Artist: Milton Banana
     Album: Linha de Passe
     Label: RCA Camden
     Years: 1984
     Quality: MP3@320 kbps
     Size: 86.22 mb
     Total time: 77:46


I was saving this album for a future opportunity; there are several Milton Banana albums already available at Loronix. Moreover, I had nothing in particular to say about this record. I learned today that Linha de Passe is the last album recorded by Milton Banana, 1984, more than a decade before his passing in 1999. This fact made me feel particularly sad, but the sadness disappeared as soon as I put this album to spin, which is exactly like all the other albums recorded by this great musician, despretencious, happier, but sincere, a work of love. Wherever Milton Banana is right now, it is important he knows there is a community that loves its music and works a lot to preserve his memory.

This is Milton Banana Trio - Linha de Passe (1984), for RCA Candem, featuring Milton Banana on drums accompanied by not credited musicians, which is something very strange on the RCA release. If you are giving the first steps on Brazilian music, this album is highly recommended, it saved my night today and I hope it makes you feel great, such as I'm now.

     Artists: MorelenbaumІ/Ryuichi Sakamoto
     Album: A Day in New York
     Label: Sony Music Distribution
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 256 kb/s
     Year: 2002, release: 2003
     Size: 73 Mb
     AMG rating

A Day in New York, recorded at the end of a U.S. tour the group made in 2002 in support of the Casa release is, simply, Morelenbaum Squared's live set performed -- live -- in a New York studio. The emphasis, of course, is on songs by Antonio Carlos Jobim, although Caetano Veloso, Joгo Gilberto, and even Ryuichi Sakamoto and Paula Morelenbaum get a look in. The music is exquisite, gently understated, and shimmering like a heat mirage. Morelenbaum is a more than capable singer, and often a delight here (as on "Fotografia"), while Sakamoto is the real revelation of the album. He blends in so perfectly it's hard to believe he's not Brazilian; he's deft in rhythmic support, and never pushes too much on his solos. Cellist Jacques Morelenbaum is the veteran, but he keeps a sense of discovery in his playing, and the inclusion of the bowed instrument offers an almost chamber music-feel to this music, bringing another dimension to the sound. The three are the focal points, but kudos too, to the guitarist and drummer, who keep in the background, but offer vital support. It's remarkable just how familiar many of these songs are; not merely the obvious "Desafinado" and "Chega De Saudade," but "Samba De Aviгo" and "Fotografia." In a way, it's like chancing upon an old friend after many years, and finding a new richness. A joy to the ear. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide

     Artist: Lalo Schifrin
     Album: Gone With The Wave
     Year: 1964
     Label: Colpix
     Genre: Original Soundtrack
     Quality:320 kbps
     Total Time: 00:31:13
     Total Size: 74 mb


Gone With The Wave is a Lalo Schifrin score for a Bruce Brown-like surfing documentary in the mid 60s -- but instead of the usual guitar riffing and bongo drumming on such a soundtrack, Lalo uses a lot of jagged jazzy lines -- working in a bit of light bossa, some heavier Latin rhythms, and plenty of cool instrumentation! The players alone make the set worth having -- especially the percussion from Milt Holland, Francisco Aguabella, and Shelly Manne -- as well as the light guitar touches from Howard Roberts, Bob Bain, and Laurindo Almeida. Paul Horn plays some great alto sax and flute on the set, Victor Feldman's on piano, and Frank Rosolino's on trombone -- and Lalo changes up the instrumentation from track to track to really keep the overall feel of the set incredibly fresh! Titles include "Breaks", "Gone With The Wave", "Taco Taquito", "Halieva Blues", "A Taste Of Bamboo", "Aqua Blues", "Surf Waltz", and "Breaks Bossa Nova".

     Artist: John Pizzarelli
     Album: Bossa Nova
     Label: Telarc Jazz
     Year: 2003, release: 2004
     Quality: FLAC + MP3@320Kbps
     Size: 318 + 122 MB (covers)
     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. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide

     Artist - Dizzy Gillespie
     Album - New Wave
     Label - Philips
     Year - 1962, release - 1963
     Quality - MP3@320 kbps (LP-rip)
     Size - 73,7 mb
     Total time - 34:08
     AMG Rating

Этот превосходный, довольно редкий альбом, как мне кажется, нужно рассматривать, как продолжение сессии, начатой в уже хорошо знакомом альбоме этого Гениального музыканта - Dizzy On the French Riviera, там те же музыканты, те же даты записи. Странно, что до сих эти записи не объединили в одном альбоме. Надеюсь, что испанские лейблы, которые в последние годы переиздают массу хорошей музыки 50х-60х годов прошлого века, восполнят этот пробел.

