The lovely Quarteto Em Cy sing the work of Dorival Caymmi, Edu Lobo, and Antonio Carlos Jobim – plus additional contributions from junior members of their families! The style is that warm four-part harmony that the group first forged back in the bossa years – updated here a bit with some slightly modern production and instrumentation, but kept relatively spare and simple throughout – never too overdone, and always with a strong focus on the vocals. Paulo Jobim and his father help a bit on the arrangements here – and titles include "Maria E Dia", "Milagre", "Desenredo", "Caminhos Cruzados", "Tataravo", "Borzeguim", "Preconceito", and "Vento Bravo" – always a great track, but especially great in this version! LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful album from Quarteto Em Cy – the Brazilian vocal quartet who first rose to prominence during the bossa nova years, but soon moved into even more sophisticated material during the 70s! The approach of this set is telegraphed in the title – as the group take on songs penned by Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento, Ivan Lins, and Gonzaguinha – the new MPB generation of the 70s, whose music turns out to be perfect for the growing talents of the girls – topped off with some beautiful arrangements from Octavio Burnier, whose work really rises to the level of the vocals! The whole thing's great – a magnificent journey in sound – and titles include "Idolatrada", "Barco Fantasma", "Antes De Seja Tarde", "O Ultimo Trem", "Um Dia", "Ponta De Areia", "Gira Girou", "Ciranda Menina", and "Abandonado". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty great collection of rare Brazilian tunes form the 60s – all associated with the important Festival of song in Rio. Side one features live recordings from the festival – including two unique versions of "Travessia" and "Morro Velho", both done in a warm intimate style by Milton Nasicmento. Other live tracks include "Se Voce Voltar" by Zeze Gonzaga, "Maria Minha Fe" by Agostinho Dos Santos, and "Sao Os Do Norte Que Vem" by Claudionor Germano. Side two features some wonderful studio recordings, with a great batch of rare tunes done mostly in a bossa mode. Titles include "Seque Cantando" and "Quem Diz Que Sabe" by the vocal group Quarteto 004, "Chora Minha Nega", a driving samba number by Reginaldo Bessa, and "Margarida" and "Carolina", two nice pop numbers by Maricene. 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

An excellent compilation of work by this heavenly Brazilian vocal group! The Quarteto Em Cy were one of the loveliest combos of the bossa years, and they continued to make great work into the 70s and 80s – as you'll hear on this "best of" set that spans the group's 30 years in the music business. Titles include "A Banda", "Intuil Paisagem", "O Circo", "Idolatrada", "Sim Ou Nao", "Salve O Verde", "Samba Do Crioulo Doido", and a few "pout pourri" tracks that feature work by Jobim, Ary Barroso, and Antonio Maria. CD

Groovy batch of tracks by the lovely Quarteto Em Cy, Brazil's foremost female vocal group. The album's a tribute to the great Chico Buarque, and the tracks are largely Buarque's originals, done in the ladies' haunting breezy style. Titles include "Tamandare", "Tem Mais Samba", "O Cio Da Terra", "Joao E Maria", "Choro Bandido", and "Anos Dourados". CD

