Elis Regina - Elis Regina | Orquestra, sob Direcao de Astor (1963)

This is an 1963 Elis Regina - Selftitled - third career album. Elis stills pretty young here but displays an advanced stage of artistry, confident and swinging throughout the album, and in supreme control of her voice. She scats over "Formiguinha Triste," toying with a saxophone very reminiscent of Stan Getz.

Astor makes the arrangements, assembling a small bossa nova group with muted brass and reeds, lending a superb accompaniment to Brazil's brightest young singer.

Carlos Lyra - Sarava (1969)

This is another out of print album, Carlos Lyra - Sarava (1969). Carlos Lyra is one of the most important artists of the Bossa Nova and also an intellectual behind the movement, forging new directions like the protest song. Lyra wrote some of the best moments of the Bossa Nova on his own or together with partners like Vinícius de Moraes.

He founded with Roberto Menescal a guitar academy that became a meeting point for future artists like Edu Lobo, Marcos Valle, Nara Leão, and Ronaldo Bôscoli.

Sarava was recorded in Mexico, when Lyra and other Brazilian artists were in cultural exile. This album is a nice and classic Bossa Nova piece. There is a term that zecalouro does not like but it is the best description for this record, "easy-listening".

Os Afro Sambas - Baden Powell (1990)

After several gentle requests, zecalouro presents Baden Powell and the Afro Sambas. The Afro Sambas was originally recorded in 1966, while this one was recorded by Baden and Quarteto em Cy without Vinicius de Moraes in 1990.

Eight of the eleven compositions are the same of the original one, while two are also compostions of Baden and Vinicius from the same period and the opening was made by Baden alone particularly for this recording.

This album uses all the sound technology available on 90's so it sounds like new. The 66 album was recorded on a 2 channel studio, and this means a huge difference in sound quality. Baden tried to keep this version as similar as possible as to the 1966 version.

There is another curiosity; the evangelic temples and their followers do not tolerate the Brazilian Afro Religion. Later in his life, Baden had converted himself to an evangelic, changing all Afro citations to a more Christian oriented approach during live presentations.

Now available at Biscoito Fino.

Hermeto Pascoal - Slaves Mass (1977)

This is a Hermeto Pascoal 1974 LP, Slaves Mass, considered a milestone on instrumental music and Jazz scene, although it is not a strictly Jazz album. On seven tracks, Hermeto plays everything, from flutes, sax, guitar, Fender piano, clavinet and weird inventions, such like: fans, bottles, tea pot, etc.

Hermeto is now in Brazil. He made a move from Rio de Janeiro to Curitiba, just to stay closer to his new young wife that is also a musician. They are playing and have recorded together a new album.

Johnny Alf - Ele é Johnny Alf (1971)

Johnny Alf is one of the former Brazilian composers to fuse Jazz into Brazilian music. His strong Jazz accent made him be honored as one of Bossa Nova founders, although he never received the correct credits and recognition by the mainstream.

Alf is the Master of the altered chords and complex harmonies. Tom Jobim and Oscar de Castro Neves, for instance, were always close to the first Johnny Alf gigs in Rio de Janeiro to learn his new style of playing.

This is one of his best albums with a collection of such great standards and delicious jazz swinging sambas Alf classics. The album also features Helio Delmiro on acoustic guitar and the Vocal Trio Os Tres Morais.

Big band Bossa Nova - Oscar Castro Neves e sua Orchestra (1962)

Oscar Castro Neves was a main performer on early Bossa Nova years. Oscar and Johnny Alf - one of the underestimated genius of that time - introduced a new way of singing, playing and composing, several years before the term Bossa Nova was coined.

This Album was recorded in 1962 and it is Oscar Castro Neve's solo debut with a 13 musicians orchestra.

Nilze Carvalho - Choro de Menina (1980)

Nilze Carvalho began her performance career at age 6 as an early and phenomenal cavaquinho – mandolin – player. The cavaquinho is a Brazilian instrument used on a typical music genre from Rio de Janeiro, choro. Her incredible mastery of the cavaquinho, her natural musicality, and her precocious charisma, made her a reference, appearing on Brazil’s major radio and television shows. By age 14, she had recorded a series of four acclaimed LP’s.

The first Nilze Carvalho LP, Choro de Menina (1980), is a classical instrumental choro album, with the participation of Conjunto Epoca de Ouro and Netinho.

Laurindo de Almeida and Bud Shank - Brazilliance Volume 1 (1953)

Laurindo de Almeida is one of those Brazilian musicians that left Brazil to an international career in US. Almost unknown in Brazil. Laurindo recorded with Stan Getz, Herbie Mann, and others getting some success when bossa nova was at its peak.

He helped introduce the Brazilian guitar to jazz and some specialists says that he was already making Bossa Nova in 1953, a couple of years before its beginning by the time Laurindo released with Bud Shank, Brazilliance Volume 1, that zecalouro proudly presents to you.

Let's ready AMG for a formal introduction to this important album:

More than seven years before Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd introduced the bossa nova of Antonio Carlos Jobim to American audiences; guitarist Laurindo Almeida and altoist Bud Shank (in a quartet with bassist Harry Babasin and drummer Roy Harte) recorded the intriguing music heard on this CD reissue. The performances are very close to bossa nova in their combination of cool-toned jazz and Brazilian rhythms; in fact, these are arguably the first bossa nova recordings, long before even Jobim and Joao Gilberto initially recorded. Only four of the 14 tunes ("Speak Low" is heard in two versions) are not based on Brazilian folk songs, and many of the songs (particularly "Carinoso") are quite memorable. This historically significant, very accessible, and highly recommended release is a gem. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

Line-up

Laurindo Almeida
Guitar, Main Performer, Performer
Chuck Flores
Drums
Gary Peacock
Bass
Bud Shank
Sax (Alto), Performer
Harry Babasin
Bass

Elis Regina - Samba eu Canto Assim (1964)

This is a special post to a Loronix's friend, the second Elis Regina album Samba eu Canto Assim from 1964.

I will ask for AMG to help us on describe a little bit about this record.

Leading a brassy main-room orchestra, Elis Regina exerts a considerable amount of power on 1965's Samba, Eu Canto Assim!. She swings her way through Edu Lobo's "Rez" while the strings saw sweetly in the background and salutes great Brazilian composers ranging from Dorival Caymmi ("João Valentão"), Marcos Valle ("Preciso Aprender a Ser So"), and Vinicius and Baden Powell (a potpourri comprising "Consolação," "Berimbau," and "Tem Dó"). ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

Joao Donato e seu Trio - Muito a Vontade (1962)

Muito a Vontade is the way Donato is portraited at the artwork of the 1962 Joao Donato e seu Tio - Muito a Vontade. Donato is relaxed, on beach sandals and with glass of juice (or caipirinha) in his hand.

This album was recorded in just 2 days and most of the songs were composed on the studio.

Joao Donato Trio was Joao Donato, Tiao Neto and Milton Banana.