A very cool Japanese version of this mighty groover from the great Nico Gomez! Nico's known for his harder pounding tracks that have become favorites with the funky crowd, but this stellar album shows that Nico could also work in jazzier territory when he wanted to – as the album's a wonderful batch of tunes that mix together Latin, groovy, and bossa styles! There's some very nice wordless female vocals on a few cuts, scatting along with a warm breezy feel – and other tracks feature vibes, or guitar, sax, and other strong instrumental elements – with more than enough punch to be funky at a few points. The whole thing's as groovy as groovy can be – with a sound that's past bossa, and way more than any fake easy instrumental attempt at the genre – a real peep into the mad mind of Nico Gomez, and proof that his albums are always worth tracking down! Titles include "Din Din Din", "Aquarela", "Samba De Rio", "Saudade Do Rio", "Agua", "Rio", and "O Barquinho". CD

A very cool Japanese version of this mighty groover from the great Nico Gomez! Nico's known for his harder pounding tracks that have become favorites with the funky crowd, but this stellar album shows that Nico could also work in jazzier territory when he wanted to – as the album's a wonderful batch of tunes that mix together Latin, groovy, and bossa styles! There's some very nice wordless female vocals on a few cuts, scatting along with a warm breezy feel – and other tracks feature vibes, or guitar, sax, and other strong instrumental elements – with more than enough punch to be funky at a few points. The whole thing's as groovy as groovy can be – with a sound that's past bossa, and way more than any fake easy instrumental attempt at the genre – a real peep into the mad mind of Nico Gomez, and proof that his albums are always worth tracking down! Titles include "Din Din Din", "Aquarela", "Samba De Rio", "Saudade Do Rio", "Agua", "Rio", and "O Barquinho". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent funky jazz from Czechoslovakia – served up in a blistering mix of big band arrangements and electric rock elements! The group's a jazz-rock orchestra – with a hard wailing instrumental sound that's sort of like the Clarke Boland Big Band, mixed with fuzzed-out guitars – a really great blend that's in the territory of some of the best MPS work of this type from the time! There's a bit of a progressive vibe to the record, but never in a way that has the solos getting too overindulgent – and throughout, the group keeps things going with very strong jazz elements in the music. Titles include the 14 minute groover "Nova Synteza", which has a tasty drum breakdown – plus "Popinavy Brectan", "Ma Hra", and "Smer Jihovychod". CD features 6 bonus tracks – including "Blue Taxi", "Living Things", and "I Got My Mojo Working". CD

One of the most unique albums from Ramsey Lewis' early years at Chess Records – a spare set of bossa groovers that has the Lewis trio with Eldee Young and Redd Holt augmented by added Brazilian percussion and guitar! The sound is spare, sharp, and soulful – and the record's one of the first small combo bossa dates like this in the US – a 1962 effort that even predates most of Verve's better known bossa jazz albums of the 60s, and which matches their groovy energy wonderfully. The record's quite an unusual one for Lewis, and it's further proof that the trio with Young and Holt was an incredibly dynamic outfit! Two tracks on the album – "A Noite Do Meu Bem" and "Cara De Palhacao" – feature vocals, by Carmen Costa and Josef Paulo, respectively – and other tracks are all instrumental, and include "Samba De Orpheus", "O Pato", "Roda Moinho", "Roda Moinho", and "Cancao Para Geralda". CD

Great small combo bossa on the groovy Farroupilha label – three tracks each by four different artists! LP, Vinyl record album

Sergio Mendes is definitely a swinger – especially on this jazz-based session that was recorded before his famous work with Brasil 66! This album was recorded in New York, at a time when Mendes was one of the hottest things brewing in the bossa scene in Brazil – and apart from the great Antonio Carlos Jobim on guitar, many of the other players are American jazz musicians – including Art Farmer on flugelhorn, Phil Woods on alto sax, and Hubert Laws on flute – all adding in some nice jazzy elements to the tunes! The music is all instrumental, and a great mix of jazz and bossa that really lets you hear the young Sergio's skills on piano. Titles include "Maria Moita", "Sambinha Bossa Nova", "The Dreamer", "Primavera", "Favela", and "Pau Brazil". CD

... Cassette

... LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly groovy record! Although bossa nova isn't normally Tito's bag, he does a great job here moving into the format – picking up the pace of his usual group with some snapping beats that create a bit of a bossa flourish, even though the overall sound's still firmly in the New York groove of some of his other albums. The approach makes for a nice sound – almost a meeting of the minds at the Palladium, handled with lots of jazzy touches, thanks to the heavy use of vibes on the session! Titles include "O Pato", "Payaso", "Bossa Nova A La Puente", "Braziliandia", and "Loco Bossa Nova", a hard groover with more of an Afro-Cuban feel! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album from Lalo Schfrin! This one mixes together bossa piano and sweeping string arrangements – in a style that's incredibly dark-edged and driving, with a sound that's at once spooky and lovely – a dancing groove that makes the best tracks really sparkle! The album's light years away from other "piano with strings" albums of the time – proof that Schifrin was easily one of the most imaginative forces of his generation, and an arranger who really helped reshape music in the 60s. Titles include the incredible version of "Maria" that's played quite often by Gilles Peterson – plus loads of other nice ones, like "The Wave", "Insensatez", "You And Me", "Murmurio", "Rapaz De Bem", "Rio After Dark", and "Time For Love". CD

Bossa jazz from 60s Japan – a set recorded right around the same time that Verve first started hitting bossa grooves in the US! The sound here is sharper than a Verve bossa album, though – with some of the same hardbop inflections you'd hear on other Hideo Shiraki albums from the time – thanks to flute and tenor from Sleepy Matsumoto, and trumpet from Hisaya Omata. The tenor and trumpet come together with almost a Blue Note-styled sort of sound – but the bossa vibe is still nicely maintained in some of the looser percussion touches in the rhythms – a great blend that makes the album a real standout in the Japanese jazz scene of the 60s! Titles include "Sayonara Blues", "Gypsy Blue", "Deux Step", "Groovy Samba", "Orfeo Negro", and "Tico Tico". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

