This is the fourth page of reviews of Brazilan and Brazilian-flavored jazz albums, which is part of a much larger Brazilian Music Guide. This list includes albums by both Brazilian artists and jazz musicians outside of Brazil whose work combines jazz and Brazilian elements; these reviews are mostly of older, more "classic" albums, though I suppose as time goes on, I'll add comments on more recent records. Anyway, I hope this is useful... Dig in!!
Milton Nascimento - see artist discography
Hermeto Pascoal - see artist discography
Dave Pike "Carnavals" (Fantasy/Prestige, 2000)
This CD collects two albums made in 1962 by vibrophonist Dave Pike, who was a veteran of Paul Bely and Herbiw Mann's bands. The first album, Bossa Nova Carnival, was inspired by Mann's 1961 trip to Brazil, and exclusively features music by Joao Donato. The vibrophone is already such a mellow instrument that in trying to match the subtlety of bossa nova, Pike takes a lot of his own natural bounce out of the sound. On his subsequent Prestige release, Limbo Carnival, Pike took on Carribean themes and has a much looser, more buoyant feel. Clark Terry and Kenny Burrell played on the bossa set; Jimmy Raney and Ray Baretto are among the guests on the Limbo album. Breezy, but fun.
Pixinguinha - see artist discography
Flora Purim - see artist discography
Quarteto Novo "Quarteto Novo" (EMI Odeon, 1967)
An impressive late-'60s Braz-Jazz album, featuring early work by percussionist Airto Moreira, multi-instrumental madman, Hermeto Pascoal, and the politically-inclined MPB songwriter Geraldo Vandre, along with guitarists Theo De Barros and Heraldo Do Monte . The album opens with "O Ovo," a brisk update of the turn-of-the-century choro sound popularized by Pixinguinha, Dunga and other Brazilian musical pioneers. The album gradually progresses into more modern, straightforward jazz material (which isn't as much fun) and even a Luiz Gonzaga forro tune. The playing throughout is very rich, well recorded, and vastly superior to many of their more jittery jazz contemporaries, even dipping into a mellow Vince Guaraldi-style vibe. This isn't just a cool footnote into the early careers of several of Brazil's most important musicians, it's also a very enjoyable, well-performed album. Recommended! (Note -- a reconstituted version of this ensemble backed Edu Lobo on his classic 1972 album, Cantigua De Longe)
Mauro Refosco & Vinicius Cantuaria "Seven Waves" (M A Recordings, 1999)
Gentle Braz-jazz from the New York scene. Refosco has worked in David Byrne's band, as well as with John Lurie, who guests on the album along with Vinicius Cantuaria and others; Cantuaria wrote or co-wrote about half the tracks on here. This is mainly instrumental, and a bit too noodly and low-key for my tastes -- seems like NYC's downtown scene has veered towards out-and-out mellowness in the last couple of years... who woulda thunk it? Still, this is a nice, delicate jazz album, and might be just the thing you're looking for...
Elis Regina - see artist discography
Dom Um Romao "Hotmosphere" (Fantasy/Prestige, 1976)
A wide-ranging, though very '70s-ed out jazz album, which highlights this veteran drummer at his best. The album opens with an impressive pair of batucada tunes that should get your attention. Things get more stereotypically jazzy from there, but even with the rambling fusion and post-bop meanders, this is a pretty strong album. Even old grumps like myself who don't have much use for '70s style jazz should recognize that this album is towards the top of the heap for the style. Romao is also notable as one of the all-too-rare Braz-jazzers who hang onto their Brazilianness, despite working up in the States. Guest musicians include pianist Dom Salvador, who was known for his role in the Black Rio soul scene. Worth checking out.
Dom Um Romao "Rhythm Traveler" (Mr. Bongo, 1998)
Impressive recent recordings from this Braz-jazz oldtimer. Drummer Romao, who worked with Sergio Mendes in the '60s, and Weather Report in the '70s, has a lot of jazz cred behind him, and draws on it liberally. The highlights for me are the batucada and percussive workouts, but folks with a light jazz sweet tooth may like the breezier stuff as well. Very retro, but not bad for an old geezer.