It is such a pity that Dizzy Gillespie Philips' LPs have yet to be reissued on CD, for the trumpeter (45 at the time of this recording) was at the peak of his powers in the early '60s. On such songs as "In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town," "Careless Love," "One Note Samba" and the "Theme from Black Orpheus," Gillespie and his expanded quintet (with guests Bola Sete or Elec Bacsik on guitar and Charlie Ventura taking a memorable bass sax solo on "No More Blues-Part II") show a great deal of spirit and creativity. Leo Wright (on alto and flute) and pianist Lalo Schifrin are also in fine form throughout this gem.

     Artist - Dizzy Gillespie
     Album - Dizzy On The French Riviera
     Label - Philips
     Year - 1962 (release 2009)
     Quality - MP3@320kbps
     Size: 88,2 mb
     Total time - 38:25
     AMG Rating

   Some of Dizzy Gillespie's best and most well-known material from the '60s with a truly talented band is included on this long-awaited reissue of recordings done in France. A group of American expatriates and Europeans really musicians from all over the world accompany the trumpeter for music that spans bop, Brazilian sounds, and originals. Argentine pianist Lalo Schifrin plays piano and contributes the arrangements and Leo Wright is Gillespie's main foil on flute and alto sax, while Hungarian Elek Bacsik plays guitar in subtle ways that reflect the overall style of the sounds inspired by the French Riviera. A classic, stretched-out take of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "No More Blues" kicks off the set, with the sound of kids on an ocean beach leading to Gillespie and Wright trading halves of the melody line as playful as the children in a perfectly played bossa. Another Jobim standard, "Desafinado," has Wright's bright flute and the muted trumpet of Diz in a more pensive but still hopeful romantic mood. "I Waited for You" is the ultimate languid, laying-in-wait ballad, with Schifrin's refrains cuing the trumpeter's procrastinations, while "Long, Long Summer" is the pianist's ode to a sullen affair with ultraviolet light cool shades included in a swinging and modal approach. "For the Gypsies," penned by the leader, has Bacsik more up-front rhythmically, as Wright's mysterious flute contrasts with Gillespie's sharply precise notes in a sneaky quick bossa rhythm. Also written by Dizzy, "Here It Is" is as memorable a tune as he ever did, a signature strutting shuffle jazz/blues that exemplifies the joy in life always present in his music. That all of the participants are extremely talented and can mix and match with Gillespie beautifully makes this a CD that should appeal universally to all jazz lovers, and especially his biggest fans.
   

     Artists: Various Artists
     Album: Jazz 'Round Midnight: Bossa Nova
     Years: 1962-1966; release: 5/17/1994
     Format, bitrate: FLAC
     Time: 57:34
     Size: 330MB




Although it shouldn't be mistaken for a definitive compilation of his bossa nova recordings, Jazz 'Round Midnight: Bossa Nova is a good sampler of Stan Getz's most popular work, featuring 13 tracks including "Desafinado," "Bahia," "Ebony Samba," "It Might As Well Be Spring," "Sambalero" and "The Girl from Ipanema."

     Artist: Astrud Gilberto
     Album: Gilberto With Turrentine
     Year: 1971 (CTI)
     Label: Columbia (1990, Digitally remastered)
     Total time: 38:11
     Format: FLAC + MP3 (320)
     Size: 206 + 91 MB (artwork inc.)





     Gilberto with Stanley Turrentine is the pairing of Astrud Gilberto with saxophonist Stanley Turrentine on selected tracks, featuring arrangements by Eumir Deodato. The 1971 set, which has some mildly entertaining moments, was reissued on CD with remastered sound in 1990.

     Artist: Joao Gilberto
     Album: Live At Umbria Jazz
     Label: Egea
     Year:1996 ; release: 2002
     Format, bitrate: MP3 320