Friday, June 27, 2008

Carlos Barbosa Lima - Concerto de Violao (1959)

Hello, good evening! I had a really busy day today. I worked without interruption throughout the day in meetings away from home and made a lot of things in my modest home office. It is interesting how things change over a single day. I had very difficult moments where I thought everything was lost. But from the beginning of the night, things changed for better and I can say I had a great day as a whole.

I arrived at home exhausted, spoke a bit with the zecalouro and listen with him this album recorded by Antonio Carlos Barbosa Lima, better known as Carlos Barbosa Lima, another privileged Brazilian violao player. Carlos Barbosa Lima began his studies at 7 years of age and formal education with the Uruguayan master Isaias Savio. He recorded his first album with only 12 years old, already available here at Loronix. This is the third album recorded by Carlos Barbosa Lima, with 15, another fine release sponsored by Jorge Mello. Let’s see.

This is Antonio Calos Barbosa Lima – Concerto de Violao (1959), for Chantecler. Despite having only 15 years old, Concerto de Violao is a classic guitar album recorded by a veteran. Carlos Barbosa Lima became a respected musician, making a transparent connection between classical and popular, spreading the works of important Brazilian musicians, such like Joao Pernambuco, Francisco Mignone, Catullo, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and many others. I hope this album brings much peace, as brought to me. Tracks include:

01 - Suite em Re Menor "Preludio, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gavotte Menuet 1 y 2, Borree Giga" (Robert de Visee)
02 - Gavota (da suite Nr. 6 para violaocello) J. Sebastian Bach - version Carlos Barbosa Lima
03 - Preludio Nr. 1 da Serie "Suite a Antiga" (G. Santorsola)
04 - Dolor (Preludio Vasco) Padre San Sebastian
05 - Sevilla (I. Albeniz) version Llobet
06 - Valsa Venezuelana (A. Lauro)
07 - Valsa Choro (Camargo Guarnieri)
08 - Estudo Nr. 7 (Villa Lobos)
09 - Brasiliana Nr. 4 (Theodoro Nogueira)
10 - Sonha Yaya (Isaias Savio)

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Bola Sete y Su Conjunto - Carnival in Rio (1958)

Hello, good evening! This is another fantastic contribution by Jorge Mello, featuring Bola Sete with a pretty obscure album. My searches were not successful tracking down this record. I’ve been at many discographies websites and even at Bola Sete official website. I even made a challenge at Loronix to get some information about Bola Sete and this group and could not gather additional info.

In a first sight, this lady seems to be Dolores Duran, but she isn’t Dolores Duran. She is credited as Therezinha Bittencourt, which is a singer that I never heard about and could not find a single mention on my searches. I’m afraid this is an unknown Bola Sete album for many. Let’s see.

This is Bola Sete, su Conjunto Tipico Brasilero y su Cantante Therezinha Bittencourt – Carnival in Rio (1958), for Puchito, which is a Spanish record company. The back cover brings a short description of Bola Sete early years with his Conjunto and says that Carnival in Rio was recorded in Spain, during Bola Sete European tour. The back cover also brings a “footnote” confirming Carnival in Rio was recorded in Spain, which is something that you can check at the slider below, followed by my translation to English from back cover liner notes. I would like to thanks Jorge Mello for another amazing album. Tracks include:



Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Bola Sete showed his artistic skills since early childhood at the age of 7 years playing guitar, whose talent he inherited from his parents.

Bola Sete is very popular in Brazil. Just as throughout Europe and South America. It is exclusive artist of Radio Nacional in Rio de Janeiro. About three years ago, he organized a group, which is composed of Brazilians, and went into great artistic tour around the country. His first contract was at the Film Festival of Punta del Este, then in theaters in Buenos Aires, Radio Belgrano Sunset Club, where he was acclaimed for his great artistic talent. Then in Chile performed at the Waldorf; Grill in Peru in Bolivia, and throughout South America, achieving many laurels. Then they were touring Europe for artistic, and in Madrid have acted with great success in Parilla Rex. It was here where Montilla hired him to record the selections so ably interpreted in this album.