The first album by Marcos Valle after years and years away from the studio – a set that really reintroduced his talents to a whole new generation! The set was recorded for the Far Out label in London – a then-new imprint who were doing a great job to bring back a Brazilian groove that had been lost since the 70s – and Valle was one of a few key artists they had a big hand in reviving! The record's got a great modern bossa nova feel, with a good electric sound, and lots of nice moody grooves on piano and guitar, plus nice vocals by Marcos himself – sounding a bit older than on his 80s soul records, but in a way that really makes the album crackle with charm! Titles include "Novo Visual", "Nordeste", "Bar Ingles", "Bahia Blue", "Cidade Aberto", and a remake of "Vontage De Rever Voce". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Sadao Watanbe's excellent late 60s bossa albums – beautifully rich, but mellow readings of bossa nova numbers – in a way that takes music that had already been introduced to Japan a few years earlier, and gives it even wider exposure with Sadao's wonderfully soulful, jazz-based approach! Sadao plays both flute and alto sax – and backing is from a small combo that mixes in Brazilian-styled guitar and percussion next to the piano from Masabumi Kikuchi and drums from Masahiko Togashi – who you'll know from other Japanese jazz of the time! Watanabe's reeds have a raspy, off-kilter quality that's almost more human than many Brazilian jazz efforts of the time – and titles include "O Grande Amor", "Felicidade", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Agua De Beber", "White Wave", "From Russia With Love" and "So Danca Samba". CD

... CD

New recordings of bossa classics – done in a sparkling modern style, but still with a relatively classic groove. Roberto Menescal arranged most of the tracks, and also plays guitar on many numbers – and performers include Marcos Valle, Claudette Soares, Leny Andrade, Cladia Telles, Tito Madi, Os Cariocas, and Carlos Lyra. Includes "Samba De Aviao", "Pode Ir", "Samba De Verao", "Nos E O Mar", "O Barquihno", "Chega De Saudade", and "Lobo Bobo". Nice stuff, and kind of in the Lumiar vein. CD

The legendary 1962 Bossa Nova concert at Carnegie Hall – and one of the first live recordings of the young bossa nova in all its glory! The concert is famous not only because it was a bit of a disaster (according to legend, just about nobody got paid!), but also because it brought together a huge amount of Brazilian talent on one stage, and premiered their music to a rabid US audience – very fresh at the time, as the big Verve boom of bossa recordings hadn't even started to take hold! The recording has a stunning live feel, and it preserves all the acoustics of Carnegie Hall, complete with lively crowd response. Oscar Castro Neves backs up most of the singers – including Sergio Ricardo, Carmen Costa, Carlos Lyra, Ana Lucia, and Chico Feitoso – and the LP has other instrumental performances by Joao Gilberto, Milton Banana, Roberto Menescal, Luiz Bonfa, and Sergio Mendes – all young bossa giants, really opening up here with their talents! The set features 15 tracks in all – and titles include "O Barquinho", "Influencia Do Jazz", "Outra Vez", "Zelao", "Nao Faz Assim", "Bossa Nova Em Nova York", and "Passarinho". LP, Vinyl record album

A deep deep dig into the vaults of King/Federal Records – initial home to James Brown and a host of other R&B acts in the 50s – lots of whom are featured here! The collection includes many tracks never reissued before – all hand-picked by vintage 45 expert Mr Fine Wine, and laid out at a level that's both fresher than most King Records collections – and most of the 50s R&B sets we know as well! Fine Wine comes at the project almost with a "roots of funk" approach – which means that there's loads of unusual rhythms, weird cultural hybrids, and raw pre-soul vocals over the top – a killer range of cuts that include "Space Guitar" by Young John Watson, "Bossa Nova & Grits" by Little Joe Washington, "The Way You Do" by Jimmy Nolen, "Good Mambo Tonight" by Wynonie Harris, "Somewhere Down The Line" by Little Jimmy Scott, "You Can't Hide" by Lula Reed & Freddie King, "Back On The Block" by Sam Anderson & The Telstars, "Same Old Thing" by Amos Milburn, "You're Lower Than A Mole" by Camille Howard, "Be Bop Wino" by The Lamplighters, "Cherry Wine" by Little Esther, and "Stop Knockin" by Juanita Nixon. CD

The early years of Quincy Jones, summed up in all their greatness – material from a time years before Quincy became a superstar in the world of soundtracks and soul, yet was already breaking new ground in the field of large ensemble jazz! Q had a special spark, right from the start – and you'll definitely hear that here, in a succession of albums and bonus material that highlight his uniquely swinging, soulful sense of arrangement – and his great ear for individual musicians, at a level that makes the groups here really work as all-star lineups, filled with musicians who often recorded as leaders on their own, but came together in tight formation under Jones' leadership. The set features a few bonus tracks recorded in Sweden in the late 50s – plus the full albums Birth Of A Band, Go West Man, This Is How I Feel About Jazz, Great Wide World Of Quincy Jones, I Dig Dancers, Around The World, Quintessence, and Big Band Bossa Nova – all served up in a big box with 78 tracks in all – and full notes in French and English! CD

A sublime little set all the way through – an early 60s date from the west coast scene – and one that was almost as important to that side of the country as the Verve bossa records were to New York! Bud Shank's in the lead on alto sax – no flute at all this time around – blowing sharp and soulfully, in a way that's even more deft than most of his other albums! But the equal star here is the young Clare Fischer – who plays piano in the group, and also contributed a host of original tunes to the set – fresh numbers that are way different than the usual "bossa-ized" standards, or American remakes of Brazilian classics. Ralph Pena is a key member of the group on bass – and Larry Bunker plays some vibes as well. Titles include "Joao", "Pensativa", "Samba Guapo", "Samba Da Borboleta", and "Que Mais?". CD

