Artists: Tito Puente & India With Special Guest Count Basie Orchestra
     Album: Jazzin'
     Label: RMM
     Year: 1996
     Quality: MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 81 mb
     Total time: 42:12

     Although the great Latin bandleader Tito Puente gets first billing and the Count Basie Orchestra "guests" on three of the ten selections, the obvious star of this set is singer India. Her emotional delivery borders sometimes on going over the top, but India is quite skilled as an interpreter of lyrics (both in English and in Spanish), as a scat and Latin jazz singer. She alternates standards with newer tunes and is assisted by such soloist as Puente (on vibes, marimbas and timbales), pianist Hilton Ruiz, altoist Bobby Porcelli, Mario Rivera on tenor and flutist Dave Valentin. This CD is a fine effort with plenty of spirit and exciting moments.

     Artist: Quinteto Onze e Meia
     Album: Quinteto Onde e Meia (Live)
     Label: CID Discos
     Year: 1992
     Format, bitrate: Mp3, 256 kbps
     Time: 46:51
     Size: 92 MB

     The group was formed by the direction of the program "Jo Soares Onze e Meia" that plays on a national and open tv channel from Brasil in 1988. They were a quartet (Bira, Milton and Maestro Edmundo - the last was replaced in 1991 by Maestro Osmar Barutti). In 1990, after Jo's - the show host - own request, the quartet became a quintet e Derico was invited to be the saxophonist and flutist.

     In 1992, the Quinteto Onze e Meia started a daring project - record a live cd with a repertoire of polular brazilian musics played in jazz and blues. They did a tour into the country and the CD called Quinteto Onze e Meia had been released.

     Today, the quintet became a sextet, with the entry of Francisco "Chiquinho" Oliveira, trompetist. And with the death of Rubens, the guitarist Carlos "Tomate" Nascimento replaced him with nice level and hability. ~ Derico, Saxophonist of the group. (text copied from his blog with some modifications)

     Artist: Roberto Carlos & Caetano Veloso
     Album: E a música de Tom Jobim
     Label: Sony BMG
     Year: 2008
     Format, bitrate: flac
     Time: 59:04
     Size: 321.3 MB

     Two celebrated icons of Brazilian popular music come together to pay homage to the work and legacy of one the country's most influential songwriters, Antonio Carlos Jobim. In August 2008, Roberto Carlos and Caetano Veloso played two sold-outs shows in São Paulo, commemorating the 50th anniversary of bossa nova. All specific dates aside, the collaboration was itself monumental in its symbolism -- an intersection of three of Brazil's most important popular musical movements: jovem guarda, the squeaky-clean pop/rock movement personified by "the king" Roberto Carlos; tropicalismo, the experimental, genre-bending Brazilian psychedelia of the late '60s, of which Veloso was one of the most exemplary purveyors; and bossa nova, the breezy amalgam of cool jazz and samba that became synonymous with Brazilian music around the world and against which both jovem guarda and tropicalismo represented stylistic rebellions. Recorded live on August 25 and 26, 2008, at São Paulo's Auditório Ibirapuera, E a Música de Tom Jobim witnesses these once-fiery youngsters honoring the master of bossa nova and the musical genre he helped create, interpreting 16 beloved compositions. Turning to trusted conductors on their solo performances (Eduardo Lages for Carlos, Jaques Morelenbaum for Veloso) and with lush orchestral arrangements behind them, the two legends go back and forth on four duets -- "A Garota de Ipanema," "Wave," "Chega de Saudade," and the lovely "Teresa da Praia," in which Veloso and Carlos elegantly reenact the rapport between Dick Farney and Lúcio Alves on the original recording -- and welcome Jobim's grandson Daniel for a touching rendition of "Águas de Março." Still, it's not too much of a stretch to say that when placed side by side, Caetano, with his seemingly effortless lilt, blows Roberto, the inveterate crooner, out of the water. ~ Matt Rinaldi, All Music Guide

     Artist: Sergio Mendes
     Album: The Great Arrival - The Beat of Brazil
     Label: Atlantic/Warner Jazz
     Years: 1966-1967; release: 2000
     Quality: eac-flac, cue, log, full artwork
     Size: 391 MB
     Runtime: 62:30

