Gal Costa pays tribute to one of the greatest Brazilian songwriters of an earlier age – the great Ary Barroso, one of the first to also get his songs translated into other global languages too! The language here is all Portuguese, though – but nicely updated by Gal in that range of styles she was using at the end of the 70s – a bit of jazz at times, and with that evolved level of MPB arrangement that was helping song artists find their way forward – done on this set by arrangers Roberto Menescal and Perna Froes. Caetano Veloso joins Gal on a duet of "No Tabuleiro Da Bahiana", and other tracks include "E Luxo So", "Folha Morta", "Camisa Amarela", "Aquarela Do Brasil", and "Novo Amor" – plus Gal's classic reading of "Aquarela Do Brasil". CD

Gal Costa pays tribute to one of the greatest Brazilian songwriters of an earlier age – the great Ary Barroso, one of the first to also get his songs translated into other global languages too! The language here is all Portuguese, though – but nicely updated by Gal in that range of styles she was using at the end of the 70s – a bit of jazz at times, and with that evolved level of MPB arrangement that was helping song artists find their way forward – done on this set by arrangers Roberto Menescal and Perna Froes. Caetano Veloso joins Gal on a duet of "No Tabuleiro Da Bahiana", and other tracks include "E Luxo So", "Folha Morta", "Camisa Amarela", "Aquarela Do Brasil", and "Novo Amor" – plus Gal's classic reading of "Aquarela Do Brasil". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album of mellow grooves – all featuring the lovely vocals of the great Gal Costa! Gal's moving into a style here that's jazzy and soulful – with backing that has a lot of warm fusiony elements, but which still puts her rich vocals right out front. In a way, the album's similar to a direction that Caetano took at the end of the 70s – with an approach to the music that's more mainstream than earlier albums, but no less wonderful, and no less filled with emotion and passion. Plus, the production's pretty darn nice – and is filled with lots of nicely compressed guitars and keyboards. Includes a great version of Caetano Veloso's "Tigresa", Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", Duke Ellington's "Solitude", and Jorge Ben's "Minha Estrela E Do Oriente". Other titles include "Me Rcuso", "Caras E Bocas", and "Um Favor". CD

One of the richest, most expressive albums ever from the great Gal Costa – a set from her immediate post-Tropicalia years, and one that shows that she's got a lot more to offer than just a wild sense of experimentation! Gilberto Gil is the musical director here – with help from Rogerio Duprat and Arthur Verocai – and the album's got the lofty feel you'd expect from all three talents – a rich blend of all the modern developments in Brazilian music that had taken place in the 60s, but infused with a newly rootsy sense as well – one that takes the whole thing back to a personal, expressive territory that's really wonderful. Instrumentationincludes work on keyboards by Wagner Tiso and Tenorio Jr, plus a bit of guitar from Roberto Menescal – and Gal does a great version of Caetano Veloso's "Relance" – alongside other tracks that include "Passarinho", "Da Maior Imortancia", "India", "Volta", and the funky "Pontos De Luz". The whole thing's incredibly beautiful – and it's got Gal in a wild bikini cover, too! LP, Vinyl record album

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A tribute to these three Brazilian vocal giants from the end of the 50s – four classic tracks by each of the three artists! LP, Vinyl record album

An interesting side project from Luiz Eca – an artist who most folks know as the pianist for the Tamba Trio! The vibe here is very different – a real mix of modes that even includesa a few slightly-avant tracks that really demonstrate Eca's keyboard skills at a level that we don't normally hear. Titles include work by joao Donato, Edu Lobo, Egberto Gismonti, Johnny Alf, and Radames Gnattali – and titles include "Pra Dizer Adeus", "O Sonho", "Olha Maria", and "Melancolia". LP, Vinyl record album

