... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more obscure Brazilian harmony bossa albums of the 60s – yet a set that we'd put right up there next to our favorite work from Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 – and maybe some of the even groovier acts recording down in Brazil! Mario Castro Neves is best known as a piano player and arranger – and he brings a jazzy vibe to this set, working with a core trio that features Normando on drums and Novelli on bass – while also opening the door to work from female singers Thais and Biba, who soar together in a breezy duet mode – very Brasil 66, but leaner and groovier too – with some scatting qualities that also show an influence from European jazz! There's a sparkling sound here that's strongly influenced by bossa, but which also has some sunnier 60s touches too – and Mario's arranging skills are at an all-time high on the lightly dancing rhythms of the tunes. Titles include "Candomble", "Nana", "E Nada Mais", "Keep Talking", "Once More", "Ta Por Fora", and "Morte De Um Deus De Sal". LP, Vinyl record album

What a voice on this guy! Without a doubt, Martinho Da Vila is one of our favorite 70s samba singers – and he sounds wonderful on this obscure mid 70s set! The arrangements are tight and percussive – not as smooth as you'd expect from the date – and Da Vila's vocals are rootsy enough to match the soul of the percussion on the set with ease. Titles include "Joao E Jose", "Claustrofobia", "Choro Chorao", "Quem Me Dera", "Coisa Louca", "Historia Da Liberdade No Brasil", and "Ai Que Saudade Que Eu Tenho". LP, Vinyl record album

Darkly brilliant – and one of Joao Donato's most fantastic records! The set was recorded during Joao's time in America in the mid 60s – cut in New York with lofty backings by Claus Ogerman, in a pillowy soft mode that fits perfectly with Joao's light bossa piano lines, and which has all the hints of sadness and moodiness that often creep into his playing. The complicated approach of the album far surpasses some of Joao's work from Brazil at the same time – and the album's one of the best of its generation, a sublime mix of all elements that still sounds as fresh today as it did in 1965! Titles include "Amazonas", "Glass Beads", "Sugarcane Breeze", "Vento Do Canavail", "It Didn't End", and "O Barquinho". LP, Vinyl record album

(Now Sound, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest records ever cut by Ze Rodrix, as you might guess from the image on the cover – very different than some of his more staid recordings on the Brazilian scene, and instead a very dynamic soundtrack that's full of funky moments! Ze's clearly got the bug of the American and European scenes of the period, but he's not aping Italian cop/crime or US blacksploitation – as his use of funky elements comes across in all these different ways, with plenty of mad rhythms, unusual arrangements, offbeat production, and even a strange sense of pacing that makes the whole record a treasure trove of surprise delights! There's some especially great use of keyboards, but that's just the tip of the iceberg – and titles include "Motoqueiros", "Esconderijo", "Rhumba", "Tema De Amor", "Esquadrao Da Morte", and "Chorinho Pro Tio". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of a number of excellent albums of Brazilian jazz cut by Sarah Vaughan – a surprisingly great move for the singer, whose style had begun to wear thin by the mid 70s. The record's got a pretty faithful sound, and the musicians on the set include Jobim on piano, plus Mauricio Einhorn, Nelson Angelo, and Helio Delmiro – all Brazilian greats in their own right. Danilo Caymmi and Milton Nascimento join in on vocals, and tracks include "The Day It Rained", I Live To Love You", "Roses & Roses", "Bridges", "A Little Tear", and "Courage". (Vocalists, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Cirandar", "Festa Pros Olhos", "Isto E O Amor", "Reversos Da Vida", "De Pai Pra Filha", and "Mae Solteira". 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

Classic raw Brazilian grooves from Ary Lobo – a key force in the development of forro music at the end of the 50s, and an artist who's got a legendary status that's all his own! The rhythms romp along with a great deal of energy – a bit in samba territory, but with some of the rootsier modes that were coming into Colombian and Peruvian styles at the time – all topped with Lobo's fantastic vocals, which have a raspy soulfulness that transcends language – and laced with his wickedly sharp accordion solos, used in a way that's very different than any American use of the instrument in the 50s. The set brings together some of the best tracks from his early RCA albums – and titles include "Bate Malva", "Visite O Terreiro", "O Criador", "Sinha Olimpia", "Movimento Da Cidade", "Pedida A Sao Jorge", "Batuque De Indio", and "Meus Guardados". LP, Vinyl record album