     Early bossa jazz from Sergio Mendes – recorded with his famous Bossa Rio combo, in the years before he moved to America! The album's a classic in Brazilian jazz – a tight album of bossa-inflected jazz tunes played with razor-sharp precision, handled with a style that went on to influence countless other Brazilian groups at the time. Mendes is in the lead on piano, and other players include Edison Machado on drums, Raul De Souza on trombone, and Hector Costita on tenor sax. The whole thing's great – a masterpiece of both jazz and bossa – and it's filled with classic tunes arranged by Jobim, Moacir Santos, and Sergio himself. Titles include "Nana", "Primitivo", "Desafinado", "Ela E Carioca", "Amor Em Paz", "Noa Noa", and "Neurotico". © 1996-2011, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

     This two-fer from WEA International features a pair of out of print Sergio Mendes LPs: Great Arrival and Beat of Brazil. Originally issued on Atlantic Records in 1966 and 1967, respectively, these 22 easy listening, Latin pop songs include "Monday, Monday," "Desafinado," "Garôta de Ipanema (The Girl from Ipanema)," and "Here's That Rainy Day." This is a nice sampler of familiar items that should satisfy the needs of casual fans. ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide

     Artist: Joao Gilberto, Maria Bethania, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil
     Album: Brasil
     Label: Universal Distribution
     Year: 1981
     Release: 2009
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320kb/s
     Time: 28 min.
     Size: 61 MB

     One of the coolest guys to ever have walked the face of the planet, guitarist and vocalist Joao Gilberto sauntered into international celebrity during the late 1950s, whispering his lyrics and slowing the samba down to match his unique style of syncopated acoustic guitar. Above all, Joao Gilberto was cool, embodying an ultrasuave hipness which put to shame all the U.S. beatniks and jazz cats of the time. When Joao met up with songwriter Antonio Carlos Jobim, they recorded the song "Chega de Saudade," and bossa nova was born. Within the first few years of his recording career, Gilberto became a household word, especially after jazz saxophonist Stan Getz adopted bossa nova as his signature sound, and recorded with Joao and his wife Astrud Gilberto. These albums created a huge craze for bossa nova-flavored jazz.
     Gilberto is one of the guiding lights of Brazilian pop, idolized over the years by generations of other artists such as Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. Over the years, he has remained one of the most unusually consistent of the Brazilian superstars. Seldom do his records suffer; more often than not, they simply soar.
     In recent years, Joao's daughter, Bebel Gilberto, has become a star in her own right. Bebel's mother, Muicha, has also recorded many albums over the years...
     MPB luminaries Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Maria Bethania pitch in on this rapturously reserved bossa nova album, which marked Gilberto's return to Brazil after several years abroad. Very listenable and highly recommended. It's much to his credit that Gilberto was able to calm these tropicalia stars down and get such fine, understated performances out of them at a time when MPB in general was becoming overwrought and either cheesily or frantically overproduced.

     Artist: Astrud Gilberto
     Album: September 17 1969 [Original recording remastered]
     Label: Rev-Ola Records/Verve
     Year: 1969; release: 2007
     Format, bitrate: MP3, 320
     Time: 44 min
     Size: 97 MB

     Astrud Gilberto had begun tackling '60s vocal pop crossovers on her Windy album from earlier in 1969, but her final record (of three) from that year found her stretching out not just on material but on arrangements. The production and arrangements by Brooks Arthur and Albert Gorgoni, respectively, attempt to push Gilberto into the type of groovy "now sound" that everyone from Harry Nilsson to Andy Williams was employing in the late '60s. Of course, Gilberto was an easy fit for this type of sound, and the only missteps here come when the songs don't fit her occasionally limited talents. "Light my Fire" is at the top of that list, while the Bee Gees' "Holiday" and Nilsson's "Don't Leave Me, Baby" appear very high as well. Highlights do crop up, with the opener "Beginnings" working very well except for its long coda, and the one Brazilian song, "Let Go (Canto de Ossanha)" charting the perfect balance between timeless pop and late-'60s crossover appeal. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

     Artist: João Donato
     Album: João Donato, Eumir Deodato
     Label: Muse Records (Catalog#: MR 5017)
     Year: 1973
     Format, Bitrate: FLAC (LP-Rip)
     Size: 181.17MB
     Time: 31:48