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A key transitional album from The Four Seasons – marking not only their shift from Vee Jay to Philips, but also their advance into new styles in the 60s! Born To Wander album is on the folky side – with acoustic guitar used heavily in the instrumentation, alongside the fuller harmonies of the four members of the group. The style is sometimes sweet, and the use of acoustic guitar links the sound somewhat to the folk pop modes of The Brothers Four – although that group could hardly boast a striking lead vocalist as great as Frankie Valli sounds here! The mode is an unusual one for the Four Seasons, but it comes off surprisingly well – thanks to arrangements from Charlie Calello and superb production from Bob Crewe – who still knows how to bring these tunes out with the heaviest pop sort of sound! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic Serge Gainsbourg album – and the BB initials in the title belong to Brigitte Bardot! This rare gem from 1968 is a second set of tracks that Serge cut with Brigitte Bardot – and it's a doozy! The record repeats a few tracks from their other effort (Bonnie & Clyde) – but it's also got some incredible cuts that are exclusive to this album, and which have that stone funky groove that makes the best late 60s work of Serge so in-demand these days! The best tracks include "Mustang", "Initials BB", and "Black And White" – all of which have incredible funky intros that are totally sampleable – and the set also includes "Bonnie & Clyde", "Qui Est In Qui Est Out", "Marilu", "Shu Ba Du Ba La Loo Ba", "Hold Up", "Torrey Canyon", "Dr Jeckyll et Monsieur Hyde", "Comic Strip", and "Bloody Jack". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Serge Gainsbourg's best albums ever – a set that we love every bit as much as his Melody Nelson classic, or his killer records with Jane Birkin! The set was recorded in the mid 70s, and it features amazing orchestrations from Alan Hawkshaw – backings that are even better than Hawk's previous sound library work, and which are filled with loads of cool spare moogy and electronic bits filtering in and out of the mix! Some tracks bubble with the same brooding brilliance and funky touches that you'd find on the Melody Nelson album – and others have a uniquely spacey quality that's unlike any of his other work! Tracks include "Transit A Marilou", "Aeroplanes", "Variations Sur Marilou", "Premiers Symptomes", and "Lunatic Asylum". A great record – and one of the first of Serge's that we'd recommend! CD

A bold leap forward from Gilberto Gil – his first album recorded during the Tropicalia years, and an amazing collaboration with arranger Rogerio Duprat! The album's got a sound that really bridges scenes in Brazil – elements of older folkloric musics, folded with samba rhythms, folded again with psychedelic touches from Os Mutantes – who also help out on the set – all wrapped together with a sound so revolutionary, it still crackles with energy all these many years later! The sound and style are impossible to describe accurately, which is part of the charm of the record – and it's key placement as one of the prime musical texts of the Tropicalia years. Titles include "Marginalia II", "Luzia Luluza", "Pega A Voga, Cabeludo", "Frevo Rasgado", "Domingou", and "Domingo No Parque". CD

The rare 3rd album by Gilberto Gil, and a key piece of the Tropicalia puzzle – one of the most wildly experimental albums from those years, and Gil's last before going into exile! The sound is much more electric than his other albums from the late 60's – and the production, songwriting, and instrumentation get very crazy at times – but never too crazy to cover up Gilberto's excellent singing, which is still as filled with feeling as ever. Arrangements are by the mighty Rogerio Duprat, who does as great a job here of balancing Gil's sensitivities as he does on Gal Costa's sublime efforts from 1969 – and the instrumentation is a weird and wonderful mix of Bahian rhythms, fuzzy guitar, and crazy electronics – all heartfelt one minute, freaked out the next. Tracks include "Cerebro Eletronico", "Volks Volkswagen Blue", "Futurivel", and "2001", which was written by Tom Ze and Rita Lee – plus the wild cut "Objecto Semi-Identificado", which is sort of a John Cage-esque track of found radio and electronics, with vocals by Gil! CD

One of the funkiest albums ever from Gilberto Gil – a set that beautifully mixes rootsy elements with tighter funk arrangements – in a style that's not unlike some of the 70s samba soul experiments from Jorge Ben! The record borrows heavily from American funk and soul of the time, and takes Gil's tight songwriting and infuses it with an even catchier edge than ever before – really creating a fantastic groove that seems to illuminate Gilberto's lyrics even more than before – with a sense of personality and joy that really comes through, even beyond the barriers of language! The whole thing's wonderful – tight, but never overproduced – and very individual, despite an influence from American soul music. Titles include "Rafavela", "Aqui E Agora", "Ile Aye", "Baba Alapala", "Era Nova", "Samba Do Aviao", and "Balafon". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more unusual 70s albums from Gilberto Gil – a record that has him alternating tracks with Germano Mathias – in a mix of older samba and choro modes! Titles include "Minha Nega Na Janela", "Samba Rubro Negro", "A Situacao Do Escurinho", and "Senhor Delegado" by Gilberto Gil – and "Falso Rebolado", "Nao Volto Para Casa", "Rua", and "Minha Pretinha" by Germando Mathias. LP, Vinyl record album

