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". CD

Gal Costa gets some great help here from Celso Fonseca – who produced the album, and gives Costa a fresh sound that makes the album one of her best from the 90s! The music's a bit in Fonseca's own mode on his recordings – currents of bossa that bring a classic feel at times, but also modernized a bit in the arrangements, and creative use of contemporary instrumentation – at levels that keep the whole thing from just being a back-to-bossa session! Gal's voice is wonderful – able to turn a line with such subtle power, she grabs us even when we can't understand the lyrics – and the instrumentation is right in there to underscore all the best elements, with the right touches on piano or guitar. Titles include "A Voz Do Tambor", "Imunizacao Racional", "Qui Nem Gilo", "Sertao", "Calling You", "Habib", and "Aguarte Agora". CD

Gal Costa sings the music of Dorival Caymmi, but does so at a level that's completely different than his classics – often adding in currents of funk, jazz, and samba soul – sometimes with help from Joao Donato, who also plays keyboards on the set! The record's a perfect blend of modes – as Gal's got that later sweet style in her vocals, but never in a way that's too smooth or commercial – and she really grabs us with the approach she brings to these tunes! Instrumentation is great, too – and also features guitar from Roberto Menescal, more keyboards from Antonio Adolfo, and organ from Ze Roberto – all artists whose hip touches help the whole thing sparkle in a blend of soul and sophistication. Titles include "Rainha Do Mar", "Festa Da Rua", "Sao Salvador", "Vatapa", "Nem Eu", "O Vento", and "Pescaria". CD

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A slightly traditional set from Brazilian vocalist Gal Costa – but a great one too, and record that demonstrates a new sense of poise and grace in her vocals in recent years! The material here is mostly bossa – work that pre-dates Gal's initial time on record, but which is delivered here with a sensitivity that's wonderful – never too "easy", despite the familiarity of the tunes, and handled with just that right sense of contemplation and expression with which Jobim and others first penned the tunes. Backing is small combo jazz by a quartet with flute, guitar, bass, and drums – and although live, the sound is nicely close up and intimate – really fitting the mood of the songs. Titles include "Fotografia", "Nada Alem", "Corcovado", "Garota De Ipanema", "Wave", "Samba Do Aviao", "A Felicidade", "Triste", and "Ave Maria No Morro". CD

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Gal's always been one of Brazil's greatest artists – whether she was singing strange raw tunes during her Tropicalia period, or moving into nice jazzy material during her later years. This set's a good introduction to her work, and it includes a lot of nice tracks that we don't always turn up on vinyl anymore. The range of the material stretches from 1970 to 1983, and there's a total of 14 cuts in the set. Titles include "London London", "Azul", "Olhes Verdes", "Dom De Iludir", "Canta Brasil", "Meu Bem, Meu Mal", "Baby", "O Amor", "Olha", "Estrada Do Sol", and "Festa Do Interior". CD

2 CD set with a motherlode of great tracks by Gal Costa from the late 60s and early 70s! 28 cuts in all, including "Bom Dia", "London, London", "Assum Preto", "Antonico", "Volta", "Meu Nome E Gal", "Que Pena", "Sebastiana", "Candeias", and "Tuareg". Very cool stuff, with a mix of bossa grooves, weird guitars, wild electronics, and lots of pretty singing by Gal. We've got some of these cuts on other CDs – but most of the rest are currently out of print in any format, and at this price, the CDs a great way to track some of them down! 28 tracks in all – you can't beat that! CD

Massively heavy sounds from A Bolha – a Brazilian group who were previously known as The Bubbles, and backed up Gal Costa during the Tropicalia years – but who work here in a fuzzy, bassy groove that's totally great – definitely an heir to the headier sounds of the UK scene at the start of the 70s! The guitars are definitely in full force here, but the basslines drive things along strongly too – echoing some of the Peruvian sounds of the time, but with a bit more Brazilian sophistication – and definitely a musical echo of lessons learned during Tropicalia, even though the set's a fully instrumental one. Organ also figures in the mix too – and titles include "Bye My Friend", "Razao De Existir", "Um Passo A Frente", "A Esfera", and "Neste Rock Forever". CD is beautifully done – with full notes in the great Lion tradition – and bonus tracks that include "Sem Nada" and "18.30 Parte 1". CD