     A Brazilian musician and composer of almost mythical proportions, João Donato is one of the surviving - and still prospering - members of a generation that produced Antonio Carlos Jobim, João Gilberto, Manfredo Fest, Luiz Eça and many other masters associated with the heyday of bossa nova. The impish pianist, known for his deliberate, single-note musings and catchy compositions, is, along with Gilberto and Jobim, one of a small handful of artists whose sound defines bossa. In the United States in the 1960s, he worked with Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, and Bud Shank, while at home in Rio in the '70s, he collaborated with Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque, and other younger writers. The fondly recalled 1973 New York session featuring Randy Brecker, Airto, Ray Barretto, and Eumir Deodato, reissued on 32 Jazz as João Donato, radiates all the funky spirit of the crossover Brazilian jazz of that era.

     Artist: Astrud Gilberto
     Album: Jungle
     Label: Magya Productions
     Year: 2002
     Format, bitrate: MP3@320kbps
     Time: 51:12
     Size: 114MB
     AMG rating:

     When Astrud Gilberto turned 60 in 2000, the Brazilian singer was still best known for her early-'60s bossa nova recordings with Stan Getz. And there is no reason why those recordings shouldn't be celebrated; they are classic examples of Brazilian jazz. But at the same time, those who think Gilberto should devote every moment of the day to Antonio Carlos Jobim standards sell her short. There is more to Gilberto than "The Girl From Ipanema" and "Corcovado," and on Jungle her own songs are a top priority. Gilberto, in fact, wrote or co-wrote ten of the 12 tunes on this CD, which was recorded in Philadelphia during the summer of 2001 (when she was 61) and released by Magya Productions (a small label based in the Philly suburb of Bala Cynwyd, PA) the following year. Jungle isn't strictly bossa nova, but it is a solid collection of Brazilian pop and Brazilian jazz -- and Gilberto demonstrates that she can still be a charming, expressive vocalist on originals that range from the sensuous ballad "Dancing" (a vocal duet with singer Mark Lambert) to the playful "Pink House" and the salsa-tinged "Й Sу Me Pedir" (which successfully combines Afro-Cuban and Brazilian elements). Meanwhile, "Rebola, Bola" is a funky, exuberant number that contains some Portuguese-language rapping by vocalist Magrus. Some American hip-hop enthusiasts might have a hard time picturing an artist rapping in Portuguese, but in fact, hip-hop has been big in Brazil since the '80s -- and that country is full of talented MCs who rap in Portuguese exclusively. Another high point of Jungle (which Gilberto has been selling on her official website) is her samba-minded interpretation of Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love." But original material dominates on this CD, which is a welcome addition to the singer's catalog.

    Artist: Airto Moreira
    Album: Fingers
    Label: 3D
    Year: 1973, CD 2002
    Format: mp3@320 / flac
    Size: 81 MB / 247 MB w/scans
    Time: 35:24
    AMG Rating:

    The 1970s were banner years for Airto Moreira--not only because of his association with Chick Corea's Return to Forever and his work on wife Flora Purim's Milestone dates, but also, because of the generally superb work he did under Creed Taylor's supervision at CTI from 1972-74. One of the five-star gems that the Brazilian percussionist recorded for CTI was Fingers, which employs Purim on percussion and vocals, David Amaro on guitar, Hugo Fattoruso on keyboards and harmonica, Jorge Fattoruso on drums and Ringo Thielmann on electric bass. Produced by Taylor and recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's famous New Jersey studio, this LP demonstrates just how exciting and creative 1970s fusion could be. When Moreira and his colleagues blend jazz with Brazilian music, rock and funk on such cuts as "Wind Chant," "Tombo in 7/4" and "Romance of Death," the results are consistently enriching. Fingers is an album to savor.

     Artist: Bob Kindred Quartet
     Album: Nights of Boleros and Blues
     Label: Venus Records
     Year: 2006; release: 2007
     Format, bitrate: MP3/320 Kbps
     Size: 135 MB
     Time: 41:51 min

     The brawny and sexy sound of Kindred's tenor is a perfect match for the mysterious and romantic music. The music transports the listener to a steamy bar in a subtropical country in Latin America. One can almost feel the hot and humid air.
     Nights of Boleros and Blues is that rare bird in contemporary mainstream jazz that measures up against classic albums of the 1950s and 60s.

