Searing samba soul from Jorge Ben – one of his best-remembered albums of the 70s, and for good reason too! The album's got a slightly fuller feel than some of Ben's other work of the time – never slick, but with backings balanced nicely against his own raspy vocals and acoustic guitar – sweetening things up with a bit of the strings you'd find on Forca Bruta, but with a hint of the soul to come on Africa Brasil! The balance is great – thanks to arrangers Osmar Milito, Darcy De Paulo, and Hugo Bellard – and as usual, Jorge's vocals are the main attraction – dipping, turning, and rising with this really unique, personal feel – Ben-like brilliance at its brightest. The whole thing's wonderful – a key gem from the Philips years – and titles include "Cinco Minutos", "Zumbi", "Brother", "Os Alquimistas Estao Chegando Os Alquimistas", "Errare Humanum Est", "Menina Muler Da Pele Preta", "Hermes Tri", and "O Namorado Da Viuva". LP, Vinyl record album

A nicely rootsy little album from Maria Bethania – recorded during a period when some of her music could often sound much fuller and more electric! The album's got subtle help from Toninho Horta, Dori Caymmi, and Guto Graca Mello – all of whom arrange Maria's vocals in a sophisticated singer/songwriter sort of mode – very personal, often spare, and used with a sensitivity to the lyrics that's really wonderful. The Terra Trio also play on the record, and titles include "Ciclo", "Filosofia Pura", "Motriz", "Vinho", "Lua", "Cantar Pra Fazer O Sol Adormecer", and "Rio De Janeiro". 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 richest, most expressive albums ever from the great Gal Costa – a set from her immediate post-Tropicalia years, and one that shows that she's got a lot more to offer than just a wild sense of experimentation! Gilberto Gil is the musical director here – with help from Rogerio Duprat and Arthur Verocai – and the album's got the lofty feel you'd expect from all three talents – a rich blend of all the modern developments in Brazilian music that had taken place in the 60s, but infused with a newly rootsy sense as well – one that takes the whole thing back to a personal, expressive territory that's really wonderful. Instrumentationincludes work on keyboards by Wagner Tiso and Tenorio Jr, plus a bit of guitar from Roberto Menescal – and Gal does a great version of Caetano Veloso's "Relance" – alongside other tracks that include "Passarinho", "Da Maior Imortancia", "India", "Volta", and the funky "Pontos De Luz". The whole thing's incredibly beautiful – and it's got Gal in a wild bikini cover, too! 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 warmly intimate album from Joao Gilberto – one that has the singer and guitarist in the same special space as his wonderful albums from the early 70s - a bit more sophisticated than the bossa years, but equally personal throughout! The set was co-produced by Helen Keane – who was bringing real magic to the records of pianist Bill Evans at the time – and music is by a core combo that includes American jazz musicians Ralph Grierson on keyboards and Grady Tate on drums – with some additional larger arrangements from Claus Ogerman, but used in a way that never clutters up the sound at all. Instead, Joao sounds beautiful right up front in the mix – with those sublime raspy vocals, and perfectly-placed lines on acoustic guitar – on titles that include a fabulous reading of "Estate", plus Jobim's "Wave" and "Zingaro", and the tracks "Caminha Cruzados", "Tin Tin Por Tin Tin", and "Besame Mucho". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most heavenly albums ever recorded – a sublime post-60s session by Joao Gilberto, one with even more fluid grace than his original bossa nova classics! The setting here is extremely spare – Joao on vocals and acoustic guitar, backed by only a slight bit of percussion – and recorded with an sound that's incredibly clear and incredibly precise – so that each gentle note, each slight rasp of the guitar comes through beautifully – as do Joao's breathily personal vocals! There's a sense of poise and presence here that Gilberto hardly matched again – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given how great most of his other records already are. The whole thing's tremendous – a true treasure, and easily one of the top classics in Brazilian music from the 70s. Titles include a landmark version of "Aguas De Marco", plus "Undiu", "Falsa Baiana", "Avarandado", "Na Baixa Do Sapateiro", "Izaura", "E Preciso Perdoar", "Valsa", and "Eu Vim Da Bahia". CD

Wonderful live work from Joyce – a singer we love in any sort of setting, but one who really seems to open up nicely in front of an audience! The approach here is very much in classic Joyce mode – very intimate and personal, with instrumentation that just includes Joyce on guitar, Tutty Moreno on drums, plus a bit of bass and added guitar – all served up in a warmly jazzy style that fits beautifully with Joyce's legendary vocals. Most tunes have a breezy sort of feel, even when mellow – and the album features guest appearances by Joao Donato, Dori Caymmi, Leila Pinheiro, and Monica Salmaso – who all join Joyce here in a celebration of her 40 years in music. Titles include "Samba De Mulher", "E Era Copacabana", "Misterios", "Clareana", "E Passa O Carrossel", "Samba Da Zona", "Monsieur Binot", "Feminina", "Havana Me", and "Revendo Amigos". CD

