One of the moodiest Verve albums from Astrud Gilberto – a set that has some surprising arrangements by Gil Evans – working here on one of his few 60s dates with a singer! Astrud's blue-tinged vocals work perfectly with Evans' backdrops – and Al Cohn also takes over the helm on two of the album's tracks, but still does a very good job of keeping the groove. There's a nice mix of sadness and lightness in the set – and titles include a wonderful version of "Berimbau" that actually features berimbau playing by Dom Um Romao, a great take on "El Preciso Aprender A Ser So" with English lyrics, and the titles "Bim Bom", "Lugar Bonito", "Frevo", and "Once Upon A Summertime". CD

A beautiful recent live recording from bossa legend Joao Gilberto – the kind that shows that he's still very much in fine fine form! The set was recorded in Tokyo, and features Joao on voice and guitar – with no other instrumentation at all – replicating the feel of some of his sparest classic work, with a style and approach that seems even better with age. There's a waning sadness to the whole set that's really compelling – the weight of years that somehow makes classic tunes sound even more meaningful than before! 15 tracks in all – with titles that include "Aos Pes Da Cruz", "Bolinha De Papel", "Louco", "Pra Que Discutir Com Madame", "Doralice", "Este Seu Olhar", and "Preconceito". CD

An assortment of tracks recorded by Jobim during his classic years – featuring an assortment of "convidados", or guests, that rank among some of the best Brazilian artists of the time! The set brings together work from many corners of Jobim's work for Universal, Philips, and Verve – and titles include "Chovendo Na Roseira" and "Aguas De Marco", done with Elis Regina; "Pra Dizer Adeus" and "Luiza", done with Edu Lobo; "Por Toda Minha Vida" and "A Felicidade", done with Nelson Riddle; "Saudade da Bahia" done with Dorival Caymmi; and "Tema De Amor Por Gabriela" done with Gal Costa. CD

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One of the more ambitious projects put together by Milton Nascimento – a soaring work that takes the previous sense of majesty in his music even further than before! The tracks were all arranged and directed by Milton, with writing help from Pedro Casaldaliga and Petro Tierra – on titles that include "Em Nome Do Deus", "Offertorio", "Rito Da Paz", "O Senhor E Santo", and "Louvacao A Mariama". CD

Brazilian "greatest hits" comp of Caetano's work, with a majority of material from the late 70's and early 80's, but also with a few cuts from the late 60's Tropicalia years. Every cut's a winner, though – with the high high level of imagination that you'd expect from Caetano! Tracks include "Coisa Mais Linda", "Muito", "Menino Do Rio", "Superbacana", "Eclips Oculto", and "Soy Loco Por Ti, America". CD

Killer work by Astrud Gilberto – very different than her Verve sides of the 60s! The album was produced by Astrud, arranged by Deodato – and has that wonderful warm full jazz feel of her classic album on CTI, but also a bit more like some of the funky work of Jorge Ben at the time – choppy at the bottom, with a sound that's a bit samba, and a bit funky at times. Mike Longo and Deodato play keyboards on the session, giving it an electric groove that works perfectly with Astrud's soaring vocals – and the whole album really holds together wonderfully! There's a nice bit of funk on the cut "Take it Easy My Brother Charlie" – and other tracks include "Zigy Zigy Za", "Baiao", "Gingele", "Bridges", and "Where Have You Been?" DVD side features include linear notes, artist photos plus the whole album in 5.1 surround sound!. CD

Breezy bossa nova – Hollywood 60s style! The album's one of the best cut for Capitol by guitarist Laurindo Almeida – and has a sweet groovy little style that features Laurindo's lovely guitar work over some lightly dancing small combo backings that include flute, harmonica, organ, percussion, and even a bit of whistling on a few tracks! The vibe's very much in the best Verve/Impulse takes on the bossa – done with a clear California influence, which keeps things cool and breezy – and which also pushes Almeida past his sometimes-staid style on guitar. Two cuts also feature some great vocals by Irene Kral – and titles include "Twilight In Rio", "Old Guitaron", "Sarah's Samba", "Izabella", "Winter Moon", "Girl From Ipanema", and "Choro For People In Love". (Now Sound, Brazil) CD