keyboard work at a level that really opens up the sound – and which makes Azymuth so different from so many other fusion outfits recording in the US during the time – as does the occasional use of wordless vocals, and that really special sense of rhythm that the group deliver so well! The set includes the classic ten minute "Last Summer In Rio" – a great Fender Rhodes number that was once a huge steppers cut in Chicago – plus the great tracks "The House I Lived In", "What Price Samba", and "May I Have This Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunner of a record from the mighty Jorge Ben – and a record that catapulted the Brazilian singer to international fame at the time! Ben had already been making magic for almost a decade down in Brazil – and his compositions and grooves left an undeniable impact on the scene in the post-bossa years – but this album has Jorge really emerging as the global soul star he was destined to be – from his powerful stare on the cover, right down to the grit in the grooves! The sound here is a refinement of the samba soul mode that Ben had been brewing up from the late 60s onward – a skittish mix of older samba elements, American soul, and some slight fuller production that really comes into its own here – mixing all the acoustic elements at the core with just a slight electric flourish, but never losing its edge in the process – all to provide Jorge with a sublime backdrop for his really amazing vocals. The set's a monument in funky Brazilian soul – and it includes the huge hit "Taj Mahal", which still sounds great, even after all these years – plus loads of other gems that include "O Circo Chegou", "Domingo 23", "Fio Maravilha", "Paz E Arroz", "Morre O Burro Fico O Homem", and "Que Nega E Essa". A gem all the way through – and a record we'd never part with! CD

A great little live set from Maria Bethania – one recorded with the lighter, looser sound she was using in the early 80s – and which stands as a nice contrast to her more dramatic concert performances of the 70s! The music director for the show is Gilberto Gil, and there's a bit of the warmer overtones that Gil was using in his own music at the time – not really the soulful modes, but stronger use of electric keyboards and flowing rhythms that bring in a bit of jazz and a nice sense of fullness. Titles include "Prenda", "Luzes De Ribalta", "Gas Neon", "O Que E O Que E", "Cantico Negro", "Cancao Da Volta", "De Noite E De Dia", and "Nossos Momentos". LP, Vinyl record album

Richly complicated material that really fits the incredible voice of Lenita Bruno! Titles include "Cantigas", "Casinha Pequenina", "Conselhos", "Modinha", and "Se Os Meus Suspiros Pudessem". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful mid 70s album by Chico Buarque – proof that he was still one heck of a songwriter, and a pretty decent singer, despite the fact that he'd grown a silly-looking moustache! The production's very nice, too – with that excellent compressed sound that was being used on some Brazilian vocal albums at the time, like work by Joao Donato. Includes the "O Que Sera", a sublime duet with Milton Nascimento that's one of the best versions we've ever heard of the song. Other tracks include "Vai Tabalhar Vagabundo", "Voce Vai Me Sequir", "Corrente", and "Passaredo". CD

An early record that really links Chico Buarque to the European scene – an audience that would keep Chico's music strong for many years, and with a reach that went far beyond some of his contemporaries! The set was recorded in Italy, but with all the charm and sparkle of his classic Brazilian recordings – and Chico sings in Italian, doing versions of some of his best early songs – all in a lively mode, inflected with samba and post-bossa grooves, and some of the best young songwriting of his youthful years. There's a slightly different vibe here than some of his other early records – but the overall sound is every bit as appealing – and titles include "La TV", "La Banda", "Juca", "Ole Ola", "Far Niente", "Maddalena E Andata Via", and "C'E Piu Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection that Milestone issued in 1973 that includes tracks from three of Byrd's early 60s Bossa Nova records – Latin Impressions, Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros and Once More/Charlie Byrd's Bossa Nova. Byrd and his unamplified guitar are joined by Keter Betts on bass and Bill Reichenbach on drums and Latin percussion; other players are also featured. The tracks are mainly composed by the big names of Bossa Nova – Jobim, Powell, Caymmi, Lyra – but there are several Byrd originals as well such as "Azul Tiple", "Bogota", "Mexican Song No 2", and "Amor Flamengo". CD also includes the album Once More! Charlie Byrd's Bossa Nova, a lovely little record from the man who helped Stan Getz find his bossa – and a set that's done with just a bit more backing than usual from Byrd for the time! The album makes nice use of additional percussion, vibes, cello, and a bit of flugelhorn to back up Byrd's work on acoustic guitar – never in a way that dominates too strongly, with just enough added sound to color in the grooves with a slightly deeper tone. Titles include "Presente De Natal", "Three Note Samba", "Limehouse Blues", "Cancao De Nimar Para Carol", "Chega De Saudade", and "Anna". (Jazz, Brazil) CD

Brazilian diva Elizeth Cardoso lays down a number of tracks recorded either with the Zimbo Trio, or with Jacob Do Bandolim. The Zimbo tracks have a nice bossa feel, and the titles include "Cidade Vazia", "Abertura", "E Louxo So", "Tem Do", and "Derradeira Primavera". The cuts with Jacob Do Bandolim are a little more samba oriented, but have a nice groove. Those cuts include "Barracao", "Jamais", and "Mulata Assanhada". LP, Vinyl record album

