Really beautiful work from Joyce – a set that's as lovely as its name, and which contains a wonderful array of work from the less-collected years of her career! Most other Joyce collections focus on her older sides for EMI Brasil, but this set seems to offer more recent recordings – all done in a spare, but lively style that mixes acoustic guitar with earthy percussion, occasional jazz solos, and Joyce's always-warm vocals! Notes are all in Japanese, so the origin of the tracks is a bit obscure – but the album's got a magic power that sparkles only in Joyce's best work, and really presents her at the top of her unique style. Titles include "Sao Salvador", "O Chines E A Bicicleta", "Waters Of March", "Tenderly", "Estrada Do Sol", "Menini Das Laranjas", "Samba Da Zona", "Essa Mulher", and "Receita De Samba". CD

Dreamy bossa pop from the A&M studios of the 60s – the Brasil 66 sound at its best! The style here is a perfect blend of real Brazilian influences and some of the hipper styles bubbling in the LA studio scene of the time – all locked together perfectly by Sergio Mendes, in the twin-voiced style that let Brasil 66 transform any tune they could get their hands on! There's some really great numbers here of Brazilian origin – including Joao Donato's "The Frog", Marcos Valle's "Batucada", and Gilberto Gil's "Roda" – not to mention Sergio's own "Look Around", which is an especially charming number! Other titles include "The Look Of Love", "Pradizer Adeus", and "Like A Lover". CD

Dreamy bossa pop from the A&M studios of the 60s – the Brasil 66 sound at its best! The style here is a perfect blend of real Brazilian influences and some of the hipper styles bubbling in the LA studio scene of the time – all locked together perfectly by Sergio Mendes, in the twin-voiced style that let Brasil 66 transform any tune they could get their hands on! There's some really great numbers here of Brazilian origin – including Joao Donato's "The Frog", Marcos Valle's "Batucada", and Gilberto Gil's "Roda" – not to mention Sergio's own "Look Around", which is an especially charming number! Other titles include "The Look Of Love", "Pradizer Adeus", and "Like A Lover". LP, Vinyl record album

The third volume in this very groovy series takes a distinct Brazilian turn – and opens up into a sparkling set of bossa jammers and hard jazzy numbers that are extremely well-selected for the set! Not all the tracks are Brazilian in origin, but they are all hard to find – and the groove's extremely solid throughout! Tracks include "Quo Vadis Samba" by Goykovic-Novacek, "Carcara" by Tempo Trio, "Tim Dom Dom" by Joao Donato, "Jangal" by Dom Um Romao, "Batucada Sergiu" by Luis Carlos Vinhas, "Grand Nite For Swinging" by Mary Lou Williams, "Consolacao" by Larry Willis, "Influencia Do Jazz" by Bossa Tres, "Mudei De Idea" by Osmar Milito, "Un Sabor Latino" by Ricardo Marrero, "Cobranca" by Carlos Penha, and "Tema Pro Lins" by Rosinha De Valencia. Lots more, too! (Funky Compilations, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

Easily one of the greatest records that Brazilian percussionist Airto ever recorded – a stunning blend roots and jazzy currents, and a set that follows strongly off his work in the group Quarteto Novo! The set's got contributions from one of his key partners in that combo – reedman Hermeto Pascoal – and like Pascoal's material at this point, the whole thing is maybe one of the most perfect realizations of the musical vision that Airto was going for! There's none of the tighter, more polished sounds of his later fusion years – and this is the record that will show you just why his arrival on the American scene made such big waves at the time. Flora Purim also sings on the record – and titles include "Andei", "On Sonho", Papo Furado", and "O Galho da Rosiera". 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

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 incredible album of jazz tracks by one of Brazil's greatest reed players of the 70s – the mighty Victor Assis Brasil – a free-thinking spirit who really took Brazilian jazz in bold new directions at the time! The record shows Victor absorbing a lot of post-Coltrane influences, and blending them with a tight approach to rhythm – laid down here by Dom Salvador on piano (and organ), Edison Lobo on bass, and Edson Machando on drums. The group is completed by Helio Delmiro on guitar, and Claudio Roditi plays trumpet on one track – but the real highlight is the amazing reed work by Brasil, which is filled with soul and warmth, plus a deep sense of exploration. The whole session was put together by Roberto Quartin in 1970 – and it's still extremely fresh today. Titles include "Children", "Gingerbread Boy", "Senegal", and "Marilia", which is a bonus track that wasn't on the original LP. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set of lively samba tunes – played with lots of jazzy flourishes, and instrumentation that includes trombone, guitar, and accordion. Our lack of understanding of Portuguese makes the liner notes a bit difficult to decipher – but it appears that Sivuca's playing and singing on the record, as well as Wilma Valeria and the Trio Fluminense. Tracks have a quality that mixes rootsy samba rhythms with some of the tighter big band styles of the Odeon label – a great mix of sounds, if you ask us! Titles include "Passa Passa Moreninha", "Kalu", "Fogo Pago", "So Uma Louca Nao Ve", "Para Dancar", "Moreninha Ta", and "Maracangalha". LP, Vinyl record album