Dom Salvador "Don Salvador Trio" (Imagem, 1965)
Throughout the 1960s, Sao Paulo pianist Dom Salvador (aka Salvador da Silva Filho) worked in a series of bossa-samba jazz combos, and professionally backed top-name artists such as Elis Regina, Jorge Ben and Edu Lobo. In the early '60s he jammed with Paul Winter when the West Coast jazzman made his fabled Brazilian pilgrimage, and later formed this outfit, which was a pretty swinging, compact jazz trio. Although some of the tracks here are similar to the fairly commonplace instrumental efforts of contemporary acts such as the Tamba Trio, et al, there's also a high proportion of more melodically rich, compelling material, including several romantically graceful themes. Almost all the songs were original compositions, showing Salvador clearly a cut above his Brazilian jazz brethren. Sure, for serious jazz fans this might have its limitations, but in the Brazilian sphere, these sessions definitely stand out.
Dom Salvador E Abolicao "Som, Sangue E Raca" (CBS, 1971)
In the late '60s, Salvador formed this outfit, an all-black band that was one of the early fixtures on the "Black Rio" soul scene... This is a historically pivotal album, though some may find the mainly-instrumental performances a bit breezy... The soul side is reminiscent of early Joe Cocker, perhaps, and the instrumental flights are not far removed from Brazilian jazz acts such as the Tamba Trio, et al. and also includes a bit of traditional material, such as modernized forro and the like. Compared to North American soul artists like Sly Stone or even Arthur Conley, this is pretty lightweight, but it does grow on you. Recently reissued on CD, this longtime fetish item is available again after decades of being out of print.
Sambalanco Trio "Sambalanco Trio" (Audio Fidelity, 1964)
Pianist Cesar Camargo Mariano and percussionist Airto Moreira led this jazzy early-'60s trio; along with bassist Humberto Claiber they glided through more of that trademark breezy jazz sound that was the complimentary backdrop to the bossa nova boom. This is the first of the group's three albums, packed with many bossa standards and several of Camargo's originals, as well as "Homangem A Clifford Brown," a tribute to a North American smooth jazz player whose "Blues Walk" was a popular standard in the Braz-jazz scene. As with many of these groups, Sambalanco wasn't really on a par with most U.S. jazz bands, but they have a kitschy appeal, and have a more distinctively Brazilian flair than most. The piano work in particular deftly hints at a greater harmonic depth than actually comes through on the album. Worth checking out, particularly if you are a loungecore fan, or are interested in finding out about Airto's early roots.
Sambalanco Trio "Reencontro Com Sambalanco Trio" (Som Maior, 1965)
Sambalanco Trio & Lennie Dale "Lennie Dale & Sambalanco Trio" (Elenco, 1965)
Sambalanco Trio "Nana" (Som Maior, 1965)
Moacir Santos "Ouro Negro" (Universal/Petrobras, 2001)
An overview, of sorts, of Brazilian jazz composer and saxophonist Moacir Santos, who emigrated to the United States in the late 1960s, where he recorded prolifically, mostly as a session player. This isn't exactly a best-of, but rather a sleek, double CD set of rerecorded versions of songs originally recorded in the 1960s and '70s, on albums such as Coisas (Forma, 1965), Maestro (Blue Note, 1972), Saudade (Blue Note, 1974), and Carnival Of Spirits (Blue Note, 1975). On these new versions, Santos guides a band that is joined by plenty of heavyweight Brazilian guest stars, including Milton Nascimento, Joyce, Gilberto Gil, Joao Bosco, Ed Motta, Joao Donato and Djavan. For the most part, it's actually the kind of jazz I hate -- simultaneously noodly and aggressive, though competently produced and pretty lively. Jazz fans should find this set pretty absorbing.
Lalo Schifrin "Brazilian Jazz" (Aleph, 2000)
A pretty zippy little album, originally recorded in 1962, with a few sidemen from Dizzy Gillespie's band, and a pair of Latin American percussionists in tow. Honestly, this has nowhere near the deftness or subtlety of the bossa nova albums it sought to emulate -- by comparison this sounds downright cluttered and rushed. It also doesn't exemplify the best of Schifrin's swingin' hipster sound -- it's a bit too hurried and perky. But it does stand up as a period piece, and it's certainly not unpleasant to the ears.
