A Christmas album from Ivan Lins – done in a warmly soulful style that's still very much in the best traditions of his music. The album was produced and arranged by Nelson Ayres, who's working in the same territory as Gilson Perenzatta on earlier records – but perhaps in a style that has a slightly more modern finish. Ivan's vocals are still as lovely as ever, as are the moods of his songs – and titles include "Noite Feliz", "Festas", "O De Casa", "Natal De Criancas", "Adeste Fideles", and "Um Natal Brasileiro". CD

A great set by Korean jazz singer Ann Sally – recorded with a gentle mellow finish, and some sweet Brazilian touches! Ann sings in both Portuguese and English – running through a host of tracks that includes classics by Ivan Lins, Marcos Valle, Joni Mitchell, Henry Mancini, and Roberto Menescal – all done in a way that's both gentle and breezy at the same time, and which makes the record sound like the kind of 70s female jazz classic that Japanese groovehounds have been going nuts over for years now! Titles include "Velas", "He Loves You", "O Barquinho", "All I Want", "Midnight At The Oasis", "Smile", "The Face I Love", and "Both Sides Now". CD

One of THE Brazilian funk classics of the 70s – the debut album of soulful singer Emilio Santiago! The sound is a wonderful blend of samba, soul, and some of the electric jazzy riffing that was big in Brazil at the time, and which showed up in the styles of groups like Banda Black Rio or Unaio Black – and Santiago's vocals are tremendous, equally at home with a hip grooving soul tune as they are with some of the album's mellower, jazzier tracks. Guest artists on the set include Brazilian jazz luminaries Joao Donato, Victor Assis Brasil, Ivan Lins, and Aecio Flavio – and the album includes the funky breaking classic "Bananeira", an amazing version of a song written by Donato and Gilberto Gil, served up by Santiago in a version that's easily the best ever! Other tracks include a great version of Jorge Ben's "Brother", plus "Quero Alegria", "Depois", "Doa A Quem Doer", and "La Mulata", a Latin groover by Marcos Valle! LP, Vinyl record album

Ineke Van Doorn sings here in a nicely spare setting – just the guitar of Marc Van Vugt and some trumpet from Eric Vloeimans – a mode that really lets you get a chance to hear the unique way she approaches a tune! Ineke's a singer in a European legacy that includes Monica Zetterlund and Karin Krog – changing up familiar jazz modes to really transform tunes with unique phrasing as she handles some nicely unusual material – songs by Ivan Lins, Horace Silver, Randy Weston, and Egberto Gismonti – as well as one original composition too. Tracks include "Cafe", "Peace", "Gee Baby", "Little Niles", "Madalena", "Secret Dance", and "Nature Boy". CD

An excellent collection of material from the end of the 60s – one of Brazil's most fertile times, musically, as is well documented on this set! The package features many great numbers that are hard to find on LP – including rare work by some of our favorite artists – and it's packaged in a heavy cardboard cover with a really weird image on the front. Titles include "Emy" and "Salve Salve" by Ivan Lins, "Cica Cecilia" and "Maria Joana" by Erasmo Carlos, "O Cafona" by MPB4, "Shirley Sexy" by Claudette Soares, "Na Tonga Da Mironga Do Kabulete" by Trio Mocoto, and "Ih, Meu Deus Do Ceu" by Elis Regina. LP, Vinyl record album

Proof that Azymuth were one of the few groups who could keep things real at a time when most of their fusion contemporaries were sounding cloying and commercial! The album's got a well-rounded sound that really shows the group's roots in the 70s, and their wonderful evolution over the years – that keyboard-heavy sound that's always warm and soulful, and never too tinny or beat-heavy. Jose Roberto Bertrami's keys come across with a 70s warmth that most groups were lacking by this time – and the backing from Alex Maheiros on bass and Ivan Conti is always very subtle, and simple too – swirled up alongside the keyboards, and mixed in with a few occasional bits of guest instrumentation – including trumpet from Marcio Montarroyos on one track, and flugelhorn from Paulinho Olivera on a few more. Titles include versions of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On", Jobim's "Song Of The Jet", and Ivan Lins' "The Island", plus the cuts "Universal Prisoner", "Candomble", and "Areis". LP, Vinyl record album

One of THE Brazilian funk classics of the 70s – the debut album of soulful singer Emilio Santiago! The sound is a wonderful blend of samba, soul, and some of the electric jazzy riffing that was big in Brazil at the time, and which showed up in the styles of groups like Banda Black Rio or Unaio Black – and Santiago's vocals are tremendous, equally at home with a hip grooving soul tune as they are with some of the album's mellower, jazzier tracks. Guest artists on the set include Brazilian jazz luminaries Joao Donato, Victor Assis Brasil, Ivan Lins, and Aecio Flavio – and the album includes the funky breaking classic "Bananeira", an amazing version of a song written by Donato and Gilberto Gil, served up by Santiago in a version that's easily the best ever! Other tracks include a great version of Jorge Ben's "Brother", plus "Quero Alegria", "Depois", "Doa A Quem Doer", and "La Mulata", a Latin groover by Marcos Valle! LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful! Joao Donato has long been one of our favorite-ever Brazilian songwriters, and this tasty series from Lumiar finally pays him the rich tribute he deserves! The series, like the others on Lumiar, features some of Brazil's greatest artists ever, paying tribute to Donato with loving renditions of his best songs. This first volume features "Nua Ideia" by Edu Lobo, "Bananeira" by Ed Motta & JT Meirelles, "Sambou, Sambou" by Joyce, "Simples Carinho" by Gal Costa, "Brisa Do Mar" by Chico Buarque, "Nasci Para Bailar" by Wanda Sa, "Cade Voce" by Angela Roro & Antonio Adolfo, and "Muito A Vontade" by Ivan Lins and Joao Donato. CD

