★Polysom
Secos & Molhados (1973) Lp
A Brazilian rock classic! The band had a very sophisticated sound that mixes nice vocal production with spare arrangements supported by guitar, piano, and bass. The sound is difficult to describe – but the record has some extremely compelling songwri…
Construcao
If you've ever been wondering which album to get by Chico Buarque – this is it! The record's a stunning batch of sophisticated sides, done in collaboration with Roberto Menescal, and with help from Jobim and MPB4! The album builds on the style of Bua…
Zabumbe-Bum-A
A gem of an album from Hermeto Pascoal – right up there with 70s classics like A Musica Libre and Slaves Mass – and done with a similar sort of energy that goes way beyond jazz, way beyond conventional Brazilian music – into territory that can only b…
Celia 1970
Wickedly cool work from this overlooked Brazilian singer – a record that's got a strong sense of soul in the grooves, and a great sense of imagination in the choice of songs! Celia sings early work by Joyce, Lo Borges, Nelson Angelo, and others – wit…
Sacundin Ben Samba
One of Jorge Ben's greatest albums – a groundbreaking blend of samba and soul that forever went onto transform the face of Brazilian music! The record works off the groove set down by Jorge's earlier hit "Mas Que Nada" (which appears on another LP), …
Ben É Samba Bom
A stunner of a record from the mighty Jorge Ben – and a record that catapulted the Brazilian singer to international fame at the time! This is his second legendary LP, a seminal killer and as usual features some of the best arrangers in the genre, fi…
Alucinacao
"A great early album from Belchior – much rootsier than some of his later work, with a groove that almost feels like samba soul at times! The arrangements provide quick-stepping samba elements on some of the best tracks, mixed with more modern funky …
Se O Caso É Chorar
"Wonderful 70s work from Tom Zé! The record's a bit more straightforward than some of his other records from the decade, and has a number of tracks with a samba sound at the base – but there's more than enough fantastic material to keep the record fr…
Negro É Lindo
Negro é Lindo is a worthy successor for the great album he had released in the previous year. Jorge Ben now takes his sound further toward a tropical Soul, a style that was his unique invention. But there are also still those hypnotic Samba groove…
Clube Da Esquina II
A second great statement from the "corner club" of Milton Nascimento – that special assemblage of musicians from his home territory of Minas Gerais, augmented here in slight ways that maybe make the album an even more ambitious record than the first!…
Clube Da Esquina
A landmark album from Milton Nascimento – not only a set that really marked his growth as a singer, songwriter, and overall musical visionary – but also a record that really showcased the collaborative spirit that would be a part of his music for yea…
Tim Maia 1973
A great step forward for the legendary Tim Maia – working here in a style that's even tighter and more sophisticated than before – yet still equally filled with funk and soul! The arrangements are a bit bigger than before, and the production a bit mo…
Revolver
A bit of an oddball record from Walter Franco, and one we've really come to love over the years! Franco's clearly going for an experimental rock sound here – and while the hard jamming kind of works at odds against that at times, at others, the whole…
Jorge Ben 1969
A samba soul masterpiece from Jorge Ben – one of the most brilliant records to come out the fertile late 60s Brazilian scene – and an incredible album that works with the psychedelic flourishes of Ben's contemporaries and a deeper undercurrent of sou…
Contrastes
A straighter album than some of the early experimental work of Jards Macale – but maybe a greater album as well – and one that really shows the singer coming into his own, and finding a way to nestle his fresh ideas within the best settings of 70s MP…
Gal (1969)
This Brazilian classic finally gets a proper U.S. release -- one of the greatest psychedelic albums of the late '60s, and a key part of the Tropicalia movement as well! The record is easily the most tripped-out album ever from Gal Costa -- far more s…
Correio Da Estação Do Brás
2012 reissue, long out of print. A fluid, low-key effort, with less of the challenging, music box melodies of his earlier efforts. This is a record which eases its way past your ears (and I mean that in a good way!) It’s not sappy or unchallengin…
Estudando O Samba
This is one of Tom Ze's best albums ever – and it's monsterously hard to find. The record is a fantastic blend of post-Tropicalia styles – and it features some strange arrangements that perfectly illustrated Ze's insane approach to songwriting. …