A very cool 70s album from Quarteto Em Cy – done with a sound that's quite different than their earlier work, but still pretty darn great! There's a compressed approach used to record the vocals here – a style that takes off from their 1972 album, but has a slightly more electrified feel – almost the warmth of some of the best French work of the 70s. The vocals are still wonderful, and really sound great in this setting – never cheesy and instead almost expanded by the new approach. Titles include a great version of Joyce's "Feminina", plus "Maria Maria", "Sabia", "Vinho Amargo", "Bom Dia", and "Nada Alem". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful stuff from the lovely Quarteto Em Cy – but aren't they always wonderful? The record's got a spare stripped-down instrumental style, and was recorded live with bossa backing – so that the girls' voices are right out front, free and clear, doing the main work of the songs. The harmonies are as heavenly as always, and tracks include "Samambaias", "Resistindo", "Canta, Canta Mais", "Funeral De Um Lavrador", and "Dorme, Meu Menino, Dorme". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazingly beautiful album, recorded by Vinicius De Moraes, Dorival Caymmi, Oscar Castro-Neves, and The Quarteto Em Cy for some sort of a special show. Castro-Neves provides some excellent bossa backing, the Quarteto girls sing chorus and over the top, Vinicius does some recitations, and Caymmi sings lead vocals. If the whole thing sound's a bit heavy-handed, it's not – and instead is an amazing batch of heavenly bossa-tinged tracks, with all the intelligence and imagination of the best titles on the Elenco label. The whole thing's extremely lively, and has an other-worldly sound that matches Vinicius' classic Afro Sambas LP with Baden Powell. Tracks include "Bom Dia Amigo", "Berimbau", "Historia De Pescadores", "Formosa", "Broto Maroto", and "Aruanda". LP, Vinyl record album

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An incredible gem from Walter Wanderley's years in Brazil – a Quarteto Bossamba recording that features Wanderley on both piano and organ, often overdubbed at the same time for a very cool sound! The style is quite different from most of Wanderley's better-known records in the US – and the heavier bossa tones on piano provide a nicely soulful counterpoint to lighter grooves on Hammond – really fleshing out the tunes with an array of jazzy sounds and colors! Wanderley's work on the piano is almost far more expressive than his more familiar organ – as he hits the acoustic keys with a sense of lyrical grace and depth of feeling that's really striking. Titles include an excellent version of "Canto De Ossanha", plus "Chuva", "Cheganca", "Vivo Sonhando", "Maria Moita", and "Verdade Em Paz". LP, Vinyl record album

Easily one of the greatest records that Brazilian percussionist Airto ever recorded – a stunning blend roots and jazzy currents, and a set that follows strongly off his work in the group Quarteto Novo! The set's got contributions from one of his key partners in that combo – reedman Hermeto Pascoal – and like Pascoal's material at this point, the whole thing is maybe one of the most perfect realizations of the musical vision that Airto was going for! There's none of the tighter, more polished sounds of his later fusion years – and this is the record that will show you just why his arrival on the American scene made such big waves at the time. Flora Purim also sings on the record – and titles include "Andei", "On Sonho", Papo Furado", and "O Galho da Rosiera". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful album – timeless in sound and style, and a set that almost takes us back to the warmth of some of our favorite Brazilian records from the 70s! Bala Desejo have a way of mixing harmonies with lead vocals that's completely sublime – often set to light percussion, acoustic guitar, and other spare instrumental touches that glow as nicely as the vocals! If you've heard some of the 70s material from Quarteto Em Cy, you'll know part of the vibe here – but there's also maybe a more contemporary sense of songwriting too, which really keeps things fresh – on titles that include "Lua Comanche", "Nesse Sofa", "Chupeta", "Faixa Tecnica", "Chronofagia", "Muito So", "Dourado Dourado", and "Lambe Lambe". CD

A really wonderful album – timeless in sound and style, and a set that almost takes us back to the warmth of some of our favorite Brazilian records from the 70s! Bala Desejo have a way of mixing harmonies with lead vocals that's completely sublime – often set to light percussion, acoustic guitar, and other spare instrumental touches that glow as nicely as the vocals! If you've heard some of the 70s material from Quarteto Em Cy, you'll know part of the vibe here – but there's also maybe a more contemporary sense of songwriting too, which really keeps things fresh – on titles that include "Lua Comanche", "Nesse Sofa", "Chupeta", "Faixa Tecnica", "Chronofagia", "Muito So", "Dourado Dourado", and "Lambe Lambe". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool vocal group from the Brazilian scene of the 90s – a quintet who issued this album initially only on CD, but with a sound that's got a much more classic vibe than you'd expect from the date! The harmonies are great – and follow in a legacy that includes older groups like Trio Esperanca or Quarteto Em Cy – but the setting is a bit different, and borrows as much from Latin music at times as it does from Brazilian rhythms – often served up with some really bold, jazzy currents in the instrumentation that really send the whole thing over the top! Titles include "Pe No Chao", "Cristalina", "Horas", "Meu Lugar", "Rio Seco", "Ave No Ninho", "Sertao Mar", "Esse Amor", and "Pai Do Criacao". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic samba material from the legendary Monsueto – released as part of EMI's excellent Raizes Do Samba series, and featuring 20 tracks from the years 1956 to 1963. Titles include "Bola Branca", "A Fonte Secou", "Sambamba", "Retrato De Cabral", "Bateria E Solo De Percussao", "Mane Joao", and "Segunda Lua-De-Mel/Fogo No Morro". Most tracks have some ensemble female vocals – ala Quarteto Em Cy, hard heavy percussion, and great soulful lead vocals! CD