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Despite what you might think about some of Woody's big band contemporaries from the 40s, you've got to admit that Woody himself was always growing and changing as the decades went on – as this 1963 album will attest! Woody's in great form here – still working with a tight group of ensemble players, but also hitting a groovier sound that's more in keeping with the time of the material – pointing the way towards some of his sublime sides of the late 60s and early 70s with a subtle shift from swing to groove. You can hear that especially on some of the original tunes – like "Camel Walk", "Sig Ep", and "Tunin In" – and the album also features nice versions of Horace Silver's "Sister Sadie" and Horace Parlan's "Blues For JP". CD

With featured soloists Carmen Leggio, Sal Nistico, Jake Hanna, Bill Chase, Chuck Andrus, Paul Fontaine, and Phil Wilson. Titles include "The Strut", "My Wish", "Taste Of Honey", "Jazz Hoot", "Hallelujah Time", and "After You've Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully trippy group from late 60s Chicago! Like so many groups of their time, HP Lovecraft have their roots in the later years of the folk scene – where they clearly picked up a sense of free being and personal expression. Yet unlike so many other groups, who turned that energy into a warmer, sunshiney approach, Lovecraft really kept on the dark end of the spectrum – in a spacey, tripped-out mode that was very much in keeping with their name. There's almost a Love-like sense of madness to some of these tunes – but a bit less focused and baroque – and by the time of the group's second album, they were actually de-intensifying their sound a bit, creating more space and a sense of stark loneliness that's really compelling! Titles include "Spin Spin Spin", "Electrollentando", "Mobius Trip", "High Flying Bird", and "Blue Jack O Diamonds". CD

Funky funky Thailand – just about the only 70s funk group we've ever seen from that part of the globe, and a great one at that! The Impossibles work in a tightly-crafted ensemble funk style that's clearly influenced by Kool & The Gang – but which also has the group hitting some well-polished notes on a few of the album's vocal numbers – in a totally cool groove that's got plenty of hard funky riffs at the bottom, sweet horns in the middle, and some great compressed pop vocals on the top! The album's a real lost treasure – one that we've never seen on this side of the Atlantic – and was oddly recorded and issued in Sweden in the mid 70s! But this album is way more than just a musical oddity – as it's super-funky all the way through, with a level of quality that will have it at the top of your crates for a long, long time! Titles include "Hotpepper", "Give It Up", "California", "C'mon Baby", "Easy To Be Hard", "Pretty Thing", "Love Will Keep Us Together", and "Love The Life You Live". CD

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An uber-rare album from Orlando Julius & The Afro Sounders – recorded at Ginger Baker's studio in Lagos and originally (apparently quite scarcely) released by Philips in 1973 – wonderful stuff and on par with the excellent material the group recorded in the handful of previous years! The sound is terrific, still fresh and live sounding, but recorded with the best studio technology Julius had access to to date. The drums and percussion are prominent in the mix and so is the bass – with punchy, soulful brass, organs and passionate vocals. Wonderful! Tracks include "Yio Si Da Miliki Beat", "Afro Instrumental", "Osika Ranti", "Buje Buje", "Aseni" and "Kete Kete Koro". CD

Masabumi Kikuchi plays some really great electric piano here – often using the album with loud, bold tones that lie somewhere between Joe Zawinul's work with Cannonball Adderley and Miles Davis! The album's an extremely sweet electric side from the Japanese keyboardist – and it also features great work on reeds from Kosuke Mine, who plays both alto and soprano sax on the set – the latter with a wonderfully soulful, lyrical tone. Other players include Motohiko Hino on drums and Hideo Ichikawa on additional electric piano and organ – and titles include "Dancing Mist", "Thanatos", "Yellow Carcass In The Sun", "EJ", "My Companion", and "Puzzle Ring". CD

