A landmark series that runs the gamut of full bossa history – put together by Roberto Menescal, and played by the group 3 Na Bossa! The trio features Edmur Hebeter on piano, Elaine Do Valle on bass, and Toninho Pinheiro on drums – and they're great at adapting their styles to a wide range of bossa nova material, whatever the source. Pinheiro played with a number of classic groups – including The Jongo Trio and Som Tres – and the group's also joined here by Menescal, who plays guitar on a number of tracks. Each volume features notes by Ruy Castro – and this 5CD box set features all of the CDs in the series, plus an added booklet of notes. Great stuff – with a total of 70 tracks in all! CD

Our favorite female Brazilian singer, Joyce, pays tribute to our other favorite female Brazilian singer, Elis Regina! The set was recorded a few years back, and Joyce is backed by a group that includes her husband Tutty Moreno on drums, plus Dori Caymmi, Joe Lovano, Mulgrew Miller, and Renee Rosnes. The set's longer than you'd expect, and includes classics from the Elis Regina songbook – like "Canto De Ossanha", "Upa Neguinho", "Aquarela Do Brasil", "Aquas Do Marco", and "Astronauta". The album's a bit mellow, but like all other Joyce recordings from overseas sources, it's way better than her recent work on major labels, and it really captures the best side of her cool gentle style! CD

A record that's quite possibly most great for its guest stars – thanks to some excellent performances from Seu Jorge, Joao Donato, and others! Marcelinho Da Lua is fine on his own – a Brazilian producer working his interpretation of beats and rhythms borrowed from a variety of global sources – but the best sound of the record comes through the presence of key guests who transform the sound of each tune, and really mark out a space for themselves on the set. Seu Jorge does an incredible job on the track "Cotidiano" – scatting along with his guitar in a fury that matches any of his best work under his own name. And Joao Donato recalls his days on the 60s New York Latin scene, playing hard-edged acoustic piano on the track "La For a" – a really refreshing change from any of his recent bossa revival work! Other tracks include "Pro Marcelinho Tocar" with Roberto Menescal, "Refazenda" with Mart'Nalia, "Que Cosa Fuera" with Jota Moraes on vibes, "Cristiania 71" with Helen Calaca, and "Tranquilo" with Black Alien & Bi Ribeiro. CD

A great set that's way way more than the "chill out" promised in the title – a collection of Brazilian groovers pulled from some of the best labels in the business! As with previous volumes in this series, the focus is on work done for the groundbreaking Far Out label – but this time around, they've also thrown in some choice bits from outside sources, including some killer underground bits from Brazil and a few choice classics! Titles include "Without Words" by 4 Hero Presents Nature's Plan with Ed Motta, "Na Batida Do Agogo (Osunlade rmx)" by Grupo Batuque, "Os Oculos Escuros De Cartola" by Max De Castro, "Papa" by Azymuth featuring Sabrina Malheiros, "Preguiciman" by Mamond, "Falso Amour" by Jirzinho Oliveira, "Escape" by Marcos Valle, "Beleza Nao Vai Embora" by Orlandivo, "E O Meu Amor Vi Passar" by Patricia Marx, and "Vera Cruz" by Vox Populi. CD

Dreamy and drifting – a great selection of tunes, most of them bossa ones, inspired and about the sea – clearly a fixation if you're living on the beautiful beaches of Rio! The package pulls together tracks from a variety of sources – and includes some gems from the classic bossa years of the Elenco and Philips catalogs. Titles include "Arrasto" by Edu Lobo, "Garota De Ipanema" by Nara Leao, "Mar E Lua" by Chico Buarque, "Beira Mar" by Gilberto Gil, "Mar Azul" by Wanda Sa, "Surfboard" by Tom Jobim, "Lugar Comum" by Joao Donato, and "Quem Vem Pra Beira Do Mar" by Jussara Silveira. CD