A soulful set of work from the scene in Cape Verde – done with a bubbling groove that's got strong ties to Caribbean work of the time, but done with a slightly different flavor as well – given that the lyrics are all in Portuguese! Instrumentation is lean and sharp – plenty of organ and keyboards from Paulino Vieira, who worked on the album's arrangements with Jose Casimiro – on grooves that have a nice raw production style, which makes the drums come out great alongside percussion, and also keeps a nice edge on the sax and trumpet lines too. Titles include "Problema Di Namorado", "Joana", "Es Nha Sofrimento", "Sabura Dja Nfrontam", "Pico Sor Domundo", and "Odja Modi Bu Sta". (Global Grooves, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent bossa session led by pianist Oscar Castro-Neves and his band, and recorded during the blitz of early bossa sessions by the Audio Fidelity label! The group's a large one, but not too large to lose the groove – and Castro-Neves put the whole thing together so that the album's always got a nice bounce to it, and so that the jazz component comes through nice and strong! There's loads of good groovers on here, all played with a very strident hard bossa feel – and tracks include "Outra Vez", "O Menino Desce O Morro", "Chora Tua Tristeza", "Zelao", "Doralice", and "Patinho Feio". LP, Vinyl record album

Late 50s work from these two important Brazilian songwriters – served up here in a cool 70s package! The tracks have a nicely produced quality that makes them some of the most preferred recordings by the two artists – with strong arrangements that set off their voices nicely. There's no arranger listed that we can find, but the whole thing has a nice warm jazzy feel. Titles include "La Vem A Bahiana", "Inquietacao", "Maracangalha", "Risque", and "Dora". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice step forward for Ceu – and a record with a bit more of an edge than we might have expected! The set's still heavy on those sweet Brazilian vocals with an old school vibe – but the production, although often spare, has this nice raspy quality we really love – subtle elements that underscore the lyrics with a gently creative mode – a bit like the sounds you'd hear from other releases from the Kassim/Moreno Veloso camp – although perhaps not as edgey as those. Still, we've gotta give producer Gui Amabis credit for keeping things interesting on Ceu's behalf – on tracks that include "Amor De Antigos", "Falta Dear", "Contravento", "Palhaco", "You Won't Regret It", "Sereia", and "Fffree". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great record – one that mixes some folksy currents with more modern-styled 60s Brazilian instrumentation – almost an instrumental take on territory of Geraldo Vandre! Includes great versions of "Ponteio", "Roda Viva", "Domingo No Parque, Travessia", and "Carolina". LP, Vinyl record album

A Brazilian singer with a hell of a voice – the lovely Helena De Lima, whose vocal range really fits the lush moods of the tunes on the set! Things are in a more melancholy look than you'd guess from Helena's look on the cover – a nice sort of blueness that's never too overdone, and which has a good balance between the lead vocals and the woodwinds and strings used in the backings. Arrangements are by Ruben Pocho Peren – an overlooked sophisticated talent – and titles include "So So So", "Fio De Cancao", "Flor Da Noite", "Cravo Vermelho", "Balada De Saudade", "Vai", "Pierrot", "Por Onde Eu Vou", and "Boa Noite Rio". LP, Vinyl record album

An organ bossa classic from the legendary Eumir Deodato – one of his strongest albums from his early years in Brazil! There's a very jazzy feel to the set all the way through – thanks to a tightly arranged group that not only features the organ and percussion you might expect from such a date, but which also features some great horn work as well! Trombone, tenor, and baritone sax all get in some nice licks – and Deodato's organ cooks wonderfully throughout, often with a quick-stepping bossa jazz sound that really keeps things lively. Titles include "O Sol Nascera", "Samba Do Dom Natural", "Terra De Ninguem", "E Bom Parar", and "Ataque". CD

Two post-CTI gems from Deodato – back to back on a single CD! Whirlwinds is sweet keyboard soul from Deodato – a set that steps off nicely from the strengths of his big hits on CTI, hitting a similarly flowing groove that's really great! The instrumentation here is a bit more expanded than before, but never in a way that buries the keyboards – and Deodato's right out front on a range of electric keys that get some great support from John Tropea's finely-honed work on guitar! Titles include "Havana Strut", "Whirlwinds", "West 42nd Street", and a nice cover of Steely Dan's "Do It Again". And heck, even the album's version of Glen Miller's "Moonlight Serenade" manages to come off like a funk tune! Artistry is a live set from Deodato – but one that's very much in the mode of his best CTI studio sessions – with soaring, over the top keyboard work that's totally great – backed by some tightly compressed guitar, bass, and drums, with just enough funk in the mix to keep things interesting! As with other Deodato records from the time, there's a mix of moods here that comes together nicely – a range that goes past his easy hits, and shows Deodato to be one of the hippest, most soulful keyboard talents of his generation. Titles include a great version of "Super Strut" that grooves for over 8 minutes, and which has some firey guitar that really competes with Deodato's work on the keys – and other tracks include "Farewell To A Friend", "Pavane For A Dead Princess", "Rio Sangre", and "Jivin". (Jazz, Brazil) CD