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Nara Leao's last album – a set of mellow jazz standards, produced and arranged by Roberto Menescal with a sweet modern bossa finish! The whole thing's got a very dreamy feel, as Nara sings Portuguese translations of classics by Rogers & Hart, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and others – tracks that include "You'll Never Know", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Where Or When", "Summertime", "My Foolish Heart", and "I'm In The Mood For Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite soundtracks ever – a jazzy swinging ode to love found and love lost – all penned by the legendary Michel Legrand! The work was composed in collaboration with director Jacques Demy for his 1966 film of the same name – and, like the previous Demy/Legrand collaboration, Umbrellas Of Cherbourg, the movie's a story in song – one that has much of the dialogue presented as sung lyrics to the tunes. The mode takes off from a Hollywood musical style, and pushes the genre into territory that's much hipper, very French, and with a soaring approach that's filled with plenty of mod 60s jazz grooves. Legrand's genius has never sparkled so brightly – and his ability to interweave different themes, stories, and grooves is simply amazing! This US package is even better than the original French one – with a nice colored book inside the gatefold cover that has some great photos and lyrics (translated) for the songs. Titles include "Nous Voyagons De Ville En Ville", "Depart De Camionners", "Arivee Des Camionneurs", "Chanson De Maxence", "Marins, Amins, Amants Ou Maris", and "Chanson De Jumelles". LP, Vinyl record album

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Early bossa jazz from Sergio Mendes – recorded with his famous Bossa Rio combo, in the years before he moved to America! The album's a classic in Brazilian jazz – a tight album of bossa-inflected jazz tunes played with razor-sharp precision, handled with a style that went on to influence countless other Brazilian groups at the time. Mendes is in the lead on piano, and other players include Edison Machado on drums, Raul De Souza on trombone, and Hector Costita on tenor sax. The whole thing's great – a masterpiece of both jazz and bossa – and it's filled with classic tunes arranged by Jobim, Moacir Santos, and Sergio himself. Titles include "Nana", "Primitivo", "Desafinado", "Ela E Carioca", "Amor Em Paz", "Noa Noa", and "Neurotico". CD

A tremendous first outing as a leader for Japanese saxophonist Kosuke Mine – one of our favorite players of the 70s, already sounding wonderful here right at the start! The album's got a freewheeling vibe – not entirely avant, and maybe more in the modal territory unlocked by Miles Davis a few years before – although with a very different vibe, given the Mine's in the lead on alto! Yet the group also features some very Miles-like use of electric piano – handled here by Masabumi Kikuchi, a key young contemporary of Mine, and one who'd gotten a bit more of a head start in the world of recording – really adding a lot to the record here, next to the very forward-thinking rhythm duo of American players Larry Ridley on bass and Lenny McBrowne on drums! All tracks are nice and long, and most are originals – the kind of open, long-spun cuts that really herald all the great changes taking place on the Japanese jazz scene at the time. Titles include "Little Abbi", "McPhee", "Love Taken", "Morning Tide", and "Bar L'Len". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic album from the early 60's that has Yves Montand singing a beautiful batch of songs based around the poetry of Jacques Prevert. Most of the material was written by the classic team of Kosma & Prevert, and titles include "Le Jardin", "Barbara", "Les Feuilles Mortes (Autumn Leaves)", "On Frappe", "Chanson", and "Quelqu'un". LP, Vinyl record album

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A super-groovy Dutch group from the end of the 60s – one who really showcase that shift on the scene from standard beat styles to much more sophisticated music! The group features Robbie van Leeuwen in the lineup, famous for his work to come in Shocking Blue – and the album does a great job of mixing together catchy, upbeat numbers with some that have larger arrangements – balanced in a very cool way, so that the whole thing never loses its groove – maybe a bit like the Bee Gees as they were stepping things up at the end of the 60s too, but with less harmony in the approach. Titles include "Wedding Of The Hundred Brides", "Illusions", "Looking In My Eyes", "Electric Baby", "Freedom", "Slow Motion", "Hey Everybody", "Chicks", "What's Your Name", "Eliza", and "It's Alright". LP, Vinyl record album

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Smooth harmony vocals by this classic Brazilian quartet – released on the 10th anniversary of the group, and an excellent example of the way they'd matured over the years! The style is still in the mode of their older work – with harmonies right up front in the mix – but the overall style is more sophisticated, with touches of jazz, and complicated musical backings by Wagner Tiso, Magro, and Francis Hime. Quarteto Em Cy join the group on versions of "Ana Luiza" and "Pressentimento" – and the album's got an excellent reading of Milton Nascimento's "Vera Cruz", as well as "Galope", "Canto Triste", and "Amei Tanto". LP, Vinyl record album

