A fantastic early bossa session from Wilson Simonal! His deep soulful voice is in perfect form – and it sounds super next to sweet lilting arrangements by the great Lyrio Panicalli – who uses larger orchestrations to open up that soulful side of Wilson's vocals – the sort that made him a key precursor of the 70s samba soul generation! The whole thing's upbeat and groovy – in a way that really points towards some of Simonal's giant work to come – and titles Include a version of Marcos Valle's "Tudo De Voce", plus the tracks "Telefone", "Lagrima Flor", "Menino Triste", "Samba E Verbo", and "Balanco Zona Sul". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet electric 70s session from the mighty Joao Donato – very different than his earlier bossa work of the 60s – and with the same funky appeal as the best work on his classic Quem E Quem album! This set's got a tighter feel overall – very much in a samba soul style, with lots of great Brazilian bits mixed up with funk and jazz touches – including a range of great keyboards handled by Donato himself! Drums are by the mighty Wilson Das Neves – who brings in some breaks at a few points – and the whole thing's supremely soulful too – with titles that include the funky classic "Bananeira", plus "Patumbalacunde", "Lugar Comum", "Tudo Tem", and "Naturalmente". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning tribute to the music of Jorge Ben – a host of classic covers from the 60s and 70s, all of which share Jorge's love for an upbeat, soulful groove! The set's exploding with life and energy – that new sort of groove that Ben first unleashed on Brazilian music in the 60s, which was quickly taken up by most of his contemporaries – as you'll hear on the wonderful tunes in this set! There's a ridiculous amount of music on the collection – over two dozen tunes, a number of which we'd never heard before – and although Jorge doesn't sing on any of them, the vocalists are all clearly inspired by his sense of warmth and soul. Every cut's a groover – and titles include "Quem Mandou" by Osmar Milito, "Zazueira" by Wilson Simonal, "Pulo Pulo" by Elza Soares, "Se Voce Quiser Mas Sem Bronquear" by Doris Monteiro, "Tenha Fe Pois Amanha Um Lindo Dia Vai Nascer" and "La Vem Salgueiro" by Os Originais Do Samba, "Carolina Carol Bela" by Os Brazoes, "Speed" by Sonia Santos, "Rei Do Maracatu" by Cyro Aguiar, "Cosa Nostra" by Os Mutreteiros Grilados, "Fio Maravilha" by Marijo, "Pais Tropical" by Wilson Simonal, and "Mas Que Nada" by Elza Soares. CD

A stunning tribute to the music of Jorge Ben – a host of classic covers from the 60s and 70s, all of which share Jorge's love for an upbeat, soulful groove! The set's exploding with life and energy – that new sort of groove that Ben first unleashed on Brazilian music in the 60s, which was quickly taken up by most of his contemporaries – as you'll hear on the wonderful tunes in this set! There's a ridiculous amount of music on the collection – over two dozen tunes, a number of which we'd never heard before – and although Jorge doesn't sing on any of them, the vocalists are all clearly inspired by his sense of warmth and soul. Every cut's a groover – and titles include "Quem Mandou" by Osmar Milito, "Zazueira" by Wilson Simonal, "Pulo Pulo" by Elza Soares, "Se Voce Quiser Mas Sem Bronquear" by Doris Monteiro, "Tenha Fe Pois Amanha Um Lindo Dia Vai Nascer" and "La Vem Salgueiro" by Os Originais Do Samba, "Carolina Carol Bela" by Os Brazoes, "Speed" by Sonia Santos, "Rei Do Maracatu" by Cyro Aguiar, "Cosa Nostra" by Os Mutreteiros Grilados, "Fio Maravilha" by Marijo, "Pais Tropical" by Wilson Simonal, and "Mas Que Nada" by Elza Soares. 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