Bud Shank "Brasamba" (Pacific Jazz, 1963)
This is the second braz-jazz album by sax/flute player Bud Shank and pianist Clare Fisher; this time they have guitarist Joe Pass in tow -- and he proves surprisingly sweet when playing acoustic. A VERY nice easy listening/jazz album -- it's lightweight, but they have the groove. Definitely worth checking out.
Bud Shank "Brazil! Brazil! Brazil!" (Pacific Jazz)
Shank, Fisher and Pass are joined here by Chet Baker, as well as Brazilians Laurindo Almeida and Joao Donato. Compared to earlier efforts, this is disappointingly slushy and overly smooth -- an oceanic string section dominates the album, reducing the soloists to mere ornamentation, rather than allowing them to interact or fill the sound out themselves. Nice background music, but not as engaging or distictive as Brasamba.
Bud Shank & Charlie Byrd "Brazilville" (Concord, 1981)
Wayne Shorter "Native Dancer" (Columbia, 1975)
A fairly solid commercial jazz album, from the height of the fusion days, this is the first of many collaborations between soprano sax player Shorter and the dreamy-spacy Nascimento. This album had a profound impact on the '70s jazz scene, introducing a more modern, non-bossa nova Brazilian sound into the experimentation of the time. Milton performs on and contributes several songs, and although Shorter takes some interesting chances with Nascimento's material (particularly on the melodically-deflated version of "Lilia"), ultimately he seems to have lacked the compositional strength that would have made this a truly great album. As it is, it's a little goopy, and many of the songs lack true resonance.
Francis Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim "Albert Francis Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim" (Reprise, 1967)
I hate to admit it, but these two were a really great match. Sinatra's well-studied cool-guy persona is completely suited to the bossa nova aesthetic, and he understands how to sing on top of pop string arrangements (Claus Ogerman, who produced many of Jobim's best-known albums...) Some of Jobim and Sinatra harmonizations are particularly nice. Apparently, a later Brazilian edition of this album came out in the late '70s (on Warner) which contains the entire recording session, including two songs which still have not been reissued elsewhere.
Tamba Trio - see Luiz Eca
Tenorio, Jr. "Embalo" (RGE, 1964)
Most of the early Brazilian jazz album I've heard don't do much for me... Groups like the Tamba Trio and Zimbo Trio seemed as incapable of "getting" the groove of American jazz as the Yankees were of "getting" the subtlety of bossa nova... This album is a standout, though. Light bop, with a fairly gritty feel, and more than a hint of Thelonious Monk's melodic style. And, what goes 'round comes 'round -- one of the standout tracks is Bud Shank's "Sambinha", originally recorded on his Brasamba album. (Tenorio had previously backed Shank up on a tour through South America...) Players include Milton Banana (percussion) and Paulo Moura and Meirelles on saxophone, and pianist Francisco Tenorio Cerqueira, Jr.
Trio 3D "Tema 3D" (RCA, 1964)
Trio 3D, featuring teenaged pianist Antonio Adolfo and Argentinian bassist Cacho, apparently backed bossa nova songwriter Carlos Lyra on some of his early songs, and worked the Sao Paulo club circuit in the early 1960s. Although the reissue liner notes proclaim this to be one of the most important albums to come out on RCA-Brasil, it's a bit difficult to see why that would be so. Other than the swank, Dick Farney-esque vocals by bassist Cacho, there isn't much to distinguish this group from the whole host of similar-minded would-be jazzcats that swarmed about in the wake of the bossa nova revolution. Like Luiz Eca, the Zimbo Trio and Milton Banana, Trio 3D rushed the tempo and were weak on harmonic and rhythmic subtlety. This album is kind of cute in a retro-lounge-y kinda way, but it didn't do much for me. It's worth noting, though, that percussionist Dom Um Romao performs on about half these tracks, and you can tell when it's him playing, as the level of technical competence jumps dramatically. (See also: Antonio Adolfo, Conjunto 3D, in main Brazilian listings.)