A great 70s album by this landmark Brazilian vocal group – recorded with a smooth electric feel that works well for their sweet harmonies. The album features songs by Joao Bosco, Livan Lins, Chico Buarque, and Edu Lobo – and the overall sound is different than their 60s work, but great in many different ways. It's because of groups like this that Brazil was able to hang onto a harmony sound long after American groups of the 60s had faded away – and if you dig the Brazilian harmony work of the 70s, you'll like this one a lot. Titles include "O Ronco Da Cuica", "Corrente", "Canto Dos Homens", "Aparecida", "Moreno", "Bola Ou Bulica", and "Negro, Negro". LP, Vinyl record album

A great album by this legendary Brazilian vocal group, and one that proves that they were still evolving their style nicely in the 70s. Some of the tracks feature the funky samba style that was showing up in other Brazilian recordings of the time, but the best bits have compilicated arrangements, with jazzy overtones, and rich harmony vocals in the best tradition of the group. Ivan Lins did a nice arrangement of the title cut, which is one of his own compositions, and other tracks include a good electric version of Milton Nascimento's "Fe Cega Faca Amolada", Edu Lobo's "Cheganca", and the baroque "Nosso Mal", which features a guest appearance by Quarteto Em Cy. LP, Vinyl record album

Debut release from the Mystic Moods Orchestra, with more of a late 60's easy feel than their 70's funk LPs, but still a nice easy sound by the group that pioneered the genre. Titles include "Shane", "Theme From A Summer Place", "Nevada Smith", and "Invitation". LP, Vinyl record album

Junko Ohashi is a Japanese singer from the city pop generation – but she gets a really soulful setting here, thanks to a strong backdrop of players from American jazz and soul! The set was recorded in New York, with production from Teruo Nakamura – who seems to take Junko into vocal territory that's similar to his own great fusion work of the time – using arrangements from Ken Suto, Mark Gray, and Bob Mintzer – and a set of players that includes John Tropea on guitar, David Sanborn on alto, and the great Harry Whitaker on piano. Lyrics are in both English and Japanese, and Junko's got a voice that's surprisingly soulful – much more so than some of her contemporaries – on titles that include "Firefly", "Caught In A Shower", "Sensual Night", "Perfect Melody", "Sugao No Mamade", "Dancin", and "In Your Lovin". LP, Vinyl record album

Although not as familiar in the US as other Brazilian artists of the time, Os Cariocas were perhaps the leading vocal group of the early bossa years, and their albums were all great jazzy interpretations of bossa material, done in the same sort of 4-part male harmony perfected by the Hi-Lo's and Four Freshmen. This is a legendary album from 1963, and it's got a dozen tracks that are all very nice bossa groovers, sung in a tight harmony vocal style. Titles include "Samba Do Aviao", "Menina Certinha", "Amor Em Paz", "Desafinado", and "So Danco Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

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There's plenty of bossa nova here – as the lovely Leila Pinheiro is working alongside Roberto Menescal – that famous Brazilian talent from the 60s, who was reemerging in the 80s to help bring back the music with a few key singers! Roberto's gentle groove works wonders with Leila – getting her past some of the darker corners of her other records, while still allowing for some of the tristeza that makes her voice so wonderful – a special balance that's carried off beautifully by the pair! Titles include "Mentiras/Ate Quem Sabe", "Pra Dizer Adeus/Candeias", "Batida Diferente/Moca Flor/Tristeza De Nos Dois", "Que Maravilha/Chove Chuva/Mas Que Nada", and "Ilusao A Toa/O Que E Amar". CD

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Elis Regina never lets us down – as you'll hear on this great record from 1971! The album captures Elis straddling the fence of her styles – one foot in the older jazzy bossa/samba camp, the other in the more sophisticated range of baroque MPB she virtually invented. Her voice is wonderful throughout – and the album includes stunning versions of Caetano Veloso's "Cinema Olympia" and "Os Argonautas", Marcos Valle's "Black Is Beautiful", Lennon/McCartney's "Golden Slumbers", Baden Powell's "Fale E Disse", and Ivan Lins' jazzy "Madalena". Great stuff throughout – and another must-have album by this legendary singer! CD

