Bossa piano, harmony vocals, and a sound that's unlike anyone else – heard here in some really classic sides by Brazil's legendary Tamba Trio! The group had a way of approaching a groove that was (and is) truly revolutionary – a sound that not only carried some of the freshest, most modern elements of 60s bossa – but which also encouraged a newly spacious approach overall, thanks to the mighty arranging talents of pianist Luiz Eca! This set features some of the group's greatest sides – and is a perfect introduction to their work – with titles that include "Mas Que Nada", "Reza", "Tamba", "Barquinho", "O Samba Da Minha Terra", "Influencia Do Jazz", and "Se Eu Pudesse Voltar". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime 70s groover from the great Tamba Trio! This one works off of the expanded sound that the bossa jazz combo were forging on their late 60s work for CTI – adding in some more complicated arrangements by Luiz Eca to the regular piano/bass/percussion groove, pushing the sound into a more complicated style that reminds us of the best 70s work of Edu Lobo! The tracks are wonderfully written – with a jazzy rhythm at the core of most of them – but the added washes of sound and color really flesh out the group's unique vision, and make the album one of their greatest ever! Titles include "Reflexos", "Mestre Bimba", "Ossaim", "Em Casa", "Morada", "Infinito", "Gazera", and "Nao Tem Nada Nao". CD

Beautiful stuff – and a record we never tire of hearing! This album's a sublime extension of the earlier Brazilian style of the Tamba Trio – in a set that has them adding a fourth member, and picking up some cool new sounds from producer Creed Taylor! The set brings the group's earlier blend of bossa jazz and vocal harmonies into play with Taylor's spacious sensibilities in the early days of CTI – that stretch when the label was partnered with A&M Records, in a mode that also echoes some of the best studio qualities of that imprint too! The songs are longer than usual – nicely stretched out in a beautiful blend of jazz, bossa, and voice – and tracks include a classic reading of Luiz Eca's "The Dolphin", a great take on "Canto De Ossahana", and the tracks "Flower Girl", "We & The Sea", and "Lemanja". CD

Beautiful stuff – and a record we never tire of hearing! This album's a sublime extension of the earlier Brazilian style of the Tamba Trio – in a set that has them adding a fourth member, and picking up some cool new sounds from producer Creed Taylor! The set brings the group's earlier blend of bossa jazz and vocal harmonies into play with Taylor's spacious sensibilities in the early days of CTI – that stretch when the label was partnered with A&M Records, in a mode that also echoes some of the best studio qualities of that imprint too! The songs are longer than usual – nicely stretched out in a beautiful blend of jazz, bossa, and voice – and tracks include a classic reading of Luiz Eca's "The Dolphin", a great take on "Canto De Ossahana", and the tracks "Flower Girl", "We & The Sea", and "Lemanja". LP, Vinyl record album

The rare second album by the Jongo Trio – a fantastic bossa group who mixed together vocals and keyboards with stunning magic! The trio's approach is similar to that of the more famous Tamba Trio – in that the three members groove on keyboards, bass, and percussion – while also harmonizing vocals in a soaring, airy style that really adds a lot to the set. This album's got the group using a bit of organ and electric piano in addition to their usual acoustic keys – making for a bossa style that's slightly electrified, with great results on the album's overall sound. The set includes a really great uptempo version of "Aguas De Marco", plus the tracks "Alo Feveiro", "Quem Vem La", "Cavaleiro De Aruanda", "Sandalia De Prata", "Bate Barriga", "Feitinha P'Ro Poeta", and "Duas Contas". CD

An incredible album by the Tamba 4 – one of 2 albums the Brazilian bossa combo did in the US for A&M Records, during the brief time when they were expanded to a quartet from the original Tamba Trio lineup! The set is completely sublime – a wonderful mix of the group's trademark harmony vocals and crackling bossa rhythms, with the warmly flowing CTI production style of the time – not funky like the CTI sound of the 70s, but a bit more sophisticated than the style Creed Taylor had been using earlier at Verve. Tracks are short, breezy, and often very lively – bossa grooving warmed in the California sun – and titles include "Samba Blim", "Watch What Happens", "Pregao", "San Salvador", "Know It All", and "Palladium". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album by the Tamba 4 – one of 2 albums the Brazilian bossa combo did in the US for A&M Records, during the brief time when they were expanded to a quartet from the original Tamba Trio lineup! The set is completely sublime – a wonderful mix of the group's trademark harmony vocals and crackling bossa rhythms, with the warmly flowing CTI production style of the time – not funky like the CTI sound of the 70s, but a bit more sophisticated than the style Creed Taylor had been using earlier at Verve. Tracks are short, breezy, and often very lively – bossa grooving warmed in the California sun – and titles include "Samba Blim", "Watch What Happens", "Pregao", "San Salvador", "Know It All", and "Palladium". CD

