Groundbreaking work by one of the greatest artists in Brazil – a masterful collection that dips heavily into Jorge Ben's key recordings of the 60s and early 70s for Philips! The scope of sounds here is really amazing – as Jorge starts with an already-great driving samba groove, then expands into bigger arrangements, more complicated sounds, and emerges in the 70s with a heavy funk approach to his work! Nobody could touch Jorge during this time, and every single track on the set is a winner – the kind of stuff that will make you a convert for life, and want to track down every Ben album from these years. The set's filled with treasures – 19 tracks that include "Que Pena", "Taj Mahal", "Chove Chuva", "Xica Da Silva", "Cade Tereza", "Zumbi", "Pais Tropical", "Oba La Vem Ela", "Que Maravilha", "Charles Anjo 45", "O Telefone", "Bebete Vaobora", "Caramba Galileu Da Gailieia", and "Ponta De Lanca Africano". CD

Upbeat soul from Sergio Mendes – but a record that's still got a Brazilian heart beating underneath! The sound of the set is very much in the best mainstream soul modes of the time – never too electric overall, but put together with a nicely warm groove that continues the legacy of R&B-influenced music that Sergio first started in the 70s. Vocals are by a variety of singers – including Gracinha Leporace, Carol Rogers, Leza Miller, Geoff Lieb, and others – and just when you think the whole thing's more LA than Rio, Sergio has a nice way of throwing in a slight Brazilian touch to remind you of his roots. Titles include "My Summer Love", "Carnaval", "Never Let You Go", "Voodoo", "Si Senor", and "Life In The Movies". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit more pop soul than some of Sergio Mendes' work from a few years back – but still the kind of set that shows that he's got a better ear for music than most of his contemporaries! As with Sergio's previous album, this one's got a fair bit of contributions from Robbie Buchanan – who arranges, produces, and plays keyboards on a good deal of tracks – often bringing a vibe to Mendes' music that's a bit more electric than before. Yet at other points, things are still warmly soulful – in ways that hearken back nicely to Sergio's more soul-based sets of the 70s. Vocals are by Joe Pizzulo, Gracinha Leporace, and Siedah Garrett – and titles include "Olympia", "Real Life", "Morrer De Amor", "Dance Attack", "Alibis", "Let's Give A Little More This Time", and "Say It With Your Body". LP, Vinyl record album