     Artist: Zoot Sims And His Orchestra
     Album: Recado Bossa Nova
     Label: Fresh Sound Records
     Year: 1962; release: 2004
     Quality: MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 152 mb
     Total time: 66:41

     Zoot Sims and guitarist Jim Hall are the featured soloists in this collection of bossa nova charts by either Al Cohn or Manny Albam. With two separate all-star large ensembles made up of reeds, strings (guitar and bass), and percussion, including Gene Quill, Phil Woods, Kenny Burrell (playing rhythm guitar), Barry Galbraith, and Milt Hinton, among others, Sims and Hall benefit from the light but swinging backgrounds. But this European gray market reissue has one major problem: many of the tracks are listed in the wrong order, among them "Lover, Come Back to Me," "Bernie's Tune," "They Call the Wind Maria" "Tickle Toe," and "Nature Boy," to name just a few. There are also a number of then-current Brazilian pop tunes, though none of them have made a lasting impact in jazz repertoire. This is an enjoyable reissue project that deserved to be produced with a little more care.

     Artist: Antonio Carlos Jobim
     Album: Wave
     Label: A&M Records
     Year: 1967; release: 2004
     Format: FLAC (tracks)
     Time: 0.30:56
     Size: 185 MB (Covers)
     AMG Rating:

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. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide

     Artist: Brian Bromberg
     Album: In the Spirit of Jobim
     Year: 2006-2007, release - 2007
     Label: King Japan
     Quality: mp3/320 kbps
     Size: 164 Mb
     Time: 71:22


     This is a CD that inspired by the late great Antonio Carlos Jobim. The recording is 50/50 Jobim classics and Bromberg originals in the Jobim (Brazilian) style. This CD features an all star cast of musicians as well as Brian on nylon string piccolo bass (sounds like a classical nylon string guitar) and upright bass. This is also Brian's first recording to feature a full orchestra on most of the selections. This project was also recorded for King Records in Japan.2006- ~ brianbromberg.net

     Artist: Sergio Mendes and Brasil'77
     Album: Sergio Mendes
     Label: Atlantic records (USA)
     Years: 1975
     Format, bitrate: MP3, 320 kbps
     Size: 85,9 M


     The mystery-driven bossa and pop-samba of Sergio Mendes' 1960s and early-'70s work was already giving way by this point -- 1975 -- to a much more straight-ahead version of radio fare. Given that this was the dawning of the age of disco, and that Barry Manilow was already striking the charts hard, it is totally explainable, if not totally forgivable. For Mendes, his strength had always been in highly original, indelibly Brazilian interpretations of the hits, from "Fool on the Hill" to "Goin' Out of My Head" to virtually a hundred other American chart hits, interspersed with modern readings of traditional Brazilian songs. On this disc, produced in association with schlockmeister Dave Grusin, his first for Elektra, Mendes settles for very straight and lackluster readings of "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)" and "All in Love Is Fair," by Stevie Wonder -- versions that pale miserably in comparison with the originals. To be fair, there is Leon Ware's "If I Ever Lose This Heaven" that deals up a handy serving of light, funky soul with the traditional two-female chorus against a backdrop of Motown-style strings and chunky electric piano. Truly unforgivable is George Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun," with a lilting, shimmering piano and Stax guitar line against a completely deadpan female vocal. Near the end of the record is a beautiful, if very straight, reading of Donny Hathaway's "Someday We'll All Be Free." It lacks the drama of the original, but in its low-key presentation perhaps gets the essence of the song's meaning across better and is an unqualified success. Ultimately, this is a pretty shoddy Sergio Mendes album. The collectors will have to have fit for their own perverse reasons, but there are far better places to start and finish than this.

     Artists: Charlie Byrd Trio (with Ken Peplowski)
     Album: The Bossa Nova Years
     Label: Concord Jazz
     Year: 1991
     Format, bitrate: mp3; 320 kb/s
     Size: 129 mb
     AMG rating


     Guitarist Charlie Byrd revisits a variety of bossa nova songs, including nine by Antonio Carlos Jobim on this pleasing and accessible set. What makes this CD stand out from his many similar dates is that Ken Peplowski's clarinet and tenor are well featured, adding variety to the music and a lead voice for Byrd to play off of. Otherwise the music is predictably excellent, with such classics as "One Note Samba," "Corcovado," "Dindi," "O Pato," and "The Girl from Ipanema" receiving very favorable treatment.