01 - Sonador
02 - Chiquito
03 - Caravana
04 - Coco Baturite
05 - Nina Brazanan
06 - Baile O Coco
07 - Uno a Cero
08 - Canta Maria
09 - Mulher Rendeira
10 - Imperio de Samba
11 - Samba no Perroquet
12 - Nino Grande



Update: Jorge Mello sent this great Bola Sete interview, available below. New findings about this mysterious album will be posted tonight. Stay tuned.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Elza Soares - Somos Todos Iguais (1985)

Hello, good evening! This is one of the most requested albums by Elza Soares since the beginning of Loronix. The reason is quite simple; approximately the whole Elza Soares discography was reissued on CD in 2002, covering all albums recorded by Elza Soares for Odeon between 1960 and 1988. Everything was released on a single box set featuring 12 CDs, containing 22 LPs. This stupid parrot did not get one, now out of print. Two albums were left outside this box set, Elza Negra Elza (1980), already available at Loronix and Somos Todos Iguais (1985), which is this one we will have the chance to know right now, a sought after album and perhaps the only Elza Soares career album never released on CD. Let’s see.

This is Elza Soares – Somos Todos Iguais (1985), for Som Livre. Little I know about this album, considered an above the average Elza Soares release. I read several things today about this record and several sources says that Caetano Veloso and Lobao are in charge of production, which is something that needs to be confirmed since they are not credited here, and Caetano Veloso only appears as special guest on track 09 – Sophisticated Lady (Duke Ellington). Musicians were not credited by Som Livre, except the arranger, Glaucus Xavier. Tracks include:

01 - Osso Pele e Pano (Jorge Aragão)
02 - Mais Uma Vez (Carlos Dafé / Lourenço)
03 - Da Fuga Fez Sua Verdade (Sombrinha / Sereno / Adilson)
04 - Cacatua (Ronaldo Barcellos)
05 - Daquele Amor Nem Me Fale (João Donato / Martinho da Vila)
06 - Heróis da Liberdade (Mano Décio da Viola / Silas de Oliveira)
07 - Somos Todos Iguais (Elza Soares)
08 - Antes do Sol (Ronaldo Barcellos / Pi)
09 - Sophisticated Lady (Duke Ellington / Vrs. Augusto de Campos) with Caetano Veloso
10 - Exagero (Elza Soares / Glaucus Xavier)
11 - Milagres (Cazuza / Roberto Frejat)

Monday, June 23, 2008

Johnny Alf - Olhos Negros (1990)

Hello, good evening! I have good news to tell you. Johnny Alf, after a long period of serious health problems, takes over his activities and even made rehearsals with his quintet, just a month before his 79th anniversary. I read this new today with a great pleasure. Although very underestimated, Johnny Alf is a very important musician. He introduced a new way of singing and playing many years before the creation of Bossa Nova, influencing artists such as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Marcos Valle, Carlos Lyra among many others. This is Loronix homage to this great musician. Let’s see.

This is Johnny Alf – Olhos Negros (1990), for RCA, featuring Johnny Alf music and Johnny Alf singing and playing piano in all tracks. Olhos Negros was recorded after a long hiatus of 10 years and it is a beautiful celebration of Johnny Alf music. Each track has a special guest, performing with Johnny Alf on duets. It was very hard to decide Loronix Preview Center track and I decided to deliver the opening track with Johnny Alf and Gal Costa performing Ilusao a Toa. Tracks include:

The Special Guests

GAL COSTA
CAETANO VELOSO
GILBERTO GIL
SANDRA DE SA
CHICO BUARQUE
EMILIO SANTIAGO
ZIZI POSSI
LENY ANDRADE
ROBERTO MENESCAL
MARCIO MONTARROYOS