Sarah Vaughan "Brazilian Romance" (CBS, 1987)
My appreciation of this album is hampered by a few small details: I'm not a big fan of Sarah Vaughan, or of Milton Nascimento (who duets with her one one track, and who wrote two others...) Nor am I a big fan of guitarist Dori Caymmi (who co-wrote half the tracks on here, and performs throughout...), or of Sergio Mendes (who produced the album), nor especially of the syrupy jazz-pop production style this is produced in. All that being said, if -- perhaps -- you are someone who does like listening to Kenny G-ish dinner jazz and does like Sarah Vaughan, and you're looking for a mellow, watered-down, English-language take on the Brazilian sound, this might actually be a good record for you to check out. No, really... you might like it.
Vi Velasco & Zoot Sims "Cantanto Bossa Nova" (Colpix, 1962)
Ernie Watts "Afoxe" (CTI, 1991)
A glossy collaboration between MPB superstar Gilberto Gil and North American jazz saxophonist Watts. Although on the whole this album is pretty overproduced and commercial, Gil's contributions actually include some of his better material for this time period. On the other hand, there's the overwrought soul vocals of Sharon Bryant, which fill about an equal amount of disc space. Iffy, but has its moments.
Paul Winter Sextet "Jazz Meets The Bossa Nova" (Columbia, 1962)
Saxophonist Paul Winter devoted a sizeable chunk of his career to promoting and exploring Brazilian (and later, African) music. Although he gets points for flying his band down to Rio and getting in on the Brazil action early in the game, this is much more of a standard-issue jazz album than it is a bossa nova crossover. In fact, it's mainly latin-jazz, and commonplace stuff at that, although on a couple of tracks, the drummer musters up a pretty good samba beat.
Paul Winter & Carlos Lyra "The Sound Of Ipanema" (Columbia, 1964)
Now, this is more like it! His accompaniment here is understated, though a bit staid. What makes this record so sweet is Carlos Lyra's gorgeous guitar and intimate vocals, as well as all the great songs he wrote. Sergio Mendes and Milton Banana sit in on piano and drums, respectively, and though Winter is slightly less swinging than the "authentic" bossa musicians, this is quite a nice little record. Recommended!
Paul Winter "Rio" (Columbia, 1965)
Here, Winter's explorations into bossa nova continue. But even with the contributions of Luiz Eca, Roberto Menescal and Luis Bonfa, this album is merely soporific, having settled into soft jazz. It lacks spark and sparkle.
Various Artists "GAFIEIRA BRASIL" (BMG, 1999)
Wahoo!! Some truly swingin' big-bandish samba-jazz from the 1950s, '60s and '70s, dance music that hearkens back to older styles like the maxixe and baiao, while fusing them with a hard-edged, American bandstand jazz. It's a style of Brazilian pop I haven't heard much of, made by artists who have been largely forgotten over the years. Os Velhinhos Transviados, Ases Do Ritmo, Fats Elpidio and others are anthologized along with 1950s bandleader Aristides Zacharias, someone I'd only known before from cheapo, budget label LPs ("Romance In Rio!", etc.) and whose work I'd dismissed as kitschy, sell-out, faux-Braziliania made for the North American easy listening crowd way back when... Well, it turns out he really rocks! Modern-day Brazilians don't seem to care for these guys much either; this album is the only place I know of that you can get any of their work on CD... A pity, because it's fun stuff, and deserves a fuller exploration in the digital reissue age... There are also some more recent recordings from Paulo Moura, who I guess is the main modern exponent of the gafieira style... Anyway, if you can track this disc down, it's totally worth it. (I got my copy through SomLivre.com...) Recommended!
Various Artists "QUARTIN" (Far Out, 1997)
Music from Roberto Quartin's early-'70s jazz-oriented Quartin label... A little too jazz-oriented for my tastes... This disc includes a few tracks off Jose Mauro's excellent Obnoxious album, and some interesting instrumentals by guitarist Piri (backed up by Wilson Das Neves and a young Danilo Caymmi) ... Unfortunately, it also contains most of the tracks off of an instrumental jazz Jobim tribute album by alto sax player Victor Assis Brasil, every one of which I found to be tedious -- a braz-jazz cross between Charlie Parker and Kenny G, perhaps. Doubtless the acid-jazz crown will flock to this collection; I was able to part with it without much sorrow, especially considering the entire Mauro album is also available as a reissue.
Other Brazilian Styles
Main Brazil Index
