Jazz /
Viagem
Light and breezy, pure and easy, that’s how I spent most of last week, and this album was a great soundtrack for it. Osmar Milito is an interesting figure in Brazilian jazz, having a hand in the famous Canecão club in Rio and playing with the likes of Sylvia Telles, Leny Andrade, and Flora Purim early in his career, and later on doing lots of soundtrack work for those venerable Brazilian exports, telenovelas. His post-bossa nova records are collectible for a reason: they’re damn good listening…
Mário Castro Neves & Samba S.A.
*2024 stock* The Brazilian composer, pianist and producer, Mário Castro Neves and his group, Samba S. A.'s self-titled album from 1967 is oozing with class. It possesses that archetypal 60's bossa nova, jazz, samba sound. We’d place it up there with Sergio Mendes at his finest, Tambo Trio or Milton Banana. It’s a breezy ride that touches on easy listening at times, but it holds it together with a cool swagger. Biba and Thaís Do Amaral's vocals are on point, with a relaxed delivery that complimen…
What's Going On
*2023 stock* The impossibly cool 1973 album What's Going On from Late, Great Japanese Funk & Jazz Don Takehiro Honda which swings through jazz orchestral renditions of American R&B and Funk Classics like Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On, "Otis Redding's "Sitting On The Dock of the Bay," and James Brown's "Ain't It Funky Now" turning them into the most Down Home, Grits 'N' Gravy Grooviest Versions and sounding like they were recorded at the studio of the band that taught the Memphis Rhythm Sections…
Maracaibo
*Limited Edition* Japanese drummer George Ohtsuka reunites with the Maracaibo group, creating a fusion of Latin influences on extended tracks that diverge from the smoother sounds of the contemporaneous scene. The ensemble includes Mabumi Yamaguchi on tenor and soprano sax, Tsunehide Matsuki on guitar, and Toshiyuki Sekine on Fender Rhodes. Special guest appearances by Miroslav Vitous on bass and Nana Vasconcelos on percussion and vocals add depth to the musical landscape. In contrast to other J…
Opa! Brasil
*Limited Edition* Dive into the groovy sounds of pianist Kunihiko Sugano with this album, where he skillfully maneuvers the Fender Rhodes to produce a blend of sharpness reminiscent of an acoustic piano. The bossa nova flavor promised in the title is delivered with a post-bossa twist, akin to the bossa jazz trio style of the 60s but updated. Think of it as a 70s take on the genre, akin to the works of Tamba Trio and Milton Banana but arguably even better. Sugano's dynamic approach is complemente…
Live!
*Limited Edition* Immerse yourself in the charm of a Japanese piano trio session, elevated by the rhythmic enchantment of conga player Yohichi Ogawa. The trio, featuring Kunihiko Sugano on piano, Eizoh Honda on bass, and Teruhiko Takada on drums, takes on a sweet and dynamic quality. Ogawa's conga rhythms add a distinctive flair, injecting energy into Sugano's music—a blend of lyrical imagination, gentle swing, and freewheeling vitality. With extended tracks this session is a delightful explorat…
Plays Bossa Nova
Hideo Shiraki travelled to the US from Japan in 1962 and was bowled over by Horace Silver and the Bossa Nova Craze happening at the same time. When he returned to Japan he went straight into the studio and cut this Blue Note inspired Japanese Jazz Masterpiece.
With a selection of tunes ranging from the 1940's stylings of "Tico Tico" through to the samba infused "Orfeo Negro" and arriving in Silversville with "Sayonara Blues" Hideo Shiraki has hit all the sweet spots! With sleeve notes translated…
Shakuhachi: The Ballads Of The Village
*2023 stock* "A great blend of funky jazz and wooden flute – the Japanese shakuhachi reed instrument, blown by Kifu Mitsuhashi here – then mixed with some larger backings that almost have a CTI Records sort of groove! The approach is similar to some of the best 70s projects from Hozan Yamamoto – and like those, updates older Japanese styles with just the right dose of jazz – never getting in the way of the soulful lines from the lead instrument, but also really warming things up nicely with Fend…
Airto & Flora - A Celebration: 60 Years - Sounds, Dreams & Other Stories
Super tip! Airto Moreira and Flora Purim, the legendary King and Queen of Brazilian Jazz, have captivated audiences for over six decades with their vibrant albums and exhilarating live performances. With a dedicated global fan base including the UK's jazz funk and jazz dance scene to Japan's concert halls, the power couple continues to make waves in the industry – Flora's 'If You Will' (2022) album was even nominated for a Grammy! The duo met and came together musically in Sambalanço and the Sam…
Wave
By the time this album was released, Antonio Carlos Jobim was already an international superstar. Having recently won a Grammy (1965) for "The Girl From Ipanema", by 1967 all the big name stars from up north were breaking down his door to work with the new "Gershwin of Brazil." In fact, Jobim had just finished working on an album with Frank Sinatra when he went into the studio to record this album. Recorded in 1967, Wave is actually one of the lesser known masterpieces of Brazilian music, and un…
Bossa Nova!
