3 classic 60's LPs by this Brazilian pop vocal trio, packaged in the same cool format as the other titles in the great Portfolio series. The Trio Esperanca were a trio of female singers, and they sang in a harmony style that was similar to other Brazilian vocal groups, like Tamba Trio or Quarteto Em Cy, but which was a little more straight pop, like some of the American groups at the time. Still, there's some nice pop bossa material on here, and the set's a great one if you go for harmony vocals as much as we do. The arrangements get nice and goofy in parts, too, and the track list includes "O Sapo", "Tua", "Passarinho Sem Bossa", "Bossa Em Casa", and a lot of cool Brazilian covers of American pop hits, like "Baby Elephant Walk", "I'll Follow The Sun", or "Blame It On The Bossa Nova". CD

Well, we don't know if we'd say that this is essential stuff, but it is a pretty nice compilation of tracks – it features many great moments stretching from the early bossa years through some of the best underground MPB of today. The groove is a mix of older and modern stuff, put together by UK DJ John Armstrong with an ear for work that provides a good cross-section of catchy numbers. Titles include "Mas Que Nada" by Tamba Trio, "Aqua De Beber" by Jobim, "Outro Inverno" by Sylvia Patricia, "Milagre" by Quarteto Em Cy, "Para Raio" by As Meninas, "Swing De Campo Grande" by Os Novos Baianos, "Samba De Orly" by Chico Buarque, "Freio Aerodynamico" by Marcos Valle, "Muito Obrigado" by Djavan, "Vento De Maio" by Elis Regina, "Taj Mahal/Fio Maravilha/Pais Tropical" by Jorge Ben, "Ambar" by Maria Bethania, "Cena" by Beatriz Azevedo, "Samba De Flora" by Airto, "Tiro Ao Alvaro" by Adoniran Barbosa, "Rapunzel" by Daniel Mercury, and "O Dia Em Que Faremos Contato" by Lenine. CD

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 otheralbums from time to time, but there's still enough stuff here that we hadn't heard elsewhere – and that we like a lot! CD