Toco - Memoria (2014)

Memory doesnʼt age, it always remains the same.

 

“Memoria” is an album about my memories, my hometown, the scent and flavours of my childhood, things Iʼve read, movies Iʼve watched at the cinema and my love for music. Itʼs about going back home, re-establishing a link with the past and recalling cheerful and happy memories.

“Memoria” refers specifically to the regions of Minais Gerais and the Brazilian northeast, its hot climate, the religiousness of the people and its faith in miracles, calling to mind images of mysterious and surreal popular tales, where time flows slowly in an intimate dimension.

 

                                                                                                                                          Toco

Sonzeira: Brasil Bam Bam

 As the World Cup draws near and the irresistible rhythms of Brazil take centre stage, Gilles announced his extraordinary new record – an incredible journey through the different flavours of authentic Brazilian music culture, from its majestic heritage to its super-dynamic present. ‘Sonzeira: ‘Brasil Bam Bam Bam, is set to be released on May 19th via Talkin’ Loud / Virgin EMI and will be the first release on Talkin’ Loud in over a decade. ‘Southern Freeez’ will be released as a limited edition 7” for Record Store Day on April 19th.

Ithamara Koorax - Got To Be Real (2012)

 Maybe the greatest album so far from Ithamara Koorax – and quite a change from some of her previous records, too! A number of the songs are 70s soul classics – music that's clearly inspired Ithamara over the years, and which really drives her to deliver a strongly soulful vocal approach throughout! Another great aspect of the album is the presence of Jose Roberto Bertrami – who brings in these amazing Fender Rhodes lines that really fit the sound – the kind of warm, soulful lines that always made his work in Azymuth so great. There's still a nice dose of Brazilian jazz in the mix, but the overall approach is a lot more soul-based than usual – and the jazzy keyboards really deepen the sound, too – and give the record a feel that's way deeper than just a collection of covers. Titles include "Got To Be Real", "Butterfly", "Goin Out Of My Head", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Negue", "My Favorite Things", "Vesti Azul", and "Pigmalio 70". 

OUT NOW ON IRMA records 

BOOK: Bossa Nova Cover Art by Soul Jazz

This is the first ever collection of bossa nova record cover artwork, featuring stunning modernist and revolutionary designs that reflect the radical and exciting idealism of Brazil at the start of the 1960s.

Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker (Soul Jazz Records) bring you this amazing new deluxe hardback 12" x 12" book, 200 pages, 100s of stunning absolutely killer Bossa Nova sleeves from Brazil plus loads of historical, cultural and social text as well as biographies on loads of the artists!

As Brazil developed into an urban society, with ‘apartment living’ and consumer goods, bossa nova projected an image that was modern, sophisticated and cool. Bossa Nova music arrived in Brazil at the end of the 1950s with an optimism and modernism that parralleled the arrival of the new Brazilian president, Juscelino Kubitschek, who promised 'fifty years of progress in five' in his election campaign and announced the building of a new capital city, Brasilia, deep in the heartland of Brazil. The city was designed by Oscar Niemeyer, a man who had just designed a new musical theatre production in Rio of a play written by Vinicius de Moraes and with music written by Antonio Carlos Jobim. These two, along with the singer João Gilberto were about to make Bossa Nova, the first modernist Brazilian art form, the most succesful Brazilian export since coffee.

This book is a unique collection of the cover art of Brazilian bossa nova music, containing hundreds of record covers complete with a history of bossa nova, biographies and essays on many of the artists involved in the movement. The book follows on from our previous cover art book on Jazz called Freedom, Rhythm and Sound, also edited by Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker.

To coincide with the book, there is also a separate double-CD album, 'Bossa Nova and the Rise of Brazilian Music in the 1960s' also released on Soul Jazz Records.

Stuart Baker interview on Jungle Drums mag

4 more Bossa covers click the Guardian photo library here

V.A. - RED HOT + RIO (1996)

If you love the bossa sound , then I will not have to say anything else about "Red Hot in Rio" other than the list of stunning musicians on this one album is awesome. What about Astrud Gilberto, George Michael, Incognito, Everything but the girl, Tom Jobim, Sting, Herbie Mann, Anna Caram, Flora Purim, Airto, Marisa Monte, Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil to namedrop a few.

This mix of traditional grooves and upfront Brazilian masterpieces would be welcome to any bossa fan but many of the songs have been reworked, like the classic "Corcovado" or the dreamy duet by Astrud and George on Stan Getz’s "Desfinado". Crystal Waters performs a high powered up-tempo version of "The Boy from Ipanema" Tom Jobim teams up with Sting to shine on Tom’s "How Insensitive" which can be found on Jobim’s "Braziliero" set and David Byrne joins Marisa Monte on "Waters of March" which is the theme tune from the movie "The Adventurers" a song made famous by Sergio Mendes in the seventies.

The most beautiful track on the album for me is the stunning "Segurana" featuring "Maxwell" which is a vibes and sax led bolero type midnight groove which is reason itself to buy this collection.

The Incognito / Omar / Anna Caram version of "Agua de Beber" is a flute led light and breezy drifter with traditional Brazilian percussion providing a Nippy Noya / Mamao style backdrop.