Classic bossa mixed with more ambitious touches for the 70s – easily one of the greatest records ever to come from the team of Vinicius and Toquinho! The record has vocals by both, often layered on top of each other with a wonderfully spacious feel that spreads out beautifully between the speakers – and instrumentation features Toquinho's acoustic guitar supported by fuller, jazzier backings from Francis Hime and Edu Lobo – both of whom hit that sublime blend of warmth and space that made their own early 70s Brazilian albums so great! Titles include "Carta Ao Tom 74", "Como E Duro Trabalhar", "Samba Da Volta", "Samba Pra Vinicus", "Samba Do Jato", and "Canto E Contraponto", with a guest performance by Quarteto Em Cy. 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

The amazing first album from Brazilian modern musical genius Hermeto Pascoal – a set that would change the world of jazz and Brazilian music for years to come! By the time of the set, Hermeto was no stranger to the scene – he'd recorded famously in Quarteto Novo with Airto, and in some other key groups – yet this set also marks a real transformation, the rise of Pascoal as a new visionary, with endless fresh ideas for sounds, rhythms, and instrumental possibilities! And yet, the album's still very groovy – it follows nicely off the spirit of Quarteto Novo, and mixes tight rhythmic changes with all sorts of incredible instrumental inflections – work by Pascoal on keyboards and flute – augmented with drums and percussion from Airto, and a range of reeds from American jazz musicians Jerome Richardson, Maurico Smith, Joe Farrell, Jerry Dodgion, and Hubert Laws – as well as trombone from the great Garnett Brown, and trumpets from Thad Jones and Joe Newman. The mix of American players and Brazilian inspiration is wonderful – and Airto and Flora Purim produced the set – and the latter sings a bit on the record. Titles include "As Marianas", "Alicate", "Hermeto", "Coalhada", "Fabiola", "Guizos", and "Flor Do Amor". CD

The amazing first album from Brazilian modern musical genius Hermeto Pascoal – a set that would change the world of jazz and Brazilian music for years to come! By the time of the set, Hermeto was no stranger to the scene – he'd recorded famously in Quarteto Novo with Airto, and in some other key groups – yet this set also marks a real transformation, the rise of Pascoal as a new visionary, with endless fresh ideas for sounds, rhythms, and instrumental possibilities! And yet, the album's still very groovy – it follows nicely off the spirit of Quarteto Novo, and mixes tight rhythmic changes with all sorts of incredible instrumental inflections – work by Pascoal on keyboards and flute – augmented with drums and percussion from Airto, and a range of reeds from American jazz musicians Jerome Richardson, Maurico Smith, Joe Farrell, Jerry Dodgion, and Hubert Laws – as well as trombone from the great Garnett Brown, and trumpets from Thad Jones and Joe Newman. The mix of American players and Brazilian inspiration is wonderful – and Airto and Flora Purim produced the set – and the latter sings a bit on the record. Titles include "As Marianas", "Alicate", "Hermeto", "Coalhada", "Fabiola", "Guizos", and "Flor Do Amor". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of hip work from this famous Brazilian song festival – with other material by Quarteto Em Cy, Claudette Soares, Guetemberg Guarabyra & Grupo Manifesto, and Mario Teles! LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous debut from Tunico – a record that seems certain to begin an amazing legacy in Brazilian music – at a level that has this young musician easily rivaling some of our favorites from the past! The set's got this way of mixing earthy roots with very modern arrangements – all set to warmly jazzy instrumentation, at a level that recalls some of our favorite early 70s experiments by artists like Edu Lobo, Hermeto Pascoal, or Airto – especially the latter two right after they'd left the group Quarteto Novo! Tunico himself plays guitar, and both alto and soprano sax – and the tunes have this way of soaring and gliding wonderfully – rhythms that are very organic, but inflected with all sorts of other unusual phrasing on instruments by the leader and other members of the group – more guitar, plus keyboards, flute, bass, and plenty of percussion. The whole thing's extremely beautiful, with a quality that's hard to put into words – and titles include "Decolagem", "Sambola", "Solar Das Hortencias", "Saudade Do Sucupira", "Galope", and "O Que Vira". CD