One of the last really all-star sets from Quincy Jones – and a record that reprises the format of some of his big records of the 70s – like Mellow Madness or Body Heat – in a way that has Quincy surrounding himself with top-shelf artists of all sorts, from jazz soloists, to hip hoppers, to R&B vocalists. Kool Moe Dee & Big Daddy Kane rap on a version of "Birdland" that also has solos from Miles, Diz, and James Moody; Take 6 sing on a mellow version of Ivan Lins' "Setembro (Brazilian Wedding Song)", Bobby McFerrin sings goofily on "Wee B Dooinit", Siedah Garrett and Al B Sure sing on "The Secret Garden", and a whole choir joins in on "Tomorrow". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool collection of work on the legendary Forma Records label from Brazil – with work from Ivan Lins, O Terco, Trio Mocto, Elis Regina, Maria Bethania, and Cesar Costa Filho – plus the tracks "Top Top" by Os Mutantes, and "Coracao Vagabundo" by Caetano Velso and Gal Costa! LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful bossa from Eliane Elias – and a great reminder of how much we love her work in this style! The set's recorded with a warmly lyrical feel – core backing by a small combo with Oscar Castro Neves on guitar, amidst fuller strings arranged by Rob Mathes – never too lush, and always with the gentle, spacious sound that you might find in some mid 60s bossa nova album on Elenco! Eliane's vocals really fit the setting nicely – with only a few contemporary touches to give her away – and the album also features guests appearances from Toots Thielemans on harmonica and Ivan Lins on vocals. Titles include "The Girl From Ipanema", "The More I See You", "Desafinado", "Estate", "Day In Day Out", "I'm Not Alone", "Chega De Saudade", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "A Ra", and "Superwoman". CD

Includes the originals "Changed" and "This Little Light" – plus "Stella By Starlight", "Angel Eyes", "I Fall In Love To Easily", "Black Butterfly", and the Ivan Lins number "The Island". CD

Incredible! This album from 1977 shows Elis moving into an incredibly sophisticated vein – filled with influences from writers like Ivan Lins and Milton Nascimento, both of whom make an appearance on here, and backed by some incredible arrangements by Cesar Mariano and his CIA group. The record manages to boldly move into broad new territory, yet never forsakes the emotional power and sheer raw vocal strength of earlier albums – and the whole thing's a delight to have available again! Titles include "Colagem", "Vecchio Novo", "A Dama Do Apocalipse", "Romaria", "Qualquer Dia", "Morro Velho", and "Transversal Do Tempo". LP, Vinyl record album

With Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento, Edu Lobo, Joao Bosco, Elaine Elias, Djavan, Ivan Lins, Dori Caymmi, and Gilbert Gil. Produced by Oscar Castro-Neves. CD

One of the fantastic 80s sessions that Steve Beresford recorded for the Nato label in France – an imprint who seemed to let Steve be the kind of artist he wanted more than anywhere else! Beresford comes across here in a really interesting way – a creative avant jazz talent, but also balanced with a sense of classic crooning – as you might know from Beresford's other Nato albums, but maybe skewed a bit more here, as the record's a collaboration with designer Anne Marie Beretta – and has vibe that's nicely offbeat! Some tracks feature vocals from Kazuko Hokhi – and instrumentation includes work from Alan Hacker and David Toop – both of whom, like Beresford, handle a wide range of elements – in a lineup that includes clarinets, soprano sax, flute, guitars, piano, keyboards, and drum machine. Lyrics were written by Andrew Brenner – and titles include "Sand From A Desert", "Hiver 83/84", "Snap", "Un Aimant Vivant", "Clins D'Il", "Tendance", "Horse Tail", and "Cicada". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual slice of work by trumpeter Charlie Shavers – proof of his vitality and the range of his powers during the 50s! The first 4 tracks feature Shavers in a sextet with Hank D'Amico, Bennie Morton, Ken Kersey, Aaron Bell and Panama Francis, and some narration by Al Jazzbo Collins! Collins provides some hipster speak that sets that stage for a variety of older tunes featuring Shavers on solo. The set list includes "Dark Eyes", "Dawn On The Desert", "Story Of The Jazz Trumpet", and "Moten Swing" – all done in pretty cool, swinging versions. Side 2 of the LP features Shavers leading another sextet in front of the John Kirby Orchestra with vocalist Maxine Sullivan alongside too, and all of which include Buster Bailey on clarinet, Russell Procope on alto, and Billy Kyle on piano – on tunes that include "Windy", "Rose Room", "If I Had A Ribbon Row", "Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm", and "Molly Malone". CD

Massively funky work from the mighty Weldon Irvine – sublimely cosmic and filled with soul throughout! The vibe here is a bit more focused than on some of Weldon's earlier albums – a moody blend of electric keys, heavy percussion, and some slight bits of jazzy solo work by trumpeters Charles Sullivan and Everett Blood Hollins, and saxophonist Sonny Fortune – both players who really help the album find some soulful structure! The album's all-instrumental, and has Weldon really taking off on the keyboards – not just using them for main solos, but also dropping in cool noisy bits and analogue effects that really sound great – almost out-Herbieing Herbie Hancock for the record, and turning in some of his biggest classics on wax! Titles include the massive sample cut "We Gettin' Down", plus "Jungle Juice", "Blast Off", "Softly", "Power & The Glory", "Yasmin", and "Pogo Stick". CD