A pivotal record for Wayne Shorter – as the set opens up with a hint of the direction he'd take in the 70s, especially some of the music he'd create with Weather Report! The album's not a straight fusion outing, though, and it does have a fuller group than a fusion combo – yet there is an electric current as well, as the group features striking guitar work from both John McLaughlin and Sonny Sharrock, plus some classical guitar from Walter Booker, bass from Miroslav Vitous, and drums from Jack DeJohnette – all of whom should give you an idea of the album's vibe. Airto plays percussion, and Maria Booker sings vocals on a rendition of "Dindi" – and this complicated larger group gives Shorter a quite different sound than some of his earlier Blue Note quartet and quintet sides. The session's got a great spiritual soul jazz undercurrent – pointing the way towards aspects of jazz in the 70s – and titles include "Super Nova", "Swee Pea", "Water Babies", and "Capricorn". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from tenorist Grant Stewart – thanks to a rock-solid rhythm section that features Peter Washington on bass and Lewis Nash on drums! The album's got a bit of the bossa you might expect from the title, but certainly a harder groove at times too – much more in the soulfully bold style of expression that we might expect from Washington and Nash – rhythmically complicated, with a fluid style that really seems to set fire to Stewart's stronger tenor lines. Other group members include Joe Cohn on guitar and Tardo Hammer on piano – the former of whom comes in a bit more strongly on the gentler tunes. All arrangements are by Grant, and titles include "Cheese Cake", "Plain Jane", "Little Melonae", "Alfred's Birthday", and "Recado Bossa Nova". CD

The first album by Marcos Valle after years and years away from the studio – a set that really reintroduced his talents to a whole new generation! The set was recorded for the Far Out label in London – a then-new imprint who were doing a great job to bring back a Brazilian groove that had been lost since the 70s – and Valle was one of a few key artists they had a big hand in reviving! The record's got a great modern bossa nova feel, with a good electric sound, and lots of nice moody grooves on piano and guitar, plus nice vocals by Marcos himself – sounding a bit older than on his 80s soul records, but in a way that really makes the album crackle with charm! Titles include "Novo Visual", "Nordeste", "Bar Ingles", "Bahia Blue", "Cidade Aberto", and a remake of "Vontage De Rever Voce". CD

One of the few albums ever cut by singer Vi Velasco – and a great vocal follow-up to the Zoot Sims bossa albums on Colpix! Zoot plays tenor on this record too – mixing his solos with Vi's vocals in a style that's like the interplay between Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto – with a similar blend of American jazz and Brazilian roots! Arrangements are by Al Cohn and Manny Albam – and the players also include Marky Markowitz on trumpet and Jim Hall on guitar – who brings in some nice Brazilian flavors on his instrument. Titles include "Recado", "Tu E Eu", "Sem Saudades De Voce", "Exactamente Como Tu", "Nao Branques Com O Amor", and "Tenho Ritmo" – many of which are bossa versions of familiar tunes. LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool album from Verve Japan – one that features tracks by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Gilberto, Walter Wanderley, and Gary McFarland – all as an introduction to 60s bossa nova! LP, Vinyl record album

Groovy, moddish, magnificent and sunny girl pop from The Land Of The Rising Sun – pummeling drums, jumping arrangements and groovy vocals from the mid-to-late 60s Japanese scene! This is fantastic stuff, any kitch or novelty appeal you might be expecting is kind of muted by the exceptional quality and excellent performances – but it is flat out fun! As the title states, strains of pop, beat & bossa – plus mod & psychedelic fuzz – and the vocals girl group vocals are bright, rocking, playful or sultry or innocent depending on the groove! 25 tracks in all: "Black Room by Jun Mayuzumi, Sharock No 1" by Mie Nakao, "Nagisa No Tenshi" by Mieko Hirota, "Hatsu Koi No Letter" by Miki Obata, "Bazazz Tengoku" by The Cupids, "Aeba Suki Suki" by Margaret With Bunnys, "Nukui Aitsu" by Mika Nohira, "Kiiro No Sekai" by J Girls and more. CD

Beautiful bossa grooves! The Trip To Brazil series has been one of our best-ever Brazilian compilation series – but so far, it's only been on CD – so the folks at Universal Music Germany have deigned to release this limited vinyl sampler, which contains some of the best tracks from volumes 1 and 2! If you know the CDs, you know that they're stellar sets of jazzy bossa and post-bossa grooves – and that the selection of material is fantastic, with little duplication from other compilations of this nature. This 2LP vinyl set features tracks that are some of the bigger dancefloor cuts, and it's great to have them on vinyl in such a handsome format. Tracks include "Tombo in 7/4" by Airto, "Nana" by Moacir Santos, "Zazueira" by Elis Regina, "Cravo E Canela" by MPB4, "Mas Que Nada" by Ithamara Koorax and Azymuth, "Fittipaldi Show" by Marcos Valle and Azymuth, "O Barquinho" by Tamba Trio, "Telefone" by Dom Um Romao, "Influencia Do Jazz" by Carlos Lyra, "Surfboard" by Deodato, "Upa Neguinho" by Edu Lobo, "Crickets Sing For Anamaria" by Marcos Valle, "Samba With Some BBQ" by Paul Desmond, and "Meu Boi Bumba" by Thiago De Mello & Amazon. Great stuff! LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just a gimmicky bossa nova session – and a surprisingly great showcase for the inventive rhythms of the Brubeck group, and the sensitive alto work of Paul Desmond! The record's got a really different feel than some of Dave's other work for Columbia – in that the modernism is put slightly on the back burner – letting drummer Joe Morello snap out with some lightly gliding percussion that's a bit more straight ahead than usual, and which offers a unique take on the bossa groove. Paul Desmond's the real star of the set, though – and his alto steps out here with the best gentle presence of his later work for RCA and A&M – beautifully blown throughout, and with a tone that most other players would die for! Titles include "Bossa Nova USA", "Coracao Sensivel", "Theme For June", "Lamento", and "Cantiga Nova Swing". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Kind of a painful movie, but a pretty sweet soundtrack! The set features a number of new works produced by Deodato, very much in the spirit of his Inutil Paisagem 60s bossa recordings – with wonderfully complex airy melodies, and a touch so light you can't believe there's actually a conscious act behind the music. The new titles feature vocals by Barbara Mendes and Carol Rogers – and include "Samba De Uma Nota So", "Mary Ann's Theme", "Suddenly", "Soul Mates", "Amor Em Paz", and "Juan's Theme". Most of the rest of the CD features older work from Jobim's years at Verve and CTI – including the tracks "Wave", "Aguas De Marco", "Chega De Saudade", and "Inutil Paisagem". Also features a semi-painful duet between Jobim and Sting – ouch! CD