A Brazilian tribute to football – but one that's given a distinctly London twist – as core rhythms by Wilson Das Neves, Dom Um Romao, and others are mixed up and augmented by Da Lata, Zero dB, Roc Hunter, Fauna Flash, and Osunlade! The album's got a depth and compelling quality that goes far beyond other records by Grupo Batuque – as tightly-played percussion riffs are mixed with sound effects, crowd noise, and commentary from football games – all in a rich sonic tapestry that goes past simple samba or batucada! The whole thing's almost like an audio document to the greatness of the sport and its importance in Brazilian culture – but thanks to the globe-spanning efforts of Far Out, the added production help should help settle more than a few disputes at the World Cup! Titles include "Torcida Do Flamengo", "E Ruim (Zero dB rmx)", "Ole Ola", "Isto E Samb", "Na Cancao Do Samba", "Ole Ola (Fauna Flash rmx)", "Na Batida Do Agogo (Osunlade rmx)", and "Berimbal Capoeira (Da Lata rmx)". CD

A tasty session of tracks recorded in Brazil, during the Carnival in Rio! The Far Out team took a bunch of legendary Brazilian percussionists into the studio and recorded this album of funky batucada tracks that includes the cuts "Mama Samba", "Ona Leve", and "Percussion Livre". Wilson Das Neves, ex-leader of Os Ipanemas, heads up the group, and other featured players include Mamao, Chacal, and Zezinho. Groovy batucada sounds, with the usual high Far Out quality. CD

A lost bit of dreamy bossa from the 60s – recorded in Brazil at the end of the decade, but unavailable to most of the world for years! The session's got a gently snapping, always jazzy approach that easily matches the best takes on the bossa coming out from Rio and LA at the time – and the album's done in a style that really makes best use of the warmly soulful piano lines of Dom Salvador, while also hitting some harder rhythms that bristle with plenty of bossa jazz energy, thanks to the presence of drummer Wilson Das Neves! Vocals are often in a mode that showcases singer Valeria, but with support from harmonies on the chorus – and the record's got a sunny sort of groove that almost reminds us of classics by Mario Castro Neves & Samba SA! Titles include "Sambou Sambou", "Ponteio", "Viola Enluarada", "Vesti Azul", "Lady Madonna", "Deixa", "Alegria Alegria", and "Retrato Em Branco E Preto". CD

Possibly the best album ever by this excellent Brazilian percussive combo! The record begins the groove where the group's other albums started – by taking hard batucada rhythms, and tight samba grooves – but it also adds in a bit tighter production, and shows a marked commitment to hitting the same sort of dancefloor groove that you'd expect from other work on Far Out. Wilson Das Neves and Robertinho Silva are at the head of the percussion team – and tracks include "Roda Baiana", "Bo", "Batucumba", "Taruma", "Berimbal Capoeira", and "Read Between The Lines". CD

A rare Brazilian soundtrack on Som Livre – one that features work recorded for this story set in the 50s, which gives most of the tracks a rock n roll-ish kind of sound, a bit like the jovem guarda work coming out of Brazil in the 60s. A few titles are covers of American pop or rock tunes – and there's a few bossa ditties thrown on the end to even things out a bit. Titles include "Ela E Carioca" by Os Cariocas, "Bata Baby" by Wilson Miranda, "Tete" by Silvinha Telles, "Sereno" by Paulo Molin, "Banho De Lua" by Celly Campello, "Broto Legal" by Sergio Murilo, "Meu Mundo Caiu" by Maysa, and "Quem E?" by Osmar Navarro. LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet mix of Brazilian grooves and New York attitude – an overlooked session from the end of the 90s – recorded in the US by Brazilian saxman Leo Gandelman, with soulful help from a variety of American players – including Reuben Wilson on organ and both Charlie Hunter and Grant Green Jr on guitar! There's a rich sort of 70s vibe to the record – a tight, funky blend of jazzy riffing and Brazilian percussion, all put together at a level that almost reminds us of Kudu Records at its best – lean, soulful, and surprisingly focused throughout – a great step forward for Gandelman, and for percussionist Juliano Zanoni, who co-arranged the set with Leo, and also wrote most of the tunes. Supposedly, the record never saw the light of day when it was recorded – making this sweet Far Out package its first-ever release! Titles include "Safari", "Pau Grande", "April 7th", "Dance", "Prince Samba", "Groove In The Head", "Pirulito", and "Charlie 1". CD