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

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

One of the best of the Stan Getz bossa nova sessions – and a record that features the great Laurindo Almeida on guitar – playing with more virtuosity than either Charlie Byrd or Joao Gilberto did on their collaborations with Getz! The record's got a driving rhythm section, with lots of long tracks, and nice laid-back solos by both Getz and Almeida – who's getting in some of his few jazz licks of the 60s here, working in a groove similar to that of his earlier sides with Bud Shank, but which sounds almost even better in the languid company of Getz. Cuts include "Outra Vez", "Winter Moon", "Maracatu-Too", and "Samba Da Sahra". (Jazz, Brazil) CD

One of the best of the Stan Getz bossa nova sessions – and a record that features the great Laurindo Almeida on guitar – playing with more virtuosity than either Charlie Byrd or Joao Gilberto did on their collaborations with Getz! The record's got a driving rhythm section, with lots of long tracks, and nice laid-back solos by both Getz and Almeida – who's getting in some of his few jazz licks of the 60s here, working in a groove similar to that of his earlier sides with Bud Shank, but which sounds almost even better in the languid company of Getz. Cuts include "Outra Vez", "Winter Moon", "Maracatu-Too", and "Samba Da Sahra". Very nice! (Jazz, Brazil) CD