... CD

An overlooked gem from the Verve bossa years – a session that features the sweet tenor sax work of Stan Getz, alongside some swinging bossa arrangements from the great Gary McFarland! Given the strength of Gary's own work for Verve at the time, it's no surprise that he's a perfect accompanist for Getz on the session – working with just the right amount of space to let Stan stand out from the pack, and really creating a great blend of Brazilian rhythms and some of the modder 60s styles at Verve. Gary contributed a number of originals to the session too – and the three titles are "Manlancolico", "Balanco No Samba", and "Manha De Carnival". 7-inch, Vinyl record

A pretty darn great set that captures bits from all of Stan Getz's bossa nova recordings for Verve! The set's got a whopping 5LPs, and it features Getz working with the likes of Joao Gilberto, Luiz Bonfa, Charlie Byrd, Gary McFarland, Laurindo Almeida, Astrud Gilberto, and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Includes some unreleased versions of bossa tunes, plus a huge amount of other great stuff – like "Ebony Samba", "Baia", "Samba Triste", "O Pato", "Samba Dees Days", "Sambalero", "Eu E Voce", "Winter Moon", "Menina Moca", "Vivo Sonhando", and "Para Machuchar Meu Coracoa". Easy to find on CD – but darn tough to find on vinyl! LP, Vinyl record album

Perhaps THE greatest Quincy Jones album of the 60s – a hard-swinging batch of big band bossa tunes – and one of the greatest American takes on the bossa sound ever! Quincy really brings a lot of soul to the set – syncopating the bottom end of the tunes to really bring out the rhythms, and working with a jazzy flourish of horns that creates all these quick and clever little turns in the tunes! The sound's been heard most famously on the incredible track "Soul Bossa Nova" – an original by Quincy for the set, which has gone onto much greater fame through its use in the film Austin Powers, and a bazillion TV commercials! But the whole album's great too – and other tracks include "Serenata", "Lalo Bossa Nova", "Boogie Bossa Nova", and "Chega De Saudade". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime little set all the way through – an early 60s date from the west coast scene – and one that was almost as important to that side of the country as the Verve bossa records were to New York! Bud Shank's in the lead on alto sax – no flute at all this time around – blowing sharp and soulfully, in a way that's even more deft than most of his other albums! But the equal star here is the young Clare Fischer – who plays piano in the group, and also contributed a host of original tunes to the set – fresh numbers that are way different than the usual "bossa-ized" standards, or American remakes of Brazilian classics. Ralph Pena is a key member of the group on bass – and Larry Bunker plays some vibes as well. Titles include "Joao", "Pensativa", "Samba Guapo", "Samba Da Borboleta", and "Que Mais?". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A killer collection of rare bossa nova from the 60s – all put together by Nicola Conte, whose work on the Schema label has done a lot to continue the tradition of the classics! Here, though, Nicola's set loose on the RGE label, and other indies from 60s Brazil – super-rare records that almost never made it to our neck of the woods back in the day, and which always had a super-sharp sound that was even harder and groovier than American work on labels like Verve and Capitol! The cuts here are all wonderful – many of them new to our ears, and filled with great vocals, driving percussion, and plenty of jazzy touches. Titles include "Fora De Hora" by Dalmo Castello, "Voce Que Nao Vem" by O Triangulo, "Sem Fim" by Marisa Baroso, "Chegar De Brigar" by Henrique Benny, "Macumba" by Claudia, "Copa 70" Brasil 40 Graus, "Litoral" by Werther, "Tema Em Do" by Bossa Trio, "Canto Do Quilombo" by Luiz Carlos Sa, "Faz De Conta" by Aizita, "Tokyo Blues" by Octons, and "Samba De Negro" by Carlos Sodre. CD

One of the few albums by Jorge Ben that was issued in America – a mid-70s set that brings together some of the best work he recorded for Philips Records in Brazil in the late 60s and early 70s! The work here is the stuff of legend – sounds that effortlessly blend samba and soul, all without ever sounding forced – and with an undeniably infectious groove that comes through strongly in Jorge's fantastic presentation of the material! His vocals are amazing – the kind that really grab you, even if you don't understand the language – and the rhythms are full of rootsy percussion and riffing acoustic guitar – plus some basslines that are very unique, and really drive the tunes. The whole thing's wonderful – every track is a killer – and titles include "Ze Cangica", "O Circo Chegado", "Morre O Burro Fica O Homem", "Paz E Arroz", "Oba, La Vem Ela", "Apareceu Aparecida", "Oba La Vem Ela", and "Errare Humanum Est". CD features two bonus tracks – "Que Maravilha" and "Taj Mahal (1972 version)". CD

One of the greatest Luiz Bonfa albums we've ever heard! The record was recorded in Paris in 1962 – and it's got a clean lively bossa sound that reminds us a lot more of the catchy early work by Joao Gilberto and Baden Powell than Bonfa's sometimes flowery sessions from the same time. There's a tight jazz combo backing him up – with drums, bass, and flute – and a number of tracks have some wonderful breathy vocals next to Bonfa's driving guitar. There's more than a few great uptempo numbers – and the whole album's really a mad bossa treat! Titles include "Bonfa Nova", "Teu Olhar Triste", "Lila", "Sorrindo", "Bossa Em Re", and "Dor Que Faz Doer". LP, Vinyl record album

Guitarist Charlie Byrd was one of the first American players to record bossa nova tunes – but although his work with Stan Getz has always been well-documented, some of the titles under his own name can be quite hard to come by. This is one of the best ones that Charlie cut on his own – and it features tight guitar work in a mode that's similar to that used by Baden Powell on his early bossa recordings, augmented by trio rhythms – plus some occasional larger backings by Walter Raim, and some extended group settings that feature Charlie Hampton on alto, Earl Swope on trombone, and Willie Rodriguez on percussion. Tracks include "Ho Ba La La", "Samba Triste", "Yvone", "O Barquinho", "Un Abraco Do Bonfa", and "O Passaro". LP, Vinyl record album