Beautiful stuff – and a record we never tire of hearing! This album's a sublime extension of the earlier Brazilian style of the Tamba Trio – in a set that has them adding a fourth member, and picking up some cool new sounds from producer Creed Taylor! The set brings the group's earlier blend of bossa jazz and vocal harmonies into play with Taylor's spacious sensibilities in the early days of CTI – that stretch when the label was partnered with A&M Records, in a mode that also echoes some of the best studio qualities of that imprint too! The songs are longer than usual – nicely stretched out in a beautiful blend of jazz, bossa, and voice – and tracks include a classic reading of Luiz Eca's "The Dolphin", a great take on "Canto De Ossahana", and the tracks "Flower Girl", "We & The Sea", and "Lemanja". CD

The American issue of the third Zimbo Trio album from Brazil – presented here with the misleading "restrained" in the title – as the record is filled with bossa grooves! The album's third in a line of legendary bossa albums recorded by the Zimbo Trio in the 60s – and a set that's slightly more lyrical and contemplative than the first two! The record's still filled with plenty of full-on bossa groovers, but it's also got a nicely more spacious sense of sound overall – a quality that almost echoes some of the pianistic conceptions of Luiz Eca, as well as the drum and bass work of his partners in the Tamba Trio – but without the vocals, of course! There's a great sense of sensitivity here, without ever sounding too sleepy – and titles include "Samba Do Veloso", "Agua De Beber", "Pra Viver Feliz", "Favela", "Bocoxe", and "Kao, Xango". LP, Vinyl record album

A jazzy little groover – a record with Dutch origins, but a firm commitment to Brazilian sounds – in that wonderful mix of Latin rhythms and jazz that was flowing out of some of the hipper corners of the European scene in the early 80s! The set was recorded in the Netherlands – and features a quartet with Quim Requenjo on guitar, Alfredo Silva on bass, Alberto Silva on percussion, and Teresa Sayas on drums – a group that's highly rhythmic, but also nice and open in the way they approach their music, too – taking off in ways that are maybe like some of the later qualities of the Tamba Trio, especially when the group sings a bit – which they do in a great way on a number of tracks. The style's less bossa than a more open version of bossa-inspired jazz – and titles include "O Pato", "Chick De Ipanema", "Amelia Emilia", "Aquelas Coisas Todas", "Essa Marie", and "Vera Cruz". CD

A really fantastic trio outing from pianist Fred Hersch – working here in a fluid style that really makes the album a standout classic in his career, thanks in part to superb work on bass from Steve La Spina, alongside drums from Jeff Hirschfield! La Spina has this round, warm tone that really complements Fred's piano lines – and the group choose some material that really allows them to show off their strengths in all the best ways – on titles that include Frank Foster's "Simone", Wayne Shorter's "Black Nile", Miles Davis' "All Blues", and a great take on the classic "The Dolphin", penned by Luiz Eca of the Tamba Trio! CD features two bonus tracks – "Unit Seven" and "Sometime Ago". CD

Beautiful work by one of the true geniuses of Brazilian music – an artist whose career started in the bossa nova generation, then stretched out with an amazing sense of scope and sound! All of Edu's early gems are here – in a set list that includes the classic "Upa Neguinho", plus recordings with Tamba Trio on "Reza", "Boranda", "Arrastao", and "Cancao Do Amanhecer" – and vocals by Joyce on "Rei Morto Rei Posto", Dori Caymmi on "Desenredo", and Maria Bethania on "Pra Dizer Adeus" – as well as the cuts "Memorias De Marta Sare", "Lero Lero", and "Quase Sempre". LP, Vinyl record album

A great 70s album from this excellent Brazilian harmony group! Their sound is a different from that of Quarteto Em Cy or Tamba Trio, and their singing is less filled with straight jazzy harmonies than it is some off-kilter vocal lines that weave together and challenge each other throughout the tracks – in a really beautiful way. While they're best known for their groundbreaking work from the 60's, this LP's a good batch of tracks from the 70's that still retains the feel of the group. Cuts include "Fantasia", "Angelica", "Nascente", and a cover of Caetano Veloso's "Tropicalia"! LP, Vinyl record album

This bossa LP on Columbia is pretty good stuff! The record was recorded with some of Brazil's best bossa players – like Luiz Bonfa, Roberto Menescal, and Luiz Eca (of Tamba Trio fame). John Hammond produced the session, so you can be sure it's got the kind of rootsy sound that will make the tracks have a bit more kick than if the album was in the hands of a regular pop-bossa producer. Titles include "Avion", "Reza", "Vagamente", "Ela E Carioca", "Zomba", and "Alem Da Imaginacao". CD

