MPB4 : A Arte De MPB4 (LP, Vinyl record album) -- Dusty Groove is Chicago's Online Record Store
Skip navigation
Scripting is disabled or not working. dustygroove.com requires JavaScript to function correctly.
Style sheets are disabled or not working. dustygroove.com requires style sheets to function correctly.
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Enlarge       Note

A Arte De MPB4

LP (Item 368376) Fontana, 1960–1979 
Great work by one of Brazil's most unique groups! Of all the contributions that Brazil has made to the world pop legacy, one of the greatest is their strong tradition of pop vocal groups -- most of which took a basic American jazz harmony sound and turned it into something really special and amazing. This set compiles some wonderful sides from the the all-male MPB4 one of our favorite Brazilian groups! There's a total of 26 tracks in all, including "De Palavra em Palavra", "Meu Violao", "Agora e Portela 74", "E Preciso Perdoar", "Lamento", "Pot Pourri de tom Jobim", "Ultima Forma", "San Vincente", and "Candeias".  © 1996-2024, Dusty Groove, Inc.

There may be different interpretations or standards used to grade pre-owned vinyl record albums & CDs. These are the grades that we use and what they mean for items that are not new copies.

Used Vinyl Grades

Below are stated conditions for a used vinyl records at Dusty Groove. Grading for the cover should be assumed to be near (within a "+" or "-") the grading for the vinyl. If there is significant divergence from the condition of the vinyl, or specific flaws, these will be noted in the comments section of the item. However, please be aware that since the emphasis of this site is towards the music listener, our main concern is with the vinyl of any used item we sell. Additionally, all of our records are graded visually; considering the volume of used vinyl we handle, it is impossible for us to listen to each record. If we spot any significant flaws, we make every attempt to listen through them and note how they play.

The following grading conditions apply to the vinyl component of an album or single:

Sealed

This is what it says, that the record is still held fast in shrink-wrap. We tend to be pretty suspicious about these things, so if the shrink-wrap doesn't look original, or if the record seems to have undergone some damage over time, we'll probably take it out of the wrapper to ensure that it's in good shape — which is why we don't have more of these. In some cases the shrink-wrap may be torn in spots, but if it's not possible the record has been taken out and played, the record will still qualify as "Sealed".

Near Mint

Dusty Groove does not use the grades of Near Mint (or Mint, for that matter) because in our experience, we find that no records ever qualify for such a high grade. Even sealed records tend to have one or two slight faults, enough to usually qualify them for a grade of NM- or lower. We've often found that records which are clearly unplayed will have a slight amount of surface noise, especially in quieter recordings.

Near Mint - (minus)

  • Black vinyl that may show a slight amount of dust or dirt.
  • Should still be very shiny under a light, even with slight amount of dust on surface.
  • One or two small marks that would make an otherwise near perfect record slightly less so. These marks cannot be too deep, and should only be surface marks that won't affect play, but might detract from the looks.
  • May have some flaws and discoloration in the vinyl, but only those that would be intrinsic to the pressing. These should disappear when the record is tilted under the light, and will only show up when looking straight at the record. (Buddah and ABC pressings from the 70's are a good example of this.)
  • May have some slight marks from aging of the paper sleeve on the vinyl.
  • Possible minor surface noise when played.

Very Good + (plus)

  • Vinyl should be very clean, but can have less luster than near mint.
  • Should still shine under a light, but one or two marks may show up when tilted.
  • Can have a few small marks that may show up easily, but which do not affect play at all. Most marks of this quality will disappear when the record is tilted, and will not be felt with the back of a fingernail.
  • This is the kind of record that will play "near mint", but which will have some signs of use (although not major ones).
  • May have slight surface noise when played.

Very Good

  • Vinyl can have some dirt, but nothing major.
  • May not shine under light, but should still be pretty clean, and not too dirty.
  • May have a number of marks (5 to 10 at most), and obvious signs of play, but never a big cluster of them, or any major mark that would be very deep. Most marks should still not click under a fingernail.
  • May not look near perfect, but should play fairly well, with slight surface noise, and the occasional click in part of a song, but never throughout a whole song or more.
  • This is clearly a copy that was played by someone a number of times, but which could also be a good "play copy" for someone new.

Very Good - (minus)

  • Vinyl may be dirty, and can lack a fair amount of luster.
  • Vinyl can have a number of marks, either in clusters or smaller amounts, but deeper.
  • This is the kind of record that you'd buy to play, but not because it looked that great. Still, the flaws should be mostly cosmetic, with nothing too deep that would ruin the overall record.
  • Examples include a record that has been kept for a while in a cover without the paper sleeve, or heavily played by a previous owner and has some marks across the surface. The record should play okay, though probably with surface noise.

Good + (plus)

  • Vinyl may be dirty, or have one outstanding flaw, such as a light residue, which could be difficult to clean.
  • May have marks on all parts, too many to qualify as Very Good-, or several deeper marks, but the record should still be ok for play without skips.
  • In general, this is a record that was played a fair amount, and handled without care. A typical example may be a record which has been heavily played by a DJ, and carries marks from slip cueing. Depending on the quality of the vinyl, may play with surface noise throughout.

Good

  • A record that you'd buy to play, cheap, but which you wouldn't buy for collecting.
  • Will have marks across all parts of the playing surface, and will most likely play with surface noise throughout. May have some other significant flaws, such as residue, or a track that skips.
  • In most cases, a poor quality copy of a very difficult to find record.

