... CD

... CD

A lovely little meeting between bossa guitarist Toquinho and Japanese saxophonist Sadao Watanabe – a set that has Sadao returning to some of the Brazilian styles he first recorded back in the 60s! There's a nicely warm feel to the set, but the sound is still pretty intimate overall – not nearly as produced or smooth as some of Watanabe's other work of the time, and with an up-close element that definitely shows Toquinho's influence. Toquinho sings a fair bit on the set, and Watanabe's solos are a sharp-edged treat – and the record features a fair bit of original compositions for the session. Titles include "Saudade De Elis", "Carinhoso", "Sentimentos Iguais", "Minha Profissao", "Filho Meu", "Made In Coracao", "Inquieto Amor", and "Samba Da Volta". CD

Two rare sessions by Vinicius – back to back on one 2 CD set! CD one features a 1970 recording in Buenos Aires – with Maria Creuza and Toquinho. Creuza was at her best during the early 70s – and working here with the classic bossa team of poet Vinicius De Moraes and guitarist Toquinho, she really sparkles with a sound that's some of her best singing on record. The trio sing separately or together from track to track – and the set includes a lot of great work that's in the Black Orpheus or Afro Sambas mode. Titles include "Canto De Osshana", "A Felicidade", "Tomara", "Canto De Osshana", "Minha Namorada", "Valsa Da Tunisia", "Lamento No Morro", and a great version of Caetano Veloso's "Irene"! The other CD follows a similar format – with Maria Bethania instead of Creuza – and tracks include "A Tonga Da Mironga Do", "Kabulete", "E De Manha", "Samba Da Rosa", "Testamento", "Apelo", "Viramindo", and "Tarde Em Itapoa". 2CD set features lots of bonus tracks – 12 more titles that include "Nesta Ru Tao Deserta", "Formosa", "Ate Londres", "Gente Do Morro", "Das Rosas", "E Nada Mais", "Berimbau", and "Samba Em Preludio". CD

A sexy little soundtrack from Piero Piccioni – penned for an early 80s film, but done with a slinky style that's pure Euro 70s all the way! Keyboards mix nicely with strings on many tracks – almost in a way that Piccioni seems to borrow from American soul maestros of the previous decade – but there's also some more Italian-styled touches too – including some later bossa inflections that really round out the sound of the record in a wonderful way. And a few especially nice gems have this sense of space that almost makes the music float in the air – recalling the sounds that first made us fall in love with the 60s music of Piccioni. Most solo piano is by Piero, and Toquinho plays guitar on one track – and titles include "Anche Se Sai", "Notte Preziosa", "Occhio Discreto", "Volo Di Mezzanotte", "Bona Nox", and "Ritmo Macumbeiro". This expanded 2CD edition adds in 36 more bonus tracks to the original record – 25 more bonus tracks than the previous release! CD

14 tracks from Zimbo Trio, Paulinho Nogueira, Wilson Simonal, Ana De Hollanda, Jane Duboc, Tom Da Terra, Claudette Soares, Zimbo Trio, Wilson Simonal, Toquinho, and more. CD

A grand tribute to the work of Vinicius De Moraes – sung by Miucha, the vocalist who recorded some great albums with Vinicius and Jobim in the 70s! The set's done in a lush and dreamy style – that sophisticated approach to classic bossa done on many recent sessions from the Biscoito Fino label. Miucha sings with an assortment of guest stars – including Bebel Gilberto, Toquinho, Daniel Jobim, Zeca Pagodinho, and Chico Buarque – and arrangements are by Cristovao Bastos, Leandro Braga, and Eduardo Souto Neto. Titles include "Tomara", "Tempo Sera", "Cancao De Nos Dois", "Cem Por Cento", "Valsa De Euridice", "Georgiana", "Serenata Do Adeus", and "Ai Quem Me Dera". CD

Includes tracks by Jorge Ben, Caetano Veloso, Banda Beijo, Luciana Mello, Gilberto Gil, Toquinho & Chico Buarque, Mestre Marcal, and Banda Eva. CD

Classic duets from the early years of the bossa – plus some other great tracks from later years that still continue the spirit! From the start, the gentle warmth of bossa nova made it a perfect platform for male and female singers to interact – and as you'll hear on this well done collection of 28 tracks, the format continued to grow long after years in which the bossa initially flourished! Titles include "Crickets Sing For Anamaria" by Marcos & Anamaria Valle, "Baiaozinho" by Sylvia Telles & Lucio Alves, "Carta Ao Tom 74" by Vinicius, Toquinho, & Quarteto Em Cy, and "Aguas De Marco" by Elis Regina and Tom Jobim. CD

A really loving tribute to the genius of Vinicius De Moraes – pulled from the recent film about his poetry and rich contributions to Brazilian music! The CD works almost as an audio documentary from the film – interspersing readings of poetic work with music, vocal performances, and commentary on Vinicius by Caetano and Chico Buarque! The overall format is as personal and poetic as might be hoped – and really captures the mix of spoken and vocal work that graced some of the older recordings made by Vinicius in the 60s and 70s. Titles include "Berimbau" by Edu Lobo, "Medo De Amar" by Chico Buarque, "Se Todos Fossem Iguais A Voce" by Renato Braz, "Canto Triste" by Monica Salmaso, "Sem Mais Adeus" by Francis Hime, "Formosa" by Gilberto Gil, and "Tarde Em Itapoa" by Toquinho. CD