Vinicius Cantuaria sounds as wonderful here as ever – lean, sharp, and with his trademark style of mixing all the charm of older Brazilian music with more contemporary presentation – not in a way that's commercial or overdone, but just with this sensibility that really keeps all the urgency of the best MPB work firmly in place! The vocals are great, with a warmth that only seems to get better with age – and the group is a small one, with mostly just bass and drums next to Cantuaria's guitar – plus some occasional percussion. Yet the production also has a way of widening out these core elements nicely – this wash of sound that echoes some of the great Brazilian production modes of the past. Titles include "Berlin", "Uirapuru", "Rio Negro", "E Preciso Perdoar", "Verde Mata", "Humanos", and "Nossa Estrada". CD

Lovely work from Brazilian singer Luciana Souza – a set that features both English and Portuguese language tunes, recorded in a laidback, almost torchy kind of jazz vocal style. Pianists on the set include Bruce Barth and Fred Hersch – and the overall setting is small group backing, with Luiciana's vocals right up front in the mix! Titles include "Never Let Me Go", "Corcovado", "I Shall Wait", "No Wonder", and "All Of Me". CD

The music of Egbergo Gismonti means many things to many people – as the Brazilian music legend worked in so many styles and settings, he really offered a lot to the world with his many albums! And here, arranger Gaia Wilmer approaches Gismonti's music with a real love of his work in a larger setting – those sublime, soaring arrangments that Egberto did so well, and which really helped elevate Brazilian music to new heights on important albums in the 70s! The setting here is nicely different than those, though – with arrangements by Wilmer, and a great instrumental lineup that even includes guest piano from Egbergo himself, plus work from Jacques Morelenbaum on cello and Gabriel Gross on harmonica. Titles include "Em Familia", "Folia", "Loro", "Karate", "Maracatu", "Baiao Malandro", "Infancia", and "7 Aneis". (Jazz, Brazil) CD