Leila Pinheiro's first album – first issued back in 1982, with a spare and jazzy post-bossa style that reminds us of some of Gal Costa's work from the same period! Leila's vocals are wonderful – slightly deep with lots of jazzy phrasing, set to arrangements that drift along in a mixture of electric and acoustic instrumentation – a wonderful blend, and one that gives the record a depth that you don't always find in some of Pinheiro's more recent recordings. The set includes songs by Francis Hime, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Donato, and Cateano Veloso – and titles include "Tudo Em Cima", "Bons Amigos", "A Porta", "Coracao Vagabundo", "Lua De Cetim", and "Nossa Rua". LP, Vinyl record album

An essential introduction to the work of this legendary group – an important American issue of some of their best material – all of which never came out in our market back in the day! If you don't know Os Mutantes, prepare to be blown away – as they were a key part of the Tropicalia movement, alongside bigger names Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, and Gilberto Gil – creating music that was years ahead of its time, but which has gone on to become legendary over the years! There's so many different elements going on here, it's impossible to pin down – avant and psychedelic modes, Brazilian styles and postmodern ones, all put together with sublime production that's also way ahead of the pack! This Luaka Bop presentation was put together by David Byrne – and it features a total of 14 cuts in all – including an English and Portuguese reading of the famous "Baby", plus the tunes "Ave Lucifer", "Desculpe, Babe", "Adeus Maria Fulo", "Panis Et Circensis", "Bat Macumba", "Dia 36", and "Fuga No II". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album – not just in Brazilian music, but in all modern music in general! The set's a legendary manifesto for the Tropicalia movement in Brazil – and features key works by all the leading musical luminaries in the movement – including a few later stars who are heard here at their most edgey! The work is as groundbreaking today as it was at the end of the 60s – a brilliant testament to the power of artists to really break down boundaries in art and music, and find a way to mix the political with the popular at the same time. Titles include a fantastic version of Gal Costa and Caetano Veloso singing "Baby", the "Tres Caravelas" duet between Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, Gil's great reading of "Bat Macumba" with Costa and Veloso, Nara Leao singing "Lindoneia", Os Mutantes performing "Panis Et Circenses", Gilberto on "Geleia Geral, Caetano doing "Coracao Materno, and Rita Lee, Gal Costa, and Caetano Veloso singing "Enquanto Seu Lobo Nao Vem". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare material from John Coltrane – tracks that were done for Bethlehem Records at a time when he was just rising up as a leader, and still contributed work as a sideman! The album features Trane playing tenor on only four of the album's eight tracks – making it kind of surprising that they used his name in the title – but the album is a lesser-known batch of large group recordings that offer an interesting early chapter in his career! The main force behind the album is arranger Harry Tubbs – possibly not a name that's as sexy as John Coltrane, hence the billing – but a worthy leader for the date, given the quality of the music. Many of the other players here are small combo heroes who can also shine brightly in bigger groups – such as Donald Byrd and Art Farmer on trumpets, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Al Cohn on baritone sax, Eddie Costa on piano and vibes, and Oscar Pettiford on bass – plus Rolf Kuhn, making an early American appearance on clarinet. Coltrane gets in some nice, but short moments on the date – but the bigger charm is the full ensemble work – on titles that include "She Didn't Say Yes", "Turtle Walk", "At Home With The Blues", "Seabreeze", and "Love & The Weather". LP, Vinyl record album

Essential early material by Gal Costa! The record is her first after the immediate Tropicalia years, and it's a stunning blend of styles that seems to draw heavily from changes going on in the American rock scene at the time. The core of the music is still steeped in Brazilian elements – but there's a lot of influences coming into play on the album, like bluesy rock phrasing, showy nostalgia-heavy arrangements, psychedelic production elements, and some of the baroque orchestrations that would show up on Gal's later albums in the 70s. Includes a wonderful version of Caetano's "London London" and "Dixa Sangrar", the moody bossa "Falsa Baiana", Gilberto Gil's "Lingua Do P" and "Mini Misterio", and the tracks "The Archaic Lonely Star Blues", "Love, Try, & Die", and "Hotel Das Estrelas". Great cover, too! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most mindblowing albums ever recorded – anywhere, anytime! This 1969 set stands as one of the greatest records ever cut by Gal Costa – done at the height of the Tropicalia movement, and featuring a sublime mix of styles that really gets the spirit of the movement right. Arrangements are by the legendary Rogerio Duprat – who effortlessly shifts the backings between stark electronics, sweet bossa, gliding strings, jazzy piano, and baroque orchestrations that dance around with a surprising amount of grooves! Tunes include some classics by Caetano Veloso, Jorge Ben, and Gilberto Gil – served up in amazing new versions by Gal and Duprat! Titles include "Nao Identificado", "Lost in the Paradise", "Que Pena", "Sebastiana", "Namorinho De Portao", "Divino Maravilhoso", and "Deus E O Amor". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the building blocks of the late 60s Tropicalia scene in Brazil – and a standout solo debut from the young Caetano Veloso! The album's got an approach that's as dynamic and trippy as its cover image might imply – the same amazing blend of sounds and styles you'd hear on contemporaneous records by Gal Costa or Os Mutantes – served up with similar wit, wisdom, and charm! Caetano's vocals are amazing throughout – filled with raspy power that goes beyond the barriers of language – and the production has loads of surprising elements tripping through the mix – some rootsy, some slightly orchestrated – but with a softer approach that resonates strongly with more psychedelic use of organ and guitar. The album's as powerful today as it was decades ago – an essential recording that holds up beautifully year after year! The kickoff track is "Tropicalia" (surprisingly enough!), and the album is a non-stop ride through gems like "Alegria, Alegria", "Onde Andaras", "Paisagem Util", "Ave Maria", and the groovy "Soy Loco Por Ti America", written by Gilberto Gil. LP, Vinyl record album