One of the last records that Elis recorded for Polygram, and a great batch of tracks that has a lot more of a jazzy feel than some of her other albums from the time! The backing is by a small little combo with some great electric piano, and there's lots of nice percussive moments to keep things moving along nicely. The set features tracks by Joao Bosco, Marcos Valle, and Ivan Lins – with the titles "Noves Fora", "Violeta De Belford Roxo", "Credo", "Deixa O Mundo E O Sol Entrar", "Dinorah, Dinorah", "Entrudo", and "Valsa Ranco". Great stuff, and one of Elis' best late albums! LP, Vinyl record album

Elis Regina hits the London scene of the late 60s – with amazing results that make the album one of her best from the early years! The style here is still quite bossa-oriented, but backings are done by Peter Knight – who'd worked with Scott Walker and some of the other hip British singers at the time – so the sound's a bit different than Elis' Brazilian records, too. Knight's quite sensitive to Regina's way of interpreting a tune – and he nicely follows the soaring, jazzy vibe that Roberto Menescal had given her at home. But the groove's also a bit more open and fluid too – with some slight Brit Easy touches that Really send the whole album home! Titles include a great version of "Upa Neguinho", plus "O Barquinho", "Zazueira", "Giro", "A Volta", "Corrida De Jangada", "Watch What Happens", and "Wave". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most diverse albums that Elis Regina cut during the 70s – a set that seems to leap from style to style with each new track, and really build from some of the more staid and jazz-based styles of her other records! Cesar Camargo Mariano is still in charge of arrangements here, but the overall sound is relatively different – mellow one minute, rockish the next, cast in stark piano after that, and always moving onward with the sort of variety we might expect from Gal Costa or Maria Bethania at this point. Some cuts are tinged with Latin and South American instrumentation, while others more guitar and electric keyboards – and highlights of the album include versions of two Joao Bosco songs "O Cavaleiro E Os Monihos" and "Jardins De Infancia", which has a beautiful soaring electric feel to it, and is a real groover along the lines of the tracks you might find on Blue Brazil. Other titles include "Tatuagem", "Como Nossos Pais", "Velha Roupa Colorida", "Los Hermanos", and "Um Por Todos". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first albums ever by this legendary bossa singer! Even at this young age, Elis Regina diplays a talent for interpretation and an emotional power that few other Brazilian vocalists could match – a way of putting over a tune that brought a whole new level of sophistication to Brazilian music in the 60s! On the set, Elis manages to give the songs a great deal of life, without smothering them in the heavier over-emotional style used by other Brazilian singers at the time – and works with light, lively, jazzy backings that are totally great. The result is a crackling batch of samba and bossa tracks that shines with warmth and imagination. The set includes a lot of tracks by Edu Lobo, and titles include "Sou Sem Paz", "Reza", "Por Um Amor Maior", "Joao Valentao", "Aleluia", "Ultimo Canto", and "Preciso Aprender A Ser So". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic live set from 1978, featuring Elis at the height of her interpretive powers, performing with backing by Cesar Mariano and his fusiony CIA group. The sound is nicely electric, with elements of rock and jazz blending beautifully behind Elis' rich vocals. Mariano plays Fender Rhodes in a warm way that overcomes the sound space of the live setting, enveloping Elis in warm mellow sound. Titles include "Construcao", "Fascinacao", "Deus Lhe Pague", "Cartomante", "Meio-Termo", "Boto", and "Cao Sem Dono". Great stuff, with the kind of raw emotion that makes live albums by Brazilian artists well worth tracking down! LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album – and a landmark session that showed that the bossa nova was still alive and well in the 1970s! The album pairs the breathy jazz vocals of Elis Regina with the booze-soaked warmth of Antonio Carlos Jobim – in a set of spare arrangements that feature a lot of touches from Cesar Carmargo Mariano, whose work on Elis Regina's 70s sessions is still the stuff of legend! Elis' vocals dominate, but when Tom comes in, the result is even more spectacular – especially given the generally light instrumentation used on most tracks – which means that the vocals carry the bulk of the sound on the set! Includes the pair's sublime duet on "Aguas de Marco", plus the tracks "Fotografia", "Brigas, Nunca Mais", "Retrato Em Branco E Preto", "Chovendo No Roseira", "Modinha", and "Triste". CD