A light and dreamy set of Brazilian vocal tracks – recorded in 1967, and featuring the voice of singer Lenita Bruno, a strong 60s talent with a style that's somewhat like Sylvia Telles. Arrangements on the set are by Clare Fischer – who plays piano, organ, and electric harpsichord in a small combo that also includes guitar by Laurindo Almeida, flute by Bud Shank, and percussion by Paulinho. Some tracks augment the ensemble with a string quartet – who give the material an appropriately sad tone, perfect for Lenita's blue-styled vocals. Includes a nicely grooving version of "Chove Chuva", plus the tracks "Wave", "Winter Moon", "Sing Sing More", "Dindi", "Stay My Love", and "Someone To Light Up My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Chico's strongest albums of the late 70s – a masterful set of sophisticated tunes, recorded with some great guest help from Milton Nascimento, Zizi Possi, and Elba Ramalho! The album's got a slightly melancholy feel overall – not completely somber, but a slightly world-weary sound that makes the album a bit different and more mature than some of Chico's earlier work – and which beautifully unlocks a new chapter in his tremendous talents. The style is great – perfect for Buarque's growing international fame at the time, but not in a way that's ever too commercial. Titles include "Calice", "Feijoada Completa", "Tanto Mar", "Apesar De Voce", "Pequena Serenata Diurna", and "Ate O Fim". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from a young Chico Buarque – a record that seems to draw on all the best elements of 60s Brazilian pop, and forge them into a sound that's all its own! At one level, there's a post-bossa style of larger arrangements here that recalls the work of Edu Lobo – handled by Maestro Gaya in a mode that recalls some of the best bits of the time on the Elenco or Forma labels. But at another level, there's also a personal and slightly folksy style that reminds us of the initial power of Geraldo Vandre – a sound that's clearly present in Buarque's work, and which stands in a direct line to the best strengths of the emerging Tropicalia generation. The set's filled with classics that include "Carolina", "Roda Viva", "O Velho", "Ate Pensei", "Sem Fantasia", and "Desencontro" – and a few tracks feature Chico in duets with either Toquinho, Cristina, or MPB4! LP, Vinyl record album

An album with as much depth and richness as the title might imply – a wonderful record from Chico Buarque's newly sophisticated years at the end of the 70s! The set's got a quality that's almost timeless – an interwoven blend of styles that features some of Chico's modes from earlier years, but also an influence that's almost European at times – an approach that has Buarque rising up with some of the great global singer/songwriters, transcending standard MPB with a sense of confidence and personality that's really amazing. Arrangements are by Francis Hime, Tom Jobim, and Roberto Menescal – and most tracks have some prominent guitar played gently, but effectively next to the vocals – handled by players who include Octavio Burnier, Arthur Verocai, and Geraldo Azevedo. Titles are nearly all originals by Chico – with tracks that include "Vida", "Ja Passou", "Fantasia", "Qualquer Cancao", "Nao Sonho Mais", "Bye Bye Brasil", "Morena De Angola", and "De Todas As Maneiras". CD

One of the strangest albums in the career of Chico Buarque – and one of the best-remembered too! Os Saltimbancos is a children's play adapted by Buarque from original text by Sergio Bardotti – set to music by Luiz Enriquez Bacalov, and recorded in both Rome and Rio! Most of the album is spoken, with narration by Magro from MPB-4 – and the story is about some unhappy animals that are on their way to the big city to become musicians! The donkey (played by Magro) gets tired of doing hard labor and meets a dog (played by Ruy, another of the MPB-4 guys), a cat (played hilariously by Nara Leao), and a hen (Miucha, the sister of Chico Buarque). The music is pretty strange, and some of the tracks have a sound that's actually kind of avant-poetry, with lots of strange sounds, shouts, and whispers – in a manner that's almost as experimental as it is whimsical. Titles include "Minha Cancao", "Bicharia", "O Jumento", "Todos Juntos", and "A Batalha". 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

Sharp Brazilian fusion – with Rique Pantoja on keyboards, Mauro Senise on saxes, and Pascoal Meirelles on drums! LP, Vinyl record album

A mixture of samba and mellower numbers – duets by Elizeth and Silvio, set to larger arrangements that still preserve a bit of a rootsy feel on the best tracks. LP, Vinyl record album

The final chapter of Lula Cortes amazing run of music in 70s Brazil – a small label release that brilliantly blends together a range of psychedelic influences – all with a gritty edge that's quite different than what you might expect from the date of the album! Things here are every bit as tripped out as on some of Lula's other albums from years before – trippily poetic, occasionally folksy, and sometimes touched with heavier electric moments that really offset the gentler, more organic moments. The reissue features full notes on the music by Cortes himself – and the package offers a rare chance to hear an album whose original pressing was supposedly destroyed before it was ever released! Really great sound, and a lovely package that more than lives up to Lula's amazing music. 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

A live and lively little bossa vocal set – recorded at the Cangaceiro nightclub, with backing by a really great small combo! The style here is similar to other live bossa jazz sets from the time – such as Elis Regina's classic with the Zimbo Trio – and although Helena's vocal style is a bit full and sometimes emotive, the spontaneous nature of the performance really helps keep things lean and clean! The combo here is named after the club – and features Raul Mascarenhas on piano and supposedly Rildo Hora on a bit of harmonica – although he doesn't seem to appear on the record as much as the cover might indicate. Titles include "Oitavo Botequim", "Penumbra", "Ponto E Chuva", "Aconteceu", "Desilusao", "Verdade Da Vida", and 2 longer "Pot-Pourri" tracks. LP, Vinyl record album

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! (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

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

Mid 70s and mellow work from two legendary Brazilian vocalists – the great Dick Farney and the lovely Claudette Soares, singing here in a set of duets that include a number of classic Brazilian tunes set to lush arrangements. The sound is very classic – kind of a 70s take on an older era, with slight electric touches mixed with more traditional strings and piano – and titles include "Nos", "Chuva", "Nick Bar", "Ela Foi Embora", "Tomara", "O Amor Em Paz", and "Apelo". LP, Vinyl record album