A gorgeous album of Brazilian vocal jazz – a set that blends bossa roots, Brazilian jazz, and some of the sunnier touches you might find coming from Bay Area interpretations of the music in the late 70s/early 80s – such as work by Joyce Cooling or Viva Brasil! Patricia King handles the lead vocals and piano – and she's got this wonderfully soaring style that's also a bit like some of the hipper European vocalists who emerged in the wake of Tania Maria's important 70s recordings in Paris. Orlando handles guitars and a bit of vocals too – and the group has great basslines, flute, and plenty of percussion to really keep things lively – all of which makes for one of the best examples we've ever heard of this sort of style. Titles include "Sambawalk", "Choro Sambaiao", "Cancao Da Chuva", "Calma Mulher", "Num Dia Azul", and "Sinal Verde". CD

A gorgeous album of Brazilian vocal jazz – a set that blends bossa roots, Brazilian jazz, and some of the sunnier touches you might find coming from Bay Area interpretations of the music in the late 70s/early 80s – such as work by Joyce Cooling or Viva Brasil! Patricia King handles the lead vocals and piano – and she's got this wonderfully soaring style that's also a bit like some of the hipper European vocalists who emerged in the wake of Tania Maria's important 70s recordings in Paris. Orlando handles guitars and a bit of vocals too – and the group has great basslines, flute, and plenty of percussion to really keep things lively – all of which makes for one of the best examples we've ever heard of this sort of style. Titles include "Sambawalk", "Choro Sambaiao", "Cancao Da Chuva", "Calma Mulher", "Num Dia Azul", and "Sinal Verde". LP, Vinyl record album

A standout classic from the Bay Area scene – a wicked batch of grooves from an all-girl jazz combo! The singer in the group is Rhiannon – and she's got a bit of a Flora Purim feel – soaring one minute, dreamy the next – just right for the combo's blend of Fender Rhodes, piano, bass, drums, and percussion. There's a really classic feel to the set – and Rhiannon alternates nicely between scatted and sung lyrics – most famously on the album's classic cover of "Skindo Le Le", which is almost better known than the original by Viva Brasil! Other great cuts include a version of Cedar Walton's "Afreaka", Miles Davis' "Four", and the titles "What Is Life", "Happy Ending", and "City Life". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic groover from Yasuko Agawa – proof that the Japanese scene had an ear for soul in the years before Monday Michiru! The early 80s set is made up from equal parts jazz, soul, and Brazilian influences – all used nicely with tight, fusiony production that really works nicely with Yasuko's lighter-voiced approach to the lyrics. One of the highlights of the record is a remake of Viva Brasil's "Skindo-Le-Le", a great little groover with a catchy riff that's right in the Gilles P mode – but other tracks are pretty great too, and come together in a mix of different modes that's somewhat similar to an American jazzy soul album from the same time. Most of the arrangements are by keyboardist Naoya Matsuoka – and titles include "She-Senior Dreams", "Cinema", "Island Breeze", "Here & Now", and the very appropriate "Pardon My English". CD

Features work by Geraldo Vandre, Leny Eversong, Maria Odette, Elis Regina, Chico Buarque, Paulinho Da Viola, and others! LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked treasure from the great Jorge Ben – an album recorded between the fame of his "Taj Mahal" hit and Africa Brasil classic – and a set that's every bit as wonderful as those two records! There's a tight, choppy groove to most of the set – that mix of samba, soul, and currents of American funk that Jorge created in his music – turned here towards some of the unusual themes that showed up on his Tabua De Esmeralda album, but maybe given a bit more punch, too – so that even without the benefit of language, the vocals and grooves on the set are completely captivating to a global audience! There's loads of fresh sounds here – some real under-discovered gems from Jorge's key 70s years – and titles include "Cuidado Com O Bulldog", "Zagueiro", "Para Ouvir No Radio (Luciana)", "Jorge De Capadocia", "Dumingaz", "Se Segura Malandro", and "Jesualda". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great record – one that mixes some folksy currents with more modern-styled 60s Brazilian instrumentation – almost an instrumental take on territory of Geraldo Vandre! Includes great versions of "Ponteio", "Roda Viva", "Domingo No Parque, Travessia", and "Carolina". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice collection of Buarque's songs either sung by him or by others and they include "Pedro Pedreiro", "Roda-Viva", "Construcao" and "Partido Alto" performed by Caetano Veloso, "Folhetim" sung by Gal Costa, and "A Banda" by Nara Leao, plus many more! LP, Vinyl record album

Original pressing of this recording of music from the 3rd Festival of MPB in Sao Paulo in 1967. The LP was recorded in the TV Record studio in Sao Paulo – and it's got loads of great stuff, like "Roda Viva" by MPB4, "Bom Dia" and "Dada Maria" by Gal Costa, "Ponteio" by Edu Lovo and Marilia Medalha, "A Moreninha" by Gilberto Gil, and lots more cool stuff! A great one, and the kind of Brazilian compilation from the 60s that features stuff you probably can't get elsewhere! LP, Vinyl record album