Reissue by Giotto Music of the legendary bossa album recorded in 1962 by the Basso-Vartambrini Quintet.
Light As A Feather
Full length remixed and re-mastered version of this classic lp featuring top 20 classic jazz carnival!
Soft Samba Live! Jazz From The Penthouse
From the great cache of tapes recorded at Seattle's storied Penthouse nightclub comes The Gary McFarland Quintet, recorded live in the summer of 1965. McFarland could usually be found in the recording studios of New York arranging for everyone from Stan Getz to Lena Horne, but his 1964 bossa-jazz classic LP Soft Samba was such an unexpected hit that it afforded McFarland the opportunity to hit the road with fellow Berklee School of Music alumni Gabor Szabo on guitar and Sadao Watanabe on flute a…
Starting Point
Tip! In 1975, under the oppressive air of military dictatorship in Brazil, brothers Lelo and Zé Eduardo Nazario invited bassist Zeca Assumpção to join their musical experiments in a basement under Sao Paulo’s Teodoro Sampaio Street. As teenagers, the trio had already been playing together in Hermeto Pascoal’s Grupo, alongside guitarist Toninho Horta and saxophonist Nivaldo Ornelas, and it was while working together under Hermeto’s direction that the Paulista rhythm section (as they were then kno…
De Repente
In 1970, the Virgilio Armas Trio released De Repente on the tiny Discos A&B label, very likely a one-off, self-financed project. Virgilio Armas recalls: “The nightlife in Caracas of the 1950’s and 1960’s inspired me to record an album in 1970, with songs influenced by the Jazz, Bossa and Latin genres. De Repente was created with my beloved Piano, and my long-time musical partners Rodolfo Buenaño (bass) and Guillermo Tariba (drums).”
The style is very much influenced by the harder post-Bossa Nova…
Espejismo
We Are Busy Bodies announces the reissue of the rare and sought-after 1973 Venezuelan jazz album Espejismo ('Mirage') by Virgilio Armas Y Su Grupo, offering a fascinating snapshot of the thriving music scene in early 1970's Caracas, until now largely undocumented because of the musical dominance of Venezuela’s far larger southern neighbour, Brazil. Pianist and bandleader Virgilio Armas skilfully combined Latin Jazz, post-bossa swing (Balanço), with home-grown variants of Son Cubano, Montuno, Mer…
Like A Child
We Are Busy Bodies reissues Sadayasu Fujii Trio's 1977 album, Like A Child. Led by pianist, Sadayasu Fujii, the album includes jazz standards "A Sleepin' Bee" and "If I Should Lose You", along with original compositions.
Silver Lining
*In process of stocking. 2022 stock.* Gyan Riley is a virtuoso guitarist and composer living in Brooklyn whose unique work expands the rich legacy of classical guitar music with influences from minimalism, flamenco, bossa nova, collection of music for solo guitar. Fluid, compelling, and beautiful, this is music you will return to again and again. "This album pays homage to several of my musical mentors. I am forever grateful to these artists for the inspiration they have given me, not only for …
Denga
Often affectionately referred to as the "Godfather of British Latin music" Robin Jones was truly one of the great performers on the international Latin scene. Denga, his first recording from 1971 is a scintillating fusion of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazillian rhythms laden with heavy Fender Rhodes sounds and no less than three Afro-Latin Percussionists. The hard-to-find album has now been reissued by legendary London jazz DJ Paul Murphy's Jazz Room Records imprint. It should be an essential purchase…
Bahia Com 'H'
*In process of stcoking* Ethereal, sensual, subtle. Maria de Fátima is that new favourite singer you think you just discovered, but had actually always been there. This Brazilian muse from Tijuca (Rio de Janeiro) has worked and recorded with artists such as Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Arthur Verocai, Airto Moreira & Flora Purim, Chico Buarque and Lincoln Olivetti amongst many others.
We're immensely proud to bring you a deluxe reissue of her only solo album Bahia com H. Recorded in 1981 in …