A bossa jazz session, but one with a different twist than usual! Franco Cerri plays acoustic guitar here, but his sound is a fair bit different than that of contemporaneous guitarists from Brazil – almost a bit earthier, with the rasp you might have heard from earlier European guitarists, particularly those of the Django generation. Yet despite that sound, Cerri's music here is very much in a 60s mode – sweetly grooving with great bossa rhythms from drummer Franco Tonani and bassist Giorgio Azzolini – in a combo that also features work from Nando Nebuloni on flute and Dino Piana on trombone. There's a breezy, jazzy feel to the whole set – with plenty of room for Cerri's solos – and titles include "Bossa Nova USA", "Desafinado", "Chega De Saudade", "Stringmi Forte I Polsi", "Sambalanco", "Perche Perche", "Samba Di Una Sola Nota", "Blues Bossa Nova", and "Voce E Eu". CD

... CD

Later performances of compositions by this classic Brazilian songwriter – with Joel De Almeida, Elizeth Cardoso, Maria Creuza, Os Cariocas, Nara Leao, Angela Maria, Toquinho, and Marilia Medalha. LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty darn great set that captures bits from all of Stan Getz's bossa nova recordings for Verve! The set's got a whopping 4 CDs, and it features Getz working with the likes of Joao Gilberto, Luiz Bonfa, Charlie Byrd, Gary McFarland, Laurindo Almeida, Astrud Gilberto, and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Includes some unreleased versions of bossa tunes, plus a huge amount of other great stuff – like "Ebony Samba", "Baia", "Samba Triste", "O Pato", "Samba Dees Days", "Sambalero", "Eu E Voce", "Winter Moon", "Menina Moca", "Vivo Sonhando", and "Para Machuchar Meu Coracoa". CD

That's the lovely Astrud Gilberto on the cover, and this issue of Japanese magazine Jazz Critique offers up a discography that includes some of her classic albums, and a host of other bossa gems too! The issue starts with a great color section that has images of rare album covers – then moves into a disc guide-styled listing that has many more covers in black and white, with some details on the records in English – and short reviews in Japanese. The scope of bossa-related records is great, and covers a lot of scenes and years – and the issue also has other jazz features in more detail, with black and white images throughout the 240 page issue. If you can read Japanese, there's also a nice feature on jazz in the Civil Rights era – with some nice photos! Book

Perhaps THE greatest Quincy Jones album of the 60s – a hard-swinging batch of big band bossa tunes – and one of the greatest American takes on the bossa sound ever! Quincy really brings a lot of soul to the set – syncopating the bottom end of the tunes to really bring out the rhythms, and working with a jazzy flourish of horns that creates all these quick and clever little turns in the tunes! The sound's been heard most famously on the incredible track "Soul Bossa Nova" – an original by Quincy for the set, which has gone onto much greater fame through its use in the film Austin Powers, and a bazillion TV commercials! But the whole album's great too – and other tracks include "Serenata", "Lalo Bossa Nova", "Boogie Bossa Nova", and "Chega De Saudade". CD

A gem of a record from the early 60s – a freewheeling set of bossa jazz, played by the combo of tenor saxophonist Juarez! There's a fluid, open groove to the record that's mighty nice – really romping rhythms that set fire to the tenor of Juarez right from the start – as he moves in long, soulful lines filled with plenty of improvisation – and leaps along with the grooves of the group, which also includes Nelson Dos Santos on trombone, Neco on guitar, and either Fats Elpidio or Tenorio Jr on piano! There's no string or other larger orchestrations – just tight core instrumentation, all acoustic – and mighty nice throughout. Titles include "Tema Pra Dede", "Lobo Bobo", "Direi Depois", "Samba Toff", "Maria Ninguem", "O Amor Que Acabou", and "Sincopado Triste". LP, Vinyl record album

Proof that the Kenton sound could work in just about any format – as Stan transforms a host of older tunes from his book into a bossa nova groove! The approach is simple, but great – as the rich Kenton tones and colors are infused with some added rhythms laid down by Milt Holland, Larry Bunker, and Frank Guerrero on Latin percussion. Horn players Steve Marcus, Jack Nimitz, Dalton Smith, Conte Candoli, and Gabe Baltazar carve out some great lines in the set – cascading waves of sound that are a wonderful counterpoint to the driving rhythms of the set – almost in a way that recalls the Kenton Latin sides of the 50s, but a bit more subtle. Titles include "Kentonova", "Opus In Chartreuse", "Artistry In Rhythm", "Concerto To End All Concertos", "Loco Nova", "Artistry In Bossa Nova", "Eager Beaver", and "Painted Rhythm". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unique albums ever cut by pianist Marian McPartland – and definitely a set that offers up the bossa and soul promised in the title! Marian's playing electric and acoustic, over some very groovy rhythms from the trio of Ben Tucker on bass, Dave Bailey on drums, and Ralph Dorsey on congas – a group who give Marian a groove that's much more like the sort you'd find on a 60s record by Vince Guaraldi than any of her other work! The electric piano is great – not a Fender Rhodes, but most likely a Wurlitzer – which creates unusual tones that again really changes the McPartland sound – and the rhythms throughout create a wicked vibe, and loads of wonderful modal numbers. Titles include "Stranger In A Dream", "Coming Home Baby", "Green Dolphin Street", "Baby You Should Know It", "Love For Sale", "Tell Me", and "Sweet And Lovely". LP, Vinyl record album

Early bossa album by the man who was one of the leading instrumentalists behind many of the bossa era's best singers. The set's fairly mellow, and all instrumental. Menescal plays guitar, and other instrumentation includes vibes & piano. The tracks have a light lilting bossa feel, with some occasional strings backing the group up. Other instrumentation includes flute, organ and Brazilian percussion, and the titles include "Nos E O Mar", "Fale De Samba Que Eu Vou", "Influencia Do Jazz", and "Menina Feia". LP, Vinyl record album

The poet and the guitarist get together for a set of tracks with Marilia Medalha on vocals, and some nice lively backing by a larger group. The sound is mostly bossa, with light airy vocals, driving samba percussion, and nice lines on acoustic guitar. Tracks include "Samba De Gesse", "Tarde Em Itapoan", "Como Dizia O Poeta", "Samba De Rosa", "O Grande Apelo", "Mais Um Adeus", and "Tomara". LP, Vinyl record album