A tremendous debut from Tunico – a record that seems certain to begin an amazing legacy in Brazilian music – at a level that has this young musician easily rivaling some of our favorites from the past! The set's got this way of mixing earthy roots with very modern arrangements – all set to warmly jazzy instrumentation, at a level that recalls some of our favorite early 70s experiments by artists like Edu Lobo, Hermeto Pascoal, or Airto – especially the latter two right after they'd left the group Quarteto Novo! Tunico himself plays guitar, and both alto and soprano sax – and the tunes have this way of soaring and gliding wonderfully – rhythms that are very organic, but inflected with all sorts of other unusual phrasing on instruments by the leader and other members of the group – more guitar, plus keyboards, flute, bass, and plenty of percussion. The whole thing's extremely beautiful, with a quality that's hard to put into words – and titles include "Decolagem", "Sambola", "Solar Das Hortencias", "Saudade Do Sucupira", "Galope", and "O Que Vira". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent session of rare bossa material, recorded at the legendary Paramount Theatre, the temple to bossa nova! The album features tracks by a number of different artists, handled with a lot more care and a lot better recording quality than other live bossa sessions – and the result is one of the best compilations from the old days that we can think of. Features an amazing version of "Nana" by The Zimbo Trio, with a great funky bass breakdown in the middle – and other great tracks include "Vivo Sonhando" by Wanda De Sah, "Antes E Depois" by Oscar Castro Neves, "Tem Do De Mim" by Quarteto Em Cy, and a great duet on "Terra De Ninguem" by Marcos Valle and Elis Regina! CD

An incredible little record with a sound that's unlike anything else we've ever heard before – a set that mixes jazzy inflections on vibes, organ, guitar, percussion, and flute – the last of which is played here by a young Hermeto Pascoal! The set was done after Pascoal's work in Quarteto Novo but before some of his more complicated jazz albums of the 70s – and it's got a style that mixes his own love of playful rhythms and complicated shadings with a lighter, freer approach to the music – one that's almost in line with some of the EMI/Odeon work of the time, but which comes off with a slightly different feel. The drums get quite funky at times, and the mix of instruments reminds us a fair bit of the legendary Aquarians album on Uni from the US – but with an influence that's more bossa-driven, in comparison to the Latin modes of that set. At times, there's a lightly dancing beauty to the record that's almost in soundtrack mode – but tunes are more focused overall, and clearly aware of their own instrumental power. Titles include "Gamboa", "Rhodosando", "Cancao Latina", "Summer Hill", "Pavane", "Chaye", "Gosto De Ser Como Sou", "Casa Forte", and "O Passaro". LP, Vinyl record album