Incredible early work by Nara Leao – some of the most groundbreaking vocals of the bossa era! The arrangements are by Luiz Eca, pianist of the Tamba Trio – and backing is by a small group that includes Eca, Dori Caymmi, and other jazz-tinged players. The overall quality of the backings sounds a lot more like an album recorded five years after the mid 60s – and Nara's mix of bohemian hip and honest bossa sincerity really makes the tracks sparkle wonderfully. Titles include "Samba Da Legalidade", "Canto Livre", "Corisco", "Carcara", "Aleluia", "Incelenca", and "Suite Dos Pescadores". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic 70s album from this legendary harmony quartet – a female group that first emerged during the bossa generation in 60s Brazil, but who seem to hit an even more sublime sound with this rare gem from 1972! The setting is kind of post-bossa – maybe in the territory that Marcos Valle and some of his contemporaries were hitting – as the quartet work with fantastic arrangements from Edu Lobo and Luiz Eca of the Tamba Trio – in modes that are complicated and sophisticated, yet also straightforward and groovy – a perfect blend for the vocal harmonies! The album features the girls' incredible take on the Milton Nascimento song "Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser" – and other great tracks include "Quando O Carnaval Chegar", "Inclensa", "Cantoria", "Canto De Oba", and "Zanga Zangada". CD

Breezy genius from 70s Brazil – a set that has some fantastic harmonies over really groovy instrumentation – but all at a level that's very different than other Brazilian groups of this nature! Aquarius often use both male and female voices, layered in ways that are more complex than the 60s work of Tamba Trio or Quarteto Em Cy – and warmed up with just the right touches of keyboards, guitar, and percussion – all given some sweet production elements that maybe make the whole thing feel as if one of those acts from the earlier Brazilian generation wandered into the 70s studios at MPS! Titles include "Tamanco No Samba", "Falsa Baiana", "Carolina", "Pink Bar", "Tibidabo", "Europenema", and "So Tem Lugar Pra Voce". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning lost bossa nova soundtrack! The score was penned for the 1967 film Garota De Ipanema (Girl From Ipanema), and although you've heard some of the tracks before in other versions, the overall album is very nice – and is a wonderful tribute to the early days of bossa nova! Jobim and Vinicius perform, as well as Baden Powell, Tamba Trio, Nara Leao, Elis Regina, Ronnie Von, Chico Buarque, and Quarteto Em Cy – and titles include "Por Voce", "Chorino", "Aria Para Se Morrer De Amor", "Rancho Das Namoradas", and "Tema Da Desilusao". We think some of the material might have popped up on other albums from time to time, but there's still enough stuff here that we hadn't heard elsewhere – and that we like a lot! LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Dick Farney, Maria Bethania, Carlos Galhardo, Miltinho, Francisco Carlos, Tamba Trio, Angela Maria, Dorival Caymmi, Nelson Goncalves, Anjos Do Inferno, and Nana Caymmi & Dorival Caymmi, CD

A cool 60s collection – with killer Philips material from Jorge Ben, Nara Leao, Tamba Trio, Os Gatos, Elis Regina, Geraldo Vandre, Taiguara, Os Cariocas, and others! LP, Vinyl record album

A compilation that's way more than jazz – as it features cuts from a moment when Brazilian music was really coming into its own during the bossa nova generation, yet still had some ties to earlier styles as well – which means that in addition to the sorts of bossa tunes you'd expect, you'll also hear versions of songs by Horace Silver, Cole Porter, and George Gershwin! The selection of cuts is nice – and the record begins with some straighter jazz numbers that evolve into bossa – in a lineup that includes "Nana" by Os Cobras, "O Menino Desce O Morro" by Milton Banana, "Samba In The Perrotoquei" by Bola Sete, "I Got Rhythm" by Dick Farney, "Nica's Dream" by Sergio Mendes, "Love For Sale" by Rubens Bassini, "Copacabana" by Brazilian Jazz Quartet, "Esperanca" by Tamba Trio, "Influencia Do Jazz" by Ed Lincoln, and "O Morro Nao Tem Vez" by Joao Donato. LP, Vinyl record album

A crackling collection of bossa and samba jazz from the 60s – extremely well put together, and featuring tunes by some of the best players Brazil had to offer at the time! There's a nicely grooving vibe running throughout the entire set – no nonsense, just straight ahead jazz tunes with a keen ear for Brazilian rhythms, and a fresh and modern approach that still sounds plenty great today. Titles include "Batida Differente" by Tamba Trio, "Nebulosa" by Tenorio Jr, "Se Voce Disser Que Sim" by Edison Machado, "Coisa No 2" by Moacir Santos, "Olhou Pra Mim" by Raul De Souza, "Jangal" by Dom Um Romao, "Nem O Mar Sabia" by Luiz Carlos Vinhas, and "Naquela Base" by Victor Assis Brasil. 14 tracks in all – and a very nice package! CD