A beautiful album of laidback psych from early 70s Brazil – the sort of more personal, more introspective work that some of the artists on the scene were cutting after the more experimental modes of the Tropicalia years! Guilherme Lamounier has a gentle sort of majesty in his music – very much in keeping with his image on the cover – stepping out in a trippier take on singer/songwriter modes, with his own vocals, guitar, and piano as the main focus on the tunes – touched nicely with keyboard work from Wagner Tiso, flute from Oberdan Magalhaes, and guitar from Lanny Gordin – artists used in these very sparing ways to spice up the sound, and give the record a loftier vibe than if Guilherme were just recording on his own. Lyrics are all in Portuguese, but the songs have a very universal appeal – a great sense of structure and building up energy – on titles that include "Freedom", "Mini Neila", "Patricia", "Passam Anos Passam Anas", "Amanha Nao Sei", "Capitao De Papel", and "Ols Telhados Do Mundo". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work by one of the true geniuses of Brazilian music – an artist whose career started in the bossa nova generation, then stretched out with an amazing sense of scope and sound! All of Edu's early gems are here – in a set list that includes the classic "Upa Neguinho", plus recordings with Tamba Trio on "Reza", "Boranda", "Arrastao", and "Cancao Do Amanhecer" – and vocals by Joyce on "Rei Morto Rei Posto", Dori Caymmi on "Desenredo", and Maria Bethania on "Pra Dizer Adeus" – as well as the cuts "Memorias De Marta Sare", "Lero Lero", and "Quase Sempre". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous lost masterpiece from Jose Mauro – a less-remembered figure in Brazilian music at the start of the 70s – but one we'd rank right up there with the best of the time, on a short list that would include Marcos Valle, Milton Nascimento, and Arthur Verocai! Like those three giants, Mauro's got a way with a tune that's completely his own, and very different than music taking place in the Anglo scene at the time – sophisticated, but never full of itself – personal, but also always reaching for higher ideas too – set up in these sublime arrangements by Roberto Quartin, who recorded the date for his own famous label – with a killer studio group that includes Dom Salvador on organ and piano, Paulo Moura on alto, sax, and Wilson Das Neves on drums. Jose's vocals are fantastic, as is his subtle use of acoustic guitar – and arrangements on the set are by Maestro Gaya, who you might know from a wealth of brilliant work for the EMI/Odeon label in Brazil. The set includes three never-issued tracks – "Rua Dois", "Moenda", and "Variacao Sobre Um Antigo Tem" – plus "A Viagem Das Horas", "O Nino", "Morango Encanto", "O Oitava Morada", "Romanza", and "O Cavaleiro De Antonina". CD

You may have heard the vocals of Dora Morelenbaum in the group Bala Desejo – but her performance here is very different overall – much more personal, and set up in this wonderful blend of acoustic guitar and vocal brilliance, with a quality that maybe hearkens back to older Brazilian music of this type – especially the work of Joyce or Nara Leao! Dora has some of the jazzier qualities of the former, and maybe a touch of the darkness of the latter – and the instrumentation on the record is nice and spare overall, often a bit of light rhythms and keyboards next to the acoustic guitar – an instrument that's played either by Morelenbaum or Guilherme Lirio. Titles include "Japao", "Avermelhar", and "Vento De Beirada" – and this version features the bonus track "Do A Do", a lovely string-laded number. LP, Vinyl record album

A sharp blend of edgey guitar, offbeat vocals, and lots of other electronic elements – but still served up with plenty of warmth, thanks to the unique approach of Thiago Nassif! Nassif works here with contributions from Vinicius Cantuaria and Arto Lindsay – and in a way, his music is in a similar territory to both of those artists – but as unique as any of their recordings over the years too! Nassif clearly understands the deeper corners of Brazilian music, and has an ear for more experimental modes – but also finds a way to make music with a very personal statement, as he weaves together electric drums with real percussion, guitar loops and keyboards, and even some "Venom synth" of his own. Titles include "Pele De Leopardo", "Voz Unica Foto Sem Calcinha", "Plastico", "Trepa Trepa", "Feral Fox", and "Transparente". CD

A sharp blend of edgey guitar, offbeat vocals, and lots of other electronic elements – but still served up with plenty of warmth, thanks to the unique approach of Thiago Nassif! Nassif works here with contributions from Vinicius Cantuaria and Arto Lindsay – and in a way, his music is in a similar territory to both of those artists – but as unique as any of their recordings over the years too! Nassif clearly understands the deeper corners of Brazilian music, and has an ear for more experimental modes – but also finds a way to make music with a very personal statement, as he weaves together electric drums with real percussion, guitar loops and keyboards, and even some "Venom synth" of his own. Titles include "Pele De Leopardo", "Voz Unica Foto Sem Calcinha", "Plastico", "Trepa Trepa", "Feral Fox", and "Transparente". 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". CD

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

Light and beautiful work from Peri – a modern Brazilian composer, but one with all the sensitive grace of the best bossa stars from earlier years! Peri's working here in a mostly solo setting – singing along with his acoustic guitar, in a way that echoes similar modes from Joyce, Joao Gilberto, and Baden Powell – yet which also takes on a new sort of life thanks to Peri's personal shadings of the tunes. Titles include "Na Lata", "O Samba E Bom", "So Minha", "Mentiras", "Voyeur", "Samba Passarinho", "Redemoinho", "Meu Mundo E Hoje", and "Mamae Falou". CD

Wonderful later work from Brazilian guitar legend Baden Powell – an artist whose sound just deepened and got more complex as the years went on! Here, Baden's just playing solo, but with a vibrancy that's amazing – fingers moving across the strings of the guitar in this amazing way, spinning out rhythm and melody at once – and often topped with some vocals by Powell himself – a light-voiced singer with a sound that adds this special sort of personal sparkle to the music! There's plenty of jazz influence at work here, and Baden's got a strong sense of improvisation as well – on titles that include "Odeon", "Vento Vadio", "Garota De Ipanema", "Para Nao Sofrer", "Tributo Ao Meira", "Na Baixa Do Sapateiro", "Samba Do Aviao", "Bolina De Papel/A Premiera Vez", and "Interrogando". CD