It’s hard to produce a Brazilian album without the influence of Tom Jobim and "Red Hot in Rio" is no different. Some purists may say that this is no way to treat the wonderful music and culture that Jobim gave to us but this collection tries to bridge the gap between then and now and in many cases does it wonderfully.

If you have always thought that bossa nova music was too tame and regarded it as "elevator music" then this album may be a way for you to join the millions of already converted bossa fans who enjoy this magical sound

http://www.allaboutjazz.com

Rosalia De Souza - D' Improvviso (2009)

Appeal and magic, sensuality and mysticism. These are just some of the feelings expressed in the new album by the Brazilian artist Rosalia De Souza, who relied upon Luciano Cantone’s artistic production, co-founder of the Schema Records and producer of the multi prize winner album “Handful Of Soul” by Mario Biondi. “D’Improvviso” recalls places and tastes connected to the Brazilian music of the past and in particular to the sixties. A genuine album touched by a singular Afro-Jazz sound, whose compositions show several aspects expressed by the different essences of the huge Brazilian music tradition. Slavery, politics, cultural movements of the 50’s-60’s, shanty-towns and the importance of the mixture rhythm/harmony where the Brazilian music is more intensified than the other ones. Bossa nova, afro, jazz, pop. We are in front of a multiform project where valued instrumentalists like Fabrizio Bosso, Lorenzo Tucci, Pietro Ciancaglini e Luca Mannutza took part.

(Text by SoulSeduction)

Rosalia @ MySpace - Rosalia on UTube -

Tim Maya the Soul of Brazil

Tim Maia (1942-1998) was one of Brazil's first exponents of North American-style soul and funk music, as well as one of the country's first rockers. In the late 'Fifties, he was in a rock band with future superstar Roberto Carlos; in '58 Maia moved to the U.S.A., where he stayed for several years before being deported for drug possession in 1964. His first handful of albums in the 1970s were watersheds for Brazilian pop -- along with Jorge Ben, Maia was one of the main architects of Brazilian funk, although Maia's taste ran towards softer pop material and later towards disco and synth-heavy pop crossovers. A party animal 'til the end, Maia suffered a heart attack while performing in concert, and died about a week later. Many of his songs are MPB standards, particularly with soul-oriented performers such as Jorge Ben and Daude, although he also enjoyed early success as a songwriter when jazz diva Elis Regina covered his material. His nephew, Ed Motta, took up the cause in the 1980s, recording his own mix of danceable funk and romantic soul.

Flora Purim - Butterfly Dreams (1973)

This is the album that launched Flora Purim's solo career with great promise following her magnificent stint with Chick Corea's first incarnation of Return to Forever. Most of the tracks on this album sound like they would have fit very nicely onto one of RTF's first two LPs, with bandmate Stanley Clarke not only lending support on electric and acoustic bass, but also contributing original compositions and arrangements to the mix. The rest of the supporting cast is not too shabby either, including sax and flute man Joe Henderson, keyboard whiz kid George Duke, guitarist David Amaro, and Purim's other half, percussion legend Airto Moreira. Clarke's funky "Dr. Jive" and lyrical "Butterfly Dreams" are standout tracks here, as is the upbeat Egberto Gismonti composition "Moon Dreams." Duke shows his light Brazilian side on "Love Reborn," featuring Henderson's tenor sax solo and Amaro's lovely acoustic guitar. Purim delivers a gorgeous take on Jobim's well-known ballad "Dindi," and reshapes the standard "Summer Night" into a wordless vocal in her unmistakable style. The disc closes with a fine reworking of Clarke's now-classic "Light as a Feather," which strays not too far from the original RTF version. Neatly capturing Flora Purim's many vocal strengths, Butterfly Dreams delivered on the great expectations generated by her work with Corea and turned out to be a high point in her recording career.

Text by Jim Newsom (AMG)

Official Page - Interview @ Jazz Review - LastFm Page - Flora on YouTube

Bebel Gilberto - August Day Song

'August Day Song' features on "Tanto Tiempo" lp (2001)

Bebel Gilberto Official Site

Bebel @ MySpace

Bebel @ Last.Fm

Elis Regina / Tom Jobim - Águas de Março

Classics Corner: Jobim - Wave (1967)

When Creed Taylor left Verve/MGM for his own label under the auspices of A&M, he quickly signed Antonio Carlos Jobim and they picked up right where they left off with this stunningly seductive record, possibly Jobim's best. Jobim contributes his sparely rhythmic acoustic guitar, simple melodic piano style, a guest turn at the harpsichord, and even a vocal on "Lamento," while Claus Ogerman lends a romantically brooding hand with the charts. A pair of instant standards are introduced ("Wave," "Triste"), but this album is to be cherished for its absolutely first-rate tunes -- actually miniature tone poems -- that escaped overexposure and thus sound fresh today. The most beautiful sleeper is "Batidinha," where the intuitive Jobim/Ogerman collaboration reaches its peak. One only wishes that this album were longer; 31:45 is not enough.

(Κείμενο από AMG)

Antonio Carlos Jobim Fanpage