5 years after they made their first set of groundbreaking Braziliany jazz tracks together, Bud Shank and Laurindo Almeida went back into the studio to record another great batch for Pacific Jazz. That second set of sessions is captured here in its entirety, and it features Shank and Almeida playing with the looser rhythm team of Gary Peacock and Chuck Flores on a number of short groovy tracks that clearly had a big influence on the bossa generation. Titles include "Waltz Frio & Calor", "Sunset Baion", "Mood Antigua", "Choro In A", "The Color Of Her Hair", and "Nocturno". CD

Great stuff from Marisa Monte – and a record that's criss-crossed with influences, thanks to production by Arto Lindsay, and performances by Marc Ribot, Bernie Worrell, John Zorn, Ryuchi Sakamoto, Nana Vasconcelos, and Ed Motta! Maybe a bit slicker than the current American press hype would have you expect – but a record that's filled with some great songwriting, and plenty of nice moments. Titles include "Beija Eu", "Ainda Lembro", "De Noite Na Cama", "Rosa", "Borboleta", and "Eu Sei". CD

5 years after they made their first set of groundbreaking Braziliany jazz tracks together, Bud Shank and Laurindo Almeida went back into the studio to record another great batch for Pacific Jazz. That second set of sessions is captured here in its entirety, and it features Shank and Almeida playing with the looser rhythm team of Gary Peacock and Chuck Flores on a number of short groovy tracks that clearly had a big influence on the bossa generation. Titles include "Frio y Color", "Sunset Baion", "Harlem Samba", "Blowing Wild", "Xana-Lyn", and "Serenade For Alto". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible gem from Walter Wanderley's years in Brazil – a Quarteto Bossamba recording that features Wanderley on both piano and organ, often overdubbed at the same time for a very cool sound! The style is quite different from most of Wanderley's better-known records in the US – and the heavier bossa tones on piano provide a nicely soulful counterpoint to lighter grooves on Hammond – really fleshing out the tunes with an array of jazzy sounds and colors! Wanderley's work on the piano is almost far more expressive than his more familiar organ – as he hits the acoustic keys with a sense of lyrical grace and depth of feeling that's really striking. Titles include an excellent version of "Canto De Ossanha", plus "Chuva", "Cheganca", "Vivo Sonhando", "Maria Moita", and "Verdade Em Paz". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest albums ever from pianist Clare Fischer – and one of the few to really get at the bossa nova spirit that's only hinted at in some of his other work! Clare's bossa touches had a great effect on other artists in the 60s – most notably Cal Tjader – but here, he's on his own and at the head of the pack – working in sweet small combo formation with some really great rhythms! Fischer plays both piano and organ – the latter of which is totally great, and which almost adds a Walter Wanderley charm to the set – and other players include the great Dennis Budimir on guitar, Bob West on bass, and Colin Bailey on drums. The track list is a mix of tracks by Jobim and Fischer – and titles include "Ornithardy", "One Note Samba", "Carnavel", "Pensativa", and "Quiet Nights". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic return to the Braziliance territory crafted by these two legendary musicians – Bud Shank blowing alto over bossa-styled arrangements from Laurindo Almeida – in a manner that was years ahead of similar work by Stan Getz and others! (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

A rare bossa session by Wanderly – recorded early in his career in Brazil, and issued here in the US by World Pacific. It's as tight a batch of bossa organ grooves as any of Wanderley's best albums from the 60's – and he's playing with a larger lineup than usual, which adds a lot to the sound, and the group's got Bolao on sax and flute, and Heraldo Do Monte on guitar. All the cuts have Wanderley's trademark firey organ sound, and the titles include "Samba In Japan", "Sad Samba", "Samba Da Minha Terra", "Samba Novo", and "Samba De Bossa". Nice stuff, and a very groovy album of bossa organ! LP, Vinyl record album

Landmark set of recordings cut for the Pacific Jazz label in the early 50s, and supposedly a major influence on the early bossa artists in Brazil! The tracks were cut by a quartet led by LA altoist Bud Shank, and featuring Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida, who was living in LA at the time. The mix of alto and guitar, in a jazzy vein, but with Latiny rhythms, is very similar to the early bossa jazz recordings – and even more so to the later American ones by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd. Supposedly, original 10" LPs of the material made their way to Brazil, and later influenced Jobim and Gilberto. Although we can't confirm that rumor entirely, you'll sure hear a similarity, and even if you don't, the stuff's still pretty darn great. Titles include "Terra Seca", "Amor Flamenco", "Atabaque", "No No", "Noctambulism", "Tocata", and "Carinoso". 15 cuts in all. CD