Track List

01 - Ilusao a Toa (Johnny Alf) with GAL COSTA
02 - Dois Coracoes (Johnny Alf) with ROBERTO MENESCAL
03 - Seu Chopin, Desculpe (Johnny Alf) with CHICO BUARQUE
04 - Nos (Johnny Alf) with ZIZI POSSI
05 - Rapaz de Bem (Johnny Alf) with EMILIO SANTIAGO
06 - Olhos Negros (Johnny Alf / Ronaldo Bastos) with CAETANO VELOSO
07 - O Que e Amar (Johnny Alf) with SANDRA DE SA
08 - Eu e a Brisa (Johnny Alf) with GILBERTO GIL
09 - Nossa Festa (Johnny Alf / Alberto Chimelli) with LENY ANDRADE
10 - Sonhos e Fantasias (Johnny Alf) with MARCIO MONTARROYOS

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Jacob do Bandolim - Chorinhos e Choroes (1961)

I believe it is time to make a special thank to Jorge Mello for making his collection available to our community. This is a Jacob do Bandolim career album that I never had the chance to hear. Recorded in 1961, Chorinhos e Choroes brings for the first time the musicians that would lead to Conjunto Epoca de Ouro, including the acclaimed Dino 7 Cordas and Cezar Faria. Let’s see.

This is Jacob do Bandolim – Chorinhos e Choroes (1961), for RCA Victor, if you are in the mood to listen to classic tunes by Pixinguinha, Luiz Americano, Ernesto Nazareth and Zequinha de Abreu performed by an exceptional group of musicians, this is the album you were waiting for. Jacob do Bandolim delivers some of his greatest renditions here. My highlight goes to Ameno Reseda, Os Cinco Companheiros, Proezas de Solon and Assanhado, which is the one selected to Loronix Preview Center. Tracks include:

Personnel

Jacob do Bandolim
(bandolim)
Jonas
(cavaquinho)
Cezar Faria
(violão 6 cordas)
Carlinhos
(violão 6 cordas)
Dino 7 Cordas
(violão 7 cordas)
Luiz Marinho
(bass)
Gilberto
(pandeiro)
Barao
(tamborim)
Pedro dos Santos
(reco-reco)

Track List

01 - Assanhado (Jacob do Bandolim)
02 - E do que Ha (Luiz Americano)
03 - Proezas de Solon (Pixinguinha)
04 - Santa Morena (Jacob do Bandolim)
05 - Os Cinco Companheiros (Pixinguinha)
06 - Ameno Reseda (Ernesto Nazareth)
07 - Nao me Toques (Zequinha de Abreu)
08 - Vou Vivendo (Pixinguinha)
09 - Serpentina (Nelson Alves)
10 - Juventude Saudosa (Amador Pinho)
11 - Benzinho (Jacob do Bandolim)
12 - Bola Preta (Jacob do Bandolim)

Gade & Walfrido Silva - Gafieira (1956)

Hello, good evening! I have been learning several things since Loronix has started. Actually, every day I learn a new thing with the community or with the albums made available here. There is another thing that I find out, which is to never underestimate an album, whatever it is, no matter who are the performers, even if you never heard about them.

This album is a perfect example, found in a state of abandonment in an old vinyl shop, sold for a ridiculous price two months ago. Since then, information about Gade and Walfrido Silva came up to me easily, and I feel a little guilty of not having now these guys before. Let’s see.

This is Gade & Waldrido Silva – Gafieira (1956), for Musidisc, featuring the Gade (piano) and Walfrido Silva (drums), performing Gade and Walfrido Silva compositions. I can’t remember such unusual formation on recording, only piano and drums. Together with Luciano Perrone, Walfrido Silva is considered one of the pioneers of modern drumming in Brazilian music. Oscar Bolao gave an interview to Brasileirinho saying that Walfrido Silva plays with hands only, which is something you can easily realize with Gafieira. This cover artwork is truly amazing, but the artist was not credited by Musidisc. Tracks include:

01 - Na Cadencia do Tambor (Gade / Walfrido Silva)
02 - Vou Casar no Uruguai (Gade / Walfrido Silva)
03 - 100 Anos de Perdao (Gade / Walfrido Silva)
04 - Tudo Agora e Sonho (Gade / Walfrido Silva)
05 - Vai Cavar a Nota (Gade / Walfrido Silva)
06 - O Feitico Virou (Gade / Walfrido Silva)
07 - Perdi a Aposta (Gade / Walfrido Silva)
08 - Meu Consolo (Gade / Walfrido Silva)