The first in a series of groundbreaking collaborations between a young Elis Regina and Jair Rodrigues – one of Elis' first big albums ever, recorded live before a very enthusiastic crowd! The set's a mix of bossa and samba numbers – often sung in duet mode by Elis and Jair – trading lines back and forth with a tremendous sense of energy – although some tracks have each artist stepping out strongly on their own. The album leads off with an extended classic in the "pot-pourri" mode, then rolls into other tracks that include "Precisco Aprender A Ser So", "Ta Engrossando", "Menini Das Laranjas", "Reza", "Terra De Ninguem", and "Arrastao" – all with tight jazz bossa instrumentation! LP, Vinyl record album

A one of a kind record that still sparkles as brightly today as it did back in the late 60s – an amazing collaboration between Brazilian vocalist Elis Regina and Scandinavian jazzman Toots Thielemans – done in a style that easily makes it one of the best records ever from both artists! Elis is at the height of her jazzy late 60s powers here – working in a soaring, breezy sort of style – but one with a lot more depth and soul than some of her contemporaries. She brings a great deal of feeling to the tunes, but always without doing too much – and this leaves plenty of space for Toots to add his touches – on harmonica, guitar, and even a bit of whistling – which really sits in nicely with the grooves. The production and overall sound is sublime – one of those never matched again sort of studio dates – and titles include great versions of "Canto De Ossanha", "Wave", "Voce", "Wilsamba", "Five For Elis", "Volta", and "O Sonho". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff! In a manner that's similar to (but better than) her live albums with Jair Rodriguez, Elis performs here in a great live show with the nutty Miele. The backing is by the Elis 5, led by Roberto Menescal, and they have a great groove that supports the material very nicely. Plus, the presence of Miele adds a lot of humor to the album, and his English language commentary opens the fun of the show up to American listeners like this. The album's a real treat – and a lost mad chapter of Elis' rich career! Includes a groovy version of "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You", Caetano Veloso's "Irena", plus the songs "Samba Da Bencao", "Casa Forte", "Carolina", and "Aquele Abraco". CD

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An incredibly groovy record from Dutch singer Rita Reys – quite possibly her grooviest ever, thanks to some very hip London touches from the Scott Walker team of Peter Knight on arrangements and Johnny Franz on production! At the end of the 60s, London was definitely one of the hippest places for a vocalist to work – a place where singers like Elis Regina, Blossom Dearie, and Ella Fitzgerald all opened up their talents tremendously. Rita does the same here – working with instrumentation that's full, flowing, and perfectly pitched to handle both the upbeat moments on the record, and the more contemplative ones – cast out over a well-chosen batch of tunes that go way beyond the standards! Titles include "The Moment Of Truth", "Soon It's Gonna Rain", "Our Language Of Love", "Sing A Rainbow", "You'd Better Love Me", "More Than You Know", and "Come Back To Me". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Features arrangements from Wilson Mauro, Luiz Roberto, and Sergio Carvalho – on titles that include "Porta E Pra Bater", "Vida Marcada", "Jeito De Paz", "Ele E Portela", "Couro Comendo", "Minha Rua", "Mulato Chocolate", and "Saudade Me Deixa". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best albums we've ever heard by this soulful Brazilian singer – with modern arrangements that mix together sparkling jazzy backings and slight bits of rootsy percussion. Rogerio Duprat and Portinho arranged the album together – and Jair's vocals are in tremendous shape throughout. Titles include "Chao", "Recado A Crianca", "Pobre Morro", "Se Eu Ficasse Rico", "Samba Erudito", "Ninguem Sofre Mais Do Que Eu", "Arranha-Ceu", "Vem, Companheiro", and "Chorava No Meio Da Rua". LP, Vinyl record album

The first full length album from Dutch reedman Herman Schoonderwalt – a musician pictured with a clarinet on the cover, but who also blows alto and soprano sax on the date as well! Schoonderwalt had appeared on a few of the previous well-circulated Jazz Behind The Dikes series – an important showcase for Dutch jazz in the postwar years – but this is the first set to feature the reedman as a leader, and he really seems to have saved up all of his best energy for the session – blowing with an easy dexterity on all instruments, ala Jimmy Giuffre – and with an open flow that's more modern than you might expect, almost the mix of modernism and lyricism that you'd get from Stan Getz in his post-bossa years. The rhythm section is great – Rob Madna on piano, Ruud Jacobs on bass, and Cees See on drums – and titles include "Nardis", "The Winner", "My Plea", "Speak Low", "The Winker", "Get Out Of Town", and "I Loves You Porgy". CD features 5 bonus tracks – with a variety of different group settings – "Cheops", "Mensen Van Morgen", "Our Delight", "Tranquilloquy", and "Visca L'Ampurda". CD