Fair

This is a grade we rarely use, as we try not to sell records in very bad condition, though in some rare cases we will list a record in such bad shape that it does not conform to the standards above. A "Fair" record will have enough marks or significant flaws that it does not even qualify as "Good", but is a copy you might consider for playing, if you're willing to put up with noise and/or flaws. An example might be a recording with surface noise so heavy that it is equal to the volume of the music. For records listed as "Fair", we will describe the extent of the condition in the comments.

Poor

Like "Fair", we rarely list records in this condition, as they represent the extreme low end of spectrum. These records typically have multiple serious problems, and we offer them as "relics" or "objects" only — for those who want to at least have a copy of a record, even if it is not really worthy of play, perhaps for the cover alone. For these records, we will describe the extent of the condition in the comments.

Additional Marks & Notes

If something is noteworthy, we try to note it in the comments — especially if it is an oddity that is the only wrong thing about the record. This might include, but isn't limited to, warped records, tracks that skip, cover damage or wear as noted above, or strictly cosmetic flaws.


Used CD Grade

We only use the grade "Used CD" for non-new CDs. This all-encompassing grade was chosen it because we only buy and offer used CDs in the best possible condition.

When you purchase a used CD you can expect the disc to be free of all but the lightest of surface marks, the case to be clean (we often change the cases ourselves), and the booklet to be in good shape. Used CDs may show some signs of use, but if there are significant details or defects we will describe the item's condition (just like we do with LPs), so look for notes on cutout marks, stickers, promo stamps or other details before ordering.

All of our used CDs are guaranteed to play without skipping or flaws. After you receive a used CD from Dusty Groove, you have 1 week to play it to determine that it plays correctly. If it does not, you can request a return for a full refund.


You might be interested


Sylvia Telles

USA (70s pressing)
Fontana (Brazil), 1961. Very Good-
Legendary early Sylvia Telles bossa session, recorded in the US, with accompaniment by Barney Kessel, Bill Hitchcock, and Calvin Jackson. The set's got a good jazzy feel, and Sylvia's voice is nice and strong, as on her best early recordings. The record's a darn tough one to find (we've never ... LP, Vinyl record album

Geraldo Vandre

Das Terras De Benvira
Fontana (Brazil), 1970. Near Mint-
Fantastic work by one of our favorite Brazilian singers! Geraldo Vandre's work pre-dated the young MPB/Tropicalia generation that included Caetano, Gal Costa, and Gilberto Gil – but even in those days, he wrote with a complicated approach and sophisticated style that spoke volumes of the ... LP, Vinyl record album

Jards Macale

Contrastes
Som Livre (Brazil), 1977. Near Mint-
A straighter album than some of the early experimental work of Jards Macale – but maybe a greater album as well – and one that really shows the singer coming into his own, and finding a way to nestle his fresh ideas within the best settings of 70s MPB! The shift's a bit like the ... LP, Vinyl record album

Turibio Santos E O Conjunto Coros Do Brasil

Valsas E Choros
Kuarup (Brazil), 1979. Near Mint-
(Orange label pressing. Cover has a round sticker at the top right corner, edge wear, and lightly bent corners and edges.) LP, Vinyl record album

Edu Lobo & Chico Buarque

O Grande Circo Mistico
Som Livre (Brazil), 1983. Near Mint-
An ambitious larger production from the team of Edu Lobo and Chico Buarque – the famous stage musical O Grande Circo Mistico, based on the poem by Jorge De Lima, and featuring a range of top-shelf performers that includes Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Milton Nascimento, Jane Duboc, Zizi Possi, ... LP, Vinyl record album

Various

Clube Do Samba
RCA (Brazil), 1985. Near Mint-
Compilation of modern samba stuff, performed by some of the bigger artists recording for RCA Brazil, with selections by Beth Carvalho, Joao Nogueira, Martinho Da Vila, Alcione, Bebeto, and Bezerra Da Silva. LP, Vinyl record album

Clara Sverner & Paulo Moura

Interpretam Pixinguinha
CBS (Brazil), 1988. Near Mint-
... LP, Vinyl record album

Dicro

Dicro
Continental (Brazil), 1979. Near Mint-
(Cover has some ringwear with blue ink transfer, small sticker in back, and is lightly bent at the top left corner.) LP, Vinyl record album
Abril Cultural (Brazil), 1930s/1940s/1950s/1960s. Very Good Gatefold
Original recordings by Wilson Batista, plus later interpretations by Roberto Silva, Jorge Goulart, Vassourinha, Ciro Monteiro, Silvio Caldas, Paulinho Da Viola, Noite Ilustrada, and others – presented here with a nice booklet of notes and photos, too! LP, Vinyl record album

Clara Sverner & Paulo Moura

Vou Vivendo
EMI (Brazil), 1986. Very Good
(Back cover has a small sticker remnant and some pen.) LP, Vinyl record album

Baby Face Willette

Behind The 8 Ball
Argo, 1964. Near Mint-
Classic hard-hitting organ jazz session by this great Chicago keyboard player, better known to the world for his two Blue Note LPs, but playing here in a style that's much more creative, and much more open-ended than on those LPs. He's got a tight trio here, with Ben White on guitar and Jerry ... LP, Vinyl record album
Blue Note, Late 50s. Very Good+
Early genius from the great Jimmy Smith – really bursting out in the world of Hammond organ jazz – a genre he virtually invented himself – with all sorts of amazing sounds and touches on the keys! The group's a trio – with Thornel Schwartz on guitar and either Bay Perry or ... LP, Vinyl record album
 



⇑ Top