A great take on the sweet style of the lovely Lisa Ono – a record that combines two great musical passions of the Japanese scene – bossa nova and Hawaiian grooves! And although Lisa's recording in a vaguely Hawaiian mode, the style's nicely different too – mixing her usual bossa approach with a slightly sunshine-drenched style, less Hawaiian than work by Don Ho, more in a "dream" vision of Hawaii, as you might hear in some of the 60s production work by Brian Wilson. The floating lyrics of the Hawaiian tunes work well with the bossa backing – and the sweetness of the album's a perfect fit for Lisa's voice! Titles include "Manoa", "Swing Time In Honolulu", "Sway It, Hula Girl", "Nani Wai'ale'ale", and "Kaimana Hila". LP, Vinyl record album

There's plenty of bossa nova here – as the lovely Leila Pinheiro is working alongside Roberto Menescal – that famous Brazilian talent from the 60s, who was reemerging in the 80s to help bring back the music with a few key singers! Roberto's gentle groove works wonders with Leila – getting her past some of the darker corners of her other records, while still allowing for some of the tristeza that makes her voice so wonderful – a special balance that's carried off beautifully by the pair! Titles include "Mentiras/Ate Quem Sabe", "Pra Dizer Adeus/Candeias", "Batida Diferente/Moca Flor/Tristeza De Nos Dois", "Que Maravilha/Chove Chuva/Mas Que Nada", and "Ilusao A Toa/O Que E Amar". CD

Joe Quijano was one of the greatest all-around Latin bandleaders of the early 60s – and this rare session for Columbia shows him capably moving through a wide range of material, from mambo, to bossa, to cha cha cha! The bossa material is especially interesting – in that it's got more of a New York early 60s quality, in which the local Latin band were trying to match the bossa rhythms, but with a rawer, more rhythmic quality normally attached to their usual work. The result is some very unusual (but great!) versions of bossa tunes like "One Note Samba", "Desafinado", and "Corcovado", plus other tracks like "L'Apache", "Alaska", and "Lamento Borincano". There's even a lively version of "Hava Nagilhah", which is more than proof that the New York Latin groups made a big part of their money playing for Jewish audiences! LP, Vinyl record album

Soulful bossa from Blue Note – and a real lost treasure! Tenor giant Charlie Rouse makes a rare appearance as a leader here – working with a percussion-heavy group that includes Willie Bobo, Potato Valdez, and Garvin Masseaux – and hitting a sax-meets-bossa groove that's simply outta site! The tunes on the set feature 2 guitarists – one of them Kenny Burrell – snaking alongside Rouse's tenor as he blows over the grooves – and the whole feel of the album's at once spare, yet full – quite different than the Brazilian take on bossa jazz, with a really uniquely wonderful sound! Titles include "Velhos Tempos", "Back To The Tropics", "Un Dia", and "In Martinique". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from the man credited with the invention of bossa nova! Way back in the early 50s, Bud Shank cut some albums for Pacific Jazz in LA with guitarist Laurindo Almeida. These records mixed together Shank's flute and sax with lively guitar stylings by Almeida – and in many accounts, the recordings are quoted as being a seminal influence on the bossa scene in late 50s Brazil. No surprise, then, that when bossa broke in the US, Pacific Jazz took Shank back in the studio to cut more side in the same style – which is what you'll get on this excellent 2CD set! The work here ranges from 1962 to 1965 – and it features Shank playing in a number of groups: one with Clare Fisher piano, Larry Bunker vibes, and Milt Holland percussion; one with Fisher on piano and organ, Bunker on vibes, and Joe Pass on guitar; one with Joao Donato on piano and Rosinha De Valenca on guitar; and one with De Valenca on guitar and Sergio Mendes on piano. The 2CD set features 28 tracks in all – all pure stripped-down bossa jazz at its finest. Shank's a hell of a reed player – and the format gives him one of the best platforms to blow of his career. Titles include "Sambou Sambou", "Elizete", "Um Abraco No Bonfa", "Gostoso", "Joao", "Serenidade", "Silk Stop", "Sausalito", "Illusao", "Caminho De Casa", "Otem A Note", "Wistful Samba", "O Barquinho", and "Samba Guapo". CD

Bossa jazz from 60s Japan – a set recorded right around the same time that Verve first started hitting bossa grooves in the US! The sound here is sharper than a Verve bossa album, though – with some of the same hardbop inflections you'd hear on other Hideo Shiraki albums from the time – thanks to flute and tenor from Sleepy Matsumoto, and trumpet from Hisaya Omata. The tenor and trumpet come together with almost a Blue Note-styled sort of sound – but the bossa vibe is still nicely maintained in some of the looser percussion touches in the rhythms – a great blend that makes the album a real standout in the Japanese jazz scene of the 60s! Titles include "Sayonara Blues", "Gypsy Blue", "Deux Step", "Groovy Samba", "Orfeo Negro", and "Tico Tico". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal record for Wayne Shorter – as the set opens up with a hint of the direction he'd take in the 70s, especially some of the music he'd create with Weather Report! The album's not a straight fusion outing, though, and it does have a fuller group than a fusion combo – yet there is an electric current as well, as the group features striking guitar work from both John McLaughlin and Sonny Sharrock, plus some classical guitar from Walter Booker, bass from Miroslav Vitous, and drums from Jack DeJohnette – all of whom should give you an idea of the album's vibe. Airto plays percussion, and Maria Booker sings vocals on a rendition of "Dindi" – and this complicated larger group gives Shorter a quite different sound than some of his earlier Blue Note quartet and quintet sides. The session's got a great spiritual soul jazz undercurrent – pointing the way towards aspects of jazz in the 70s – and titles include "Super Nova", "Swee Pea", "Water Babies", and "Capricorn". CD