A great document of the way that Jane Birkin really flourished in the second half of her musical career, especially in the years after the passing of Serge Gainsbourg – a time when Birkin was emerging to be one of the real giants of French music on her own, as testified to in the power of this series of live performances! The Jane Birkin here is very different than the breathy voice next to Serge on her early recordings – and instead, she commands the stage with the presence of singers like Maria Bethania or Gal Costa – maybe no surprise, as the very generous presentation of these performances will attest. The box brings together live sets from 1987 up to 2023 – albums that include Au Bataclan, Au Casino De Paris, A L'Olympia, En Concert Au Japon, Arabesque, Au Palace, Sings Serge Gainsbourg Via Japan, Le Symphonique Live, and Oh Pardon Tu Dormais. CD

Beautiful live material by Chico – and the best record he's made in years! The set has a similar feel to the recent Gal Costa live set on BMG – with 2 discs worth of material, recorded with backing by a great little combo in an intimate live setting. Chico's voice is incredibly warm, and he accompanies himself on acoustic guitar throughout most of the album. It's fantastic stuff all the way through – and a real tribute to the stamina of Chico's power as an artist. Titles include "Paratodos", "Amor Barato", "Sem Voce", "Cecilia", "Aquela Mulher", "Injuriado", "As Vitrines", "Vai Passar", "Joao E Maria", and "Capitol Do Samba". CD

The classic recording of Chico Buarque's opera Malandro – done with the supervision of Chico himself, who also stars on vocals along with singers that include Gal Costa, Zizi Possi, MPB4, Nara Leao, Alcione, Moreira Da Silva, and Francis Hime. Hime handled the arrangements and directed the music – and titles include "O Malandro", "Viver De Amor", "Hino De Duran", "Terezinha", "O Meu Amor", "Pedaco De Mim", and "Opera". CD

A beautifully groovy album from Celia Reis – maybe the hippest set ever from this Brazilian singer who was equally at home in samba and bossa modes! Production and arrangements are by Arthur Verocai – which will give you an idea of the creativity that went into the record – as Verocai creates all these ambitious grooves that are very much in the best territory of some of the funky Marcos Valle work at the start of the 70s – basslines dipping under strings, all topped with Celia's wonderful vocals – which have a power here that we've never heard on other records – almost a Gal Costa sort of touch! Tracks include tunes by Valle, Verocai, and others – and titles include "Em Familia", "Mia", "Vida De Artista", "Dominus Tecum", "Ay Adelita", "Toda Quarta Feira Depois Do Amor", "A Hora E Essa", "E Preciso Dizer ADeus", and "Badalacao". 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

Not the same Maria Rita that rose to international fame in the past decade or so – but an earlier, much more obscure singer with a nicely rootsy vibe – one whose presence in the Brazilian music scene is maybe more welcome to our ears than her famous later namesake! The album came out at the end of the 80s, but has a sound that feels more like the experimental generation of MPB in the 70s – some moments that have the brashness of Gal Costa around her India album, other moments of gentleness that recall the sensitive soul of Joyce, and maybe a few slight touches of the deeper drama of Maria Bethania – and yet, like all of those artists, this Maria Rita is very much her own person – as can easily be heard by the lack of pop production or commercial efforts on this very unique album. Titles include "Cantico Brasileiro No 1", "Cancao Da Gaora", "Lamento Africano/Rictus", "A Cidade", "Melodia De Veludo", and "Trilhas". CD

An amazing introduction to one of the most significant cultural movements in the latter half of the 20th Century – the groundbreaking years of Tropicalia in late 60s Brazil! The music and legacy of Tropicalia are referenced often, but hardly ever presented this well – and this package is everything we could have hoped for as an introduction to the movement – filled not just with great music, but also an overwhelming amount of notes that trace the history of Brazilian music and art through their changes in relation to Tropicalia! In fact, the notes are almost worth the price of the compilation alone – very densely written over 48 pages in the CD booklet, with more information in one place than we've ever seen before. But as you might imagine, it's the music that really makes the set special – and Soul Jazz have done an excellent job of pulling together key late 60s works from the most important musicians associated with Tropicalia – an great starting point for the movement that's filled with most essential tracks! Titles include "Bat Macumba" by Gilberto Gil, "Tuareg" and "Sebastiana" by Gal Costa, "A Minha Menina" and "Panis Et Circenses" by Os Mutantes, "Alfo Mega" and "Tropicalia" by Caetano Veloso, "Gloria" and "Jimmy Renda-Se" by Tom Ze, "Procissao" by Gilberto Gil, "Ave Genghis Khan" by Os Mutantes, "Take It Easy My Brother Charles" by Jorge Ben, "Quero Sambal Meu Bem" by Tom Ze, "Lost In The Paradise" by Caetano Veloso, "Bat Macumba" by Os Mutantes, "Domingo No Parque" by Gilberto Gil & Os Mutantes, and "Irene" by Caetano Veloso. CD