     Artist: Joгo Gilberto
     Album: Live at the 19th Montreux Jazz Festival
     Label: Bomba Records
     Year: 1986; Release: 2007
     Format, bitrate: MP3, 320 kbps
     Size: 181,35 MB

     Artist: John Pizzarelli
     Album: Bossa Nova
     Label: Telarc Jazz
     Year: 2003, release: 2004
     Quality: FLAC (cue,log, scans)
     Size: 305 MB
     Total time: 53:55
     AMG rating

     John Pizzarelli's love affair with the bossa nova stretched back over two decades prior to the making of this CD, which is his salute to the legendary Joao Gilberto. Pizzarelli's soft, swinging vocals and strong but understated guitar work their magic throughout the session. The intimate sound throughout this recording is an additional bonus.

     Accompanied by his regular group (pianist Ray Kennedy and bassist Martin Pizzarelli) and augmented by drummer Paulinho Braga and percussionist Jim Saporito, along with several others on selected tracks, Pizzarelli's soft, swinging vocals and strong but understated guitar work their magic throughout the session. While most of the pieces are Brazilian works, there are exceptions. Gershwin's "Fascinatin' Rhythm" is easily adapted into a bossa nova, adding backing vocals and the potent tenor sax of Harry Allen. Rocker James Taylor's "Your Smiling Face" benefits from the brisker setting and a flute choir backing Pizzarelli. Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim's "I Remember" adds Don Sebesky's string arrangement, carefully filling the backgrounds in this beautifully sung ballad. Of course, several songs are devoted to the timeless compositions of Antonio Carlos Jobim. All five present on this date have been recorded so frequently that it would be hard to come up with landmark interpretations, but Pizzarelli and company do justice to all of them. Also worth investigating are the leader's two originals, the swinging "Francesca" and the breezy "Soares Samba." The intimate sound throughout this recording is an additional bonus.

     Artist: Brian Lynch and Spheres of Influence
     Album: ConClave vol. 2
     Label: Criss Cross Jazz 1331 CD
     Year: 2010, release: 2011
     Format, bitrate: MP3 @320 kb/s
     Size: 141 mb
     Total Time: 63:59


     A versatile trumpeter able to navigate in both the Jazz and Latin music fields, Grammy Award winner Brian Lynch returns to the Criss Cross fold with 'Conclave Volume 2', a tour-de-force for his revamped Spheres of Influence ensemble

     Up-andcomers Yosvany Terry on alto, Manuel Valera on piano, with bassist Luques Curtis, drummer Justin Brown, and percussionist Pedro Martinez make the scene for a diverse set of mainly Lynch originals. Mixing the Afro-Cuban beat with touches of samba and funk, Lynch comes up with his best concoction to date of spicy Latin sounds ~ systemrecords.co

     Artist: Bud Shank & Clare Fischer
     Album: Bossa Nova Jazz Samba
     Label: Pacific Jazz
     Year: 1962
     Format, bitrate: Mp3, 192 kbs (Lp-rip)
     Time: 29 min
     Size: 41.84 Mb

     Artist: Cal Tjader
     Album: Huracan
     Year: 1978
     Label: Crystal Clear Rec.
     Quality: 256+ VBR kbps (LP-rip)
     Total Time: 23:39
     Total Size: 45 mb
     AMG rating

     Originally issued as a limited-edition direct-to-disc LP by the long defunct Crystal Clear label in the late '70s, this budget reissue of Cal Tjader's Huracбn does not list any of the musicians heard with the vibraphonist, though his band on this occasion includes brass and reeds in addition to the usual electric piano, electric bass, and congas, with most of the compositions and arrangements by Clare Fischer. Tjader, long one of the few non-Latin innovators in Latin jazz, is in top form and is able to work in the demanding direct-to-disc recording environment, which required recording an entire album side of performances without overdubs, splicing, or stopping for very long between selections. Due to its relatively low profile, this is one of Cal Tjader's lesser-known releases, but it is well worth acquiring.