Brazilian funk, Brooklyn style – and one of the hippest collections of Brazilian grooves we've ever heard! The collection was put together by New York DJs Sean Marquand and Greg Caz – and it's got a wickedly funky vibe that comes from plenty of 70s samba soul! The style here is really different than other Brazilian Beats titles from Mr Bongo – as the work here is all classic, and chosen from a really fresh perspective – the new wave of interest in this music that's been bubbling up from the American underground, with a completely different perspective on the grooves from older scenes in Rio, Tokyo, or London! Most tracks here should be new to your ears – and although some of the tracks here have been reissued before, but they really come alive in different ways, thanks to the depth and careful pacing of the set. 22 tracks in all – with titles that include "Cafua" by Nonato, "Taieiras" by Ely Camargo, "Jeep" by Erasmo Carlos, "Cobra Criada" by Joao Bosco, "E Necessario" by Tim Maia, "Marcas" by Quarteto Uai, "Skim Dum Dum Dum" by Ana Rosely, "Black Soul Brothers" by Miguel De Deus, "Mais Kriola" by Helio Matheus, "A Festa" by Silvio Cesar, "Tava Mas Nao Tava" by Edson Frederico, "Uma Rosa Pra Dita" by Os Increveis, "Aleluia" by Robson Jorge & Licoln Olivetti, and "Beija-Flor Suite" by Chalo Eduardo. LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful album – timeless in sound and style, and a set that almost takes us back to the warmth of some of our favorite Brazilian records from the 70s! Bala Desejo have a way of mixing harmonies with lead vocals that's completely sublime – often set to light percussion, acoustic guitar, and other spare instrumental touches that glow as nicely as the vocals! If you've heard some of the 70s material from Quarteto Em Cy, you'll know part of the vibe here – but there's also maybe a more contemporary sense of songwriting too, which really keeps things fresh – on titles that include "Lua Comanche", "Nesse Sofa", "Chupeta", "Faixa Tecnica", "Chronofagia", "Muito So", "Dourado Dourado", and "Lambe Lambe". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gal Costa, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud Gilberto & Antonio Carlos Jobim, Toots Thielemans & Elis Regina, Djavan, Antonio Carlos Jobim & Nova Banda, Nova Banda, Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso, Quarteto Jobim-Morelenbaum, and more. CD

A landmark session from the great Baden Powell – a record that completely transformed the sound of his music, and showed the world he had much deeper talents than just simple bossa guitar! The session was done in collaboration with poet Vinicius De Moraes, with additional vocals from Quarteto Em Cy – and the sound is a completely captivating blend of rootsy percussion, airy guitar, and poetic vocals – held together with a unique magic that was hardly ever duplicated again! There's a genius here that's hard to peg, but which is apparent from the very first note – and equal credit should possibly also be given to producer Roberto Quartin, who managed to make the whole thing happen with an echoey brilliance that's almost as important as the music itself. Titles include the original version of "Canto De Ossanha", plus "Tempo de Amor", "Tristeza E Solidao", "Lamento De Exu", "Bocoche", and "Canto De Xango". (Note: there is a slight dip in sound on the first minute or so of the record – and this is a tragic flaw in the original mastering, and not in this pressing.) CD

Very groovy stuff! If you're not familiar with The Free Design, they were a cool easy/jazzy vocal group from the late 60s/early 70s, and they had a sound that was somewhere between The Four Freshmen and The Carpenters, and which also owed a lot to some of the Brazilian vocal groups of the 60's, like Grupo Manifesto or the Quarteto Em Cy. But over and above cool easy vocal harmonies, the group also wrote some pretty keen tracks that had a weird slightly-psychedelic bent to them. We're not saying that they were dropping acid or anything, but imagine what would happen if Karen and Richard Carpenter got their hands on Brian Wilson's stash, and spend the afternoon messing around in his studio – and you'll begin to get part of the picture. Loads of groovy cuts, including "I Found Love", "Bubbles", "2002 – A Hit Song", "My Brother Woody", "You Could Be Born Again", and a cool version of "A Man & A Woman". CD

The songs of Lupicinio – performed by Cyro Monteiro, Linda Batista, Jamelao, Quarteto Quitandinha, Francisco Alves, and Orlando Silva. LP, Vinyl record album