Music from Tom Jobim, Gal Costa, Elis & Tom, Nana Caymmi, Miucha, Nara Leao, Arto Lindsay, Maria Luiza Jobim, Caetano Veloso, and more. CD

Music from Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gal Costa, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud Gilberto & Antonio Carlos Jobim, Toots Thielemans & Elis Regina, Djavan, Antonio Carlos Jobim & Nova Banda, Nova Banda, Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso, Quarteto Jobim-Morelenbaum, and more. CD

An overlooked gem from Joyce – an album that features a fair bit of help from famous friends! The set was recorded at a time when her star had faded a bit on the Brazilian market, but before she was yet to be rediscovered and re-recorded by labels in England and Japan – and despite the presence of some celebrity guest stars, the approach is often a bit mellow, in a way that makes for a very personal sort of sound. Roberto Menescal co-produced the set, and he brings a warm, acoustic feel to most numbers – kind of a gentle setting that lets Joyce relax into duets with artists who include Gal Costa, Emilio Santiago, Sandra Sa, Fatima Guedes, Ney Matogrosso, Clara Moreno, and Gilberto Gil. The sound is never too smooth or commercial – as in some other Joyce sets from the period – and titles include "Outras Mulheres", "Aleida De Ogum", "Misterios", "Da Cor Brasileira", "Stone Washed", "Essa Mulher", and "Minha Gata Rita Lee". CD

Pure genius – a lost Nara Leao album from the late 60s, and a key piece in the puzzle of late 60s Tropicalia – a set we'd place right next to equally important records by Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, and Os Mutantes! Although Leao always gets cited as one of the more revolutionary Brazilian artists, her best work is usually incredibly elusive – often obscured by some of her more traditional, or more bossa-oriented records. This one features the lady at her most experimental – singing in this dark mode with great arrangements from Rogerio Duprat – the backstage architect of so many other important Tropicalia albums of the time. The arrangements are wonderful – with a spooky baroque quality that will haunt you long after the Mutantes crazy guitars have died down – the more subtle side of the Brazilian palette during this revolutionary period, and work that arguably had a much longer-lasting effect. Titles include "Mulher", "Infelizmente", "Tema De Os Inconfidentes", "Anoiteceus", and "Quem E". CD

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. CD

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. CD

Gilberto Gil's working here not as the main artist, but as the songwriter – the very special talent around which this excellent set of recordings is based! The package is one of our favorite in the Lumiar Songbooks series – and, like the rest, it showcases the tremendous compositional abilities of Gil – songs that have touched the Brazilian scene from the late 60s onward – presented here in a number of new recordings by some of his key contemporaries, and younger generations too! This first volume features 13 titles in all – with tracks that include "Aquela Abraco" by Tim Maia, "Amor Ate O Fim" by Emilio Santiago, "A Linha E O Linho" by Gal Costa, "Mar De Copacabana" by Leny Andrade, "Preciso Aprender A So Ser" by Fafa De Belem & Wagner Tiso, "Ensai Geral" by Chico Buarque, and "Pai E Mae" by Ney Matogrosso. CD

With a great lineup of guest artists including Joe Henderson, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Gal Costa, and Shirley Horn! CD

Wonderful early work from Maria Bethania – an album that's put together with a very sophisticated sound, and a really powerful feel overall! The orchestrations are relatively baroque – sometimes using strings in odd ways, other times bringing in bits of voices – all very much in keeping with the genius that was brewing at the time in albums by Gal Costa or Nara Leao. And oddly, the backings for the album are not credited at all – save possibly to Manoel Barenbein, who's listed as the director of the production – and we're guessing that Maria had a good deal to do with the overall sound of the set, not just the vocals! Titles include a wonderful groover called "Mano Caetano", done as a duet with Jorge Ben, and very much in Ben's best style from the time – and other tracks include "Janelas Abertas No 2", "Jesus Cristo", "Que Me Dera", "Folha Morta", "Mariana, Mariana", and "A Tua Presenca Morena". CD

14 classics from the Caymmi songbook – sung by himself, and artists who include Gal Costa, Nana Caymmi, Sylvia Telles, Os Cariocas, MPB4, and Elis Regina! CD

A pretty nice little record from Jobim – one that builds on the larger orchestrations he was crafting during the 70s, working into a sound that's rich, warm, and a strong accompaniment for this film that starred Marcello Mastroianni. Oscar Castro Neves conducts the orchestra, and Jobim and Gal Costa sing on a few songs – dueting in an especially lovely way on the tracks "Tying The Knot", "Love Theme From Gabriela", and "Love Theme – Long Version". Other titles include "Arrival Of The Wanderers", "Thinking Of Life", "Playing Leapfrog", and "Walking Through The Forest". CD

Music from Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Jorge Ben Jor, Tim Maia, Sandra De Sa, Djavan, Chico Buarque, Titas, Marina, and more . CD

If you dig Latin Soul, you can't get better than this – a chock-a-block set filled with classic groovers from the 60s! The set's one of the finest in Harmless Records' exploration of the classic sounds of the New York underground, and it's stuffed with goodies that define the unique crossover Latin and Soul styles of Spanish Harlem in the 60s. Every cut's a winner, and the CD's an instant groove party from the very first note. How could it not be? With cuts like "Subway Joe" by Joe Bataan, "The Fuzz" by Dianne & Carole & The Latin Whatchamacalits, "Mercy Mercy Baby" by Ray Barretto, "Hey Sister" by Monguito Santamaria, "Arrecotin Arrecotan" by Cortijo & Ismael Rivera, "Pete's Boogaloo" by Pete Rodriguez, "Cab Driver" by Charlie Palmieri, "Take A Trip" by The Latin Blues Band, "Jive Samba" by Jack Costanzo & Gerrie Woo, "Out Of My Mind" by Orlando Marin, and "Descarga Boogaloo" by Tico All Stars. CD

Some of the most striking Eric Dolphy work we've ever heard – a set of live performances from the years 1962 and 1963 that feature Dolphy in a free-thinking mode that surpasses even the modernism of his classic studio sides! The recordings feature Dolphy amidst a variety of players – including a number of unlikely suspects like Barry Galbraith, Eddie Costa, and Jim Hall – and although some of the tracks have a moody and introspective third stream quality (3 of the numbers are written by Gunther Schuller), others are quite open, and almost have an ESP-like intensity. One longer title is a jam session take on Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee" – recorded with a lineup that includes Phil Woods, Nick Travis, Benny Golson, Don Ellis, and Lalo Schifrin! Other titles include "Iron Man", "Half Note Triplets", "Densities", and "Night Music". CD

A heavy dose of funky jazz – and one that goes way past the obvious too – to include some real gems from the 70s that even we'd passed up! The package is filled with stellar jazz from the Fantasy Records family – Prestige, Pablo, Galaxy and Fantasy proper – choice numbers by The Blackbyrds, Stanley Cowell, Charles Earland, Patrice Rushen and others – funky jazz, soul, boogie and Brazil-flavored numbers from the top shelf of the diverse period! It's a tight, well chosen compilation with numbers you simply could not overlook in putting a set like this together – productions by the Mizells, Donald Byrd, Earland and others – but there's a few of leftfield choices, too. Simply a great little snapshot of the funky jazz and soul period and the family of labels that generated so much of the most creative music to come from it! 14 tracks and nearly 80 minutes of grooves: Includes "Happy Music" by Blackbyrds, "Close To You" by Marlon McClain, "Let Me Love You (Let Me Be Me)" by Stanley Cowell, "Taj Mahal" by Paulinho Da Costa, "Nov Ano" by Azar Lawrence, "Moon Dreams" by Flora Purim, "Montevideo" by Opa, "Glide" by Pleasure, "Shout It Out" by Patrice Rushen, "If Only I Could Prove To You" by The 3 Pieces and more. CD

Features Antonio Adolfo on piano, Lula Galvao on guitar, Jesse Sadoc on trumpet and flugelhorn, Marcelo Martins on saxes and flute, Rafael Rocha on trombone, and Dada Costa and Rafael Barata on percusssion. CD

Bob James on keyboards and synthesizer, David Sanborn on saxophone, Paul Milton Jackson Jr and Eric Gale on guitar, Marcus Miller on bass, Steve Gadd on drums, and Paulinho Da Costa on percussion. CD

Wonderful work by Oscar Pettiford! Manhattan Jazz Septette is a nice mid 50s effort from– with a sound that ranges from an easy-going, lightly swinging style to full on, dexterous workouts! The arrangements by Manny Alban really allows for a lot of tight grooving from a stellar group – including Herbie Mann on flute and tenor, Barry Galbraith on guitar, Osie Johnson on drums, Urbie Green on trombone, Hal McKusick on alto, and Eddie Costa on piano and vibes! Titles include "King Porter Stomp", "Never Never Land", "Like Listen", "Rapid Transit", the great Herbie Mann showcase "Flute Cocktail", My Shining Hour" and more. CD

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