An incredible album from Brazilian rock legend Raul Seixas – easily one of the most important artists to emerge after the Tropicalia generation – and a singer with a sound that's as striking as his image on the cover! The album's got an explosive blend of styles – everything from psychedelic samba to country rock to easy rock tunes – all bound together by the strong sense of presence that helped Seixas elevate to become one of Brazili's most controversial rock stars of the time, all with the kind of legacy you might expect from the cover image! The sound is great – very different than what American and Anglo groups were doing at the time, although with sly nods to their modes from time to time – and titles include the English track "How Could I Know", plus "As Minas Do Rei Salomao", "Mosca Na Sopa", "Cachorro", "Al Capone", and the strange electronic "Introducao". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Don't let the "broadway" or the "blues" or the "ballads" in the title put you off – because this album's way more than any of those! As usual, Nina takes tunes that have common roots and she makes them all her own – working here with arrangements by Horace Ott and Hal Mooney, Nina shifts modes and moods with effortless ease, turning songs from ordinary tunes into fierce expressions of righteous soul. Titles include "The Laziest Gal In Town", "Nobody", "I Am Blessed", "Of This I'm Sure", "See Line Woman", "Last Rose Of Summer", and "How Can I". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of classic material from the Philips Records years of Nina Simone – a key 60s moment when she was moving way past her roots as a jazz singer, to embrace all sorts of righteous new styles – and set a tone for singers that's held strong for decades! The music here is bubbling over with a new sense of pride and power for the 60s – a style that certainly ruffled some feathers at the time, but which really came to be that which established the legacy of Nina Simone after earlier periods recording for the Bethlehem and Colpix labels. The choice of cuts is great – and titles include "Four Women", "See Line Woman", "Wild Is The Wind", "Take Care Of Business", "Tell Me More & More & Then Some", "Ne Me Quitte Pas", "Feeling Good", "I Put A Spell On You", and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" – plus live versions of "Mississippi Goddam" and "I Loves You Porgy". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful stuff from Nina Simone – working here still with one foot in the jazzier style of early days, but with haunting elements of the later progressive style to come! The "pastel" in the title shouldn't imply any sort of softness on Nina's part, because if anything, she's really sharpening up her game a lot here – packing a punch that wasn't allowed so strongly on some of her earlier recordings. The album features an incredible 10 minute version of "Sinnerman", arranged by Nina with complicated jazzy riffing and a nice breakdown in the middle that's completely sublime – and other tracks include "Be My Husband", "End Of The Line", "Chilly Winds Don't Blow", "Strange Fruit", and "Ain't No Use". LP, Vinyl record album

A sparkling set of early work from the great Dusty Springfield! Tracks include "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me", "If It Don't Work Out", "Won't Be Long", "Oh No! Not My Baby", "It Was Easier To Hurt Him", "Long After Tonight Is All Over", and "I Had A Talk With My Man". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Lovely work from this overlooked Japanese pianist – a really great player who hits some warmly soulful grooves in this mid 70s set! The album features Kunihiko Sugano's trio working with an extra percussionist – a player who doesn't step in much, but who manages to bring a special sort of sound to the set – a snappingly soulful bottom that seems to push the piano even more than before, taking Sugano's normally lyrical sound and stretching it out with some warmly grooving energy. Titles include great takes of "On A Clear Day", "Route 66", "Stella By Starlight", and the original "Erromanga". LP, Vinyl record album

Lovely work from this overlooked Japanese pianist – a really great player who hits some warmly soulful grooves in this mid 70s set! The album features Kunihiko Sugano's trio working with an extra percussionist – a player who doesn't step in much, but who manages to bring a special sort of sound to the set – a snappingly soulful bottom that seems to push the piano even more than before, taking Sugano's normally lyrical sound and stretching it out with some warmly grooving energy. Titles include great takes of "On A Clear Day", "Route 66", "Stella By Starlight", and the original "Erromanga". CD

An important group in the development of new Brazilian musical styles during the 90s – with a bloco percussion groove at the core, and modern production over the top. Music melder Carlinhos Brown arranged and produced – which should explain the strength of the sound – and tracks include "Mulate Do Bunde", "Canto Pro Mar", "Filha Da mae", "Itaim Para O Candeal", and "Any Aye". CD