A pivotal record for Wayne Shorter – as the set opens up with a hint of the direction he'd take in the 70s, especially some of the music he'd create with Weather Report! The album's not a straight fusion outing, though, and it does have a fuller group than a fusion combo – yet there is an electric current as well, as the group features striking guitar work from both John McLaughlin and Sonny Sharrock, plus some classical guitar from Walter Booker, bass from Miroslav Vitous, and drums from Jack DeJohnette – all of whom should give you an idea of the album's vibe. Airto plays percussion, and Maria Booker sings vocals on a rendition of "Dindi" – and this complicated larger group gives Shorter a quite different sound than some of his earlier Blue Note quartet and quintet sides. The session's got a great spiritual soul jazz undercurrent – pointing the way towards aspects of jazz in the 70s – and titles include "Super Nova", "Swee Pea", "Water Babies", and "Capricorn". CD

Two funky space albums – back to back on a single CD! An Astromusical Odyssey is a fantastic album of spacey funky tracks! The great John Keating put this whole thing together in the years before he cut his more famous space soul albums for EMI – and the record's a wonderful mix of spacey orchestrations, spare electronics, and haunting voices – a wicked journey to the stars with a hip Brit Easy feel! There's a lot more funk here than you'd expect from other Phase 4 albums of this generation – and plenty of the cuts have weird instrumental bits that are just waiting for sampling. The whole thing's wonderful, and titles include "Round Trip Mars", "Aquarius", "Nocturne", "Across The Universe", "Up, Up, & Away", and "Spinning Wheel". Nova Sounds Of The Stars is a second slice of Sounds Galactic work from the Phase 4 catalog – this time headed by Roland Shaw, but in the same moogy modes used by John Keating on the previous album! There's possibly even more cool electronics here than before – lots of cool analogue bits that bubble and squeak nicely – amidst more familiar instrumental modes from the Phase 4 universe, including some nice jazzy touches, bits of strings, and other styles – all blended nicely with plenty of odd production and sound effects! Titles include a great cover of "Pillow Talk", a version of "Live & Let Die", and the Carpenters' "Yesterday Once More" – plus the great "Mon Etoile (My Star)", "Summer", "Get Down", and "Love Is All". CD

A second slice of Sounds Galactic work from the Phase 4 catalog – this time headed by Roland Shaw, but in the same moogy modes used by John Keating on the previous album! There's possibly even more cool electronics here than before – lots of cool analogue bits that bubble and squeak nicely – amidst more familiar instrumental modes from the Phase 4 universe, including some nice jazzy touches, bits of strings, and other styles – all blended nicely with plenty of odd production and sound effects! Titles include a great cover of "Pillow Talk", a version of "Live & Let Die", and the Carpenters' "Yesterday Once More" – plus the great "Mon Etoile (My Star)", "Summer", "Get Down", and "Love Is All". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing little box set – filled with 10 rare bossa nova albums from the Brazilian underground of the 60s – almost all of which we'd never heard before! The records here were mostly issued on small labels at the time – the kind of sets that never circulated widely outside of Brazil, and which often have unusual and striking sounds that are quite different from mainstream bossa work on labels like Verve or Elenco! There's a fair bit of jazz on most albums, and the instrumentation varies nicely throughout – sometimes more sax up front, sometimes more acoustic guitar, or offbeat horn arrangements, odd percussion, and lots of other sweet touches! Each CD features two full albums, completely with cover art and other details of the records – and the set features the albums Balanco E Bossa Nova by Ritmistas Da Bossa, Sambalanco by Orquesta Moderna De Samba, Isso E Bossa Nova Mesmo by Conjunto Sambossa, Saxsambando by Os Saxsambistas Brasileiros, O Balanco E A Bossa by Conjunto Masterplay, Samba Do Bom by Conjunto Samba De Balanco, Samba Pra Frente by Samba Trio, A Musica Maravilhosa De Antonio Carlos Jobim by Bossa Brass, and the self-titled 1964 album by Os Azes De Bossa. CD

The legendary 1962 Bossa Nova concert at Carnegie Hall – and one of the first live recordings of the young bossa nova in all its glory! The concert is famous not only because it was a bit of a disaster (according to legend, just about nobody got paid!), but also because it brought together a huge amount of Brazilian talent on one stage, and premiered their music to a rabid US audience – very fresh at the time, as the big Verve boom of bossa recordings hadn't even started to take hold! The recording has a stunning live feel, and it preserves all the acoustics of Carnegie Hall, complete with lively crowd response. Oscar Castro Neves backs up most of the singers – including Sergio Ricardo, Carmen Costa, Carlos Lyra, Ana Lucia, and Chico Feitoso – and the LP has other instrumental performances by Joao Gilberto, Milton Banana, Roberto Menescal, Luiz Bonfa, and Sergio Mendes – all young bossa giants, really opening up here with their talents! The set features 15 tracks in all – and titles include "O Barquinho", "Influencia Do Jazz", "Outra Vez", "Zelao", "Nao Faz Assim", "Bossa Nova Em Nova York", and "Passarinho". CD

Nice little compilation with a dozen songs from Joao Donata & Lisa Ono, John Pizrelli, Eliane Elias, Arto Lindsay, Paul Desmond, Randy Brecker, Harry Allen, Larry Goldings, Forma De Agua, and Sadao Watanabe. CD

Classic pop bossa material from the Capitol scene, featuring a host of groovy jazz players backing up the breezy guitar of Laurindo Almeida. Although the album's not totally authentic bossa material, it does have a nice swing to it, and is easily as pleasant as some of the Verve sides from the same time. Titles include "O Barquinho", "Recado Bossa Nova", "Acapulco 1922", "Alley Cat Song", and "Days Of Wine & Roses". LP, Vinyl record album

A lovely little record from the man who helped Stan Getz find his bossa – and a set that's done with just a bit more backing than usual from Byrd for the time! The album makes nice use of additional percussion, vibes, cello, and a bit of flugelhorn to back up Byrd's work on acoustic guitar – never in a way that dominates too strongly, with just enough added sound to color in the grooves with a slightly deeper tone. Titles include "Presente De Natal", "Three Note Samba", "Limehouse Blues", "Cancao De Nimar Para Carol", "Chega De Saudade", and "Anna". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Way more than just the usual snoozer you might expect from Clebanoff – thanks to a good dose of bossa in the mix! The style here is still heavy on the strings, as in the usual Clebanoff mode – but the overall arrangements are also considerably lighter, and trade previous romantic shadings for a breezier Brazilian mode – one that's carried off by lots of lightly snapping percussion at the bottom, and some great instrumental touches on guitar, vibes, and just a bit of flute! In a way, the record's almost a bridge between the older American and European instrumental style of the 50s and some of the new orchestrations that were being penned in Brazil in the 60s – a key early example of that influence on these shores, and featuring tunes that include "Land Of My Land", "Poinciana", "O Passaro", "Jazz Samba", "Mima", and Lalo Schifrin's "Whispering Bossa Nova". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Haunting work from the years immediately before the collapse of Yugoslavia – the first full album by the group Laibach, a key part of the artists collective known as Neue Slowenische Kunst. The album's perhaps the group's most jarring – with lots of very noisy passages, and turgid instrumentation used as the backdrop for songstatements on society, work, and life under the coming regime. Titles include "The New Acropolis", "Bloody Ground – Fertile Land", "War Poem", and "The State". CD

A great album of bossa groovers, recorded by Herbie in the early days of the US bossa boom – and with a sound that's right on the money! The backing's very lively, and the tracks have a tight bossa sound that's quite authentic. Herbie's flute is livelier than usual, and on a set like this, you can hear why it's no wonder that he's been so respected by Latin and Brazilian players over the years. Titles include "Voce E Eu", "Bossa Velha", "Blues Walk", "One Note Samba", "Amor Em Paz", and "Deve Ser Amor". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Famous songs by both of these Brazilian songwriters – packaged with a nice booklet of notes and photos! Features work by Paulo Tapajos, Linda & Dircinha Batista, Radames Gnatalli, Nara Leao, and Jacob Do Bandolim. LP, Vinyl record album

An underground soul jazz classic – massive grooves from drummer Steve Reid, and exactly the kind of set that's gotten him so much attention in recent years! There's a mixture of freedom and tightness here that's really wonderful – some of the looser elements of the loft jazz generation, mixed with an inherent sense of rhythm that always set Reid's records apart from the rest – a groove that comes not just from his own pulsations on the drum kit, but also from the elliptical basslines of Richard Williams on electric and Luis Angel Falcon on acoustic, and the mixed organ and piano lines of keyboardist Les Walker. Joe Rigby brings some really sharp-edged sax work to the record, alongside the trumpet of Ahmed Abdullah, who really sounds wonderful here – bringing a spirituality to the album that's clearly borrowed from his time with Sun Ra. The album includes the great groover "Lions of Judah" – which has a very Ra-like quality – plus other great cuts "Long Time Black", "Sixth House", "Nova", and "Free Spirits Unknown". CD

A sublime little set all the way through – an early 60s date from the west coast scene – and one that was almost as important to that side of the country as the Verve bossa records were to New York! Bud Shank's in the lead on alto sax – no flute at all this time around – blowing sharp and soulfully, in a way that's even more deft than most of his other albums! But the equal star here is the young Clare Fischer – who plays piano in the group, and also contributed a host of original tunes to the set – fresh numbers that are way different than the usual "bossa-ized" standards, or American remakes of Brazilian classics. Ralph Pena is a key member of the group on bass – and Larry Bunker plays some vibes as well. Titles include "Joao", "Pensativa", "Samba Guapo", "Samba Da Borboleta", and "Que Mais?". LP, Vinyl record album

While not as classic as the bossa sessions that Stan Getz cut for Verve, these early 60's sides by Zoot (for the Colpix label) are still pretty tasty groovers in the pop bossa vein that was sweeping the US at the time. Zoot lays down some nice easy solos over larger bossa arrangements, and Jim Hall joins the set on guitar. Hall's not as Braziliany as players like Joao Gilberto or Charlie Byrd, but he does the job nicely enough, and there's more than enough good moments on this nicely priced 18 track set. Titles include "Instant Samba", "Maria Ninguen", "Recado Bossa Nova", "Poquito Cantando", and "Cantada A Orquesta". CD

Tight orchestral material from Zaccarias, and featuring a set of bossa and samba groovers played by a heavy ensemble reed section. The multiple reed approach works well, and gives the tracks a good punch that while not sounding exactly like classic bossa, does make them groove in a swinging way. Titles include "Fim De Parceria", "Solucao", "Amelia", "Dizzy Fingers", "Boato", and "Sambalada Do Coracao". LP, Vinyl record album

A recent live set that brings together classic singers and musicians from the 60s, recreating some of their strongest bossa nova work! Marcos Valle performs "Os Grilos", "Gente", and "Terra De Ninguem"; Leny Andrade sings "Wave", "Rio", and "Samba Da Pergunta"; Zimbo trio play "Garota De Ipanema", "A Felicidade", and "Nos E O Mar"; Os Cariocas harmonize on "Samba Do Aviao" and "Tim Tim Por Tim Tim", and Roberto Menescal duet on "Samba De Verao", "So Danco Samba", and "O Pato". CD

The legendary 1962 Bossa Nova concert at Carnegie Hall – and one of the first live recordings of the young bossa nova in all its glory! The concert is famous not only because it was a bit of a disaster (according to legend, just about nobody got paid!), but also because it brought together a huge amount of Brazilian talent on one stage, and premiered their music to a rabid US audience – very fresh at the time, as the big Verve boom of bossa recordings hadn't even started to take hold! The recording has a stunning live feel, and it preserves all the acoustics of Carnegie Hall, complete with lively crowd response. Oscar Castro Neves backs up most of the singers – including Sergio Ricardo, Carmen Costa, Carlos Lyra, Ana Lucia, and Chico Feitoso – and the LP has other instrumental performances by Joao Gilberto, Milton Banana, Roberto Menescal, Luiz Bonfa, and Sergio Mendes – all young bossa giants, really opening up here with their talents! The set features 15 tracks in all – and titles include "O Barquinho", "Influencia Do Jazz", "Outra Vez", "Zelao", "Nao Faz Assim", "Bossa Nova Em Nova York", and "Passarinho". CD

18 tracks from Xavier Osmir, Simao Morto, Grupo Cabana, Paula Santoro, Gustavo Marques, Paula Santoro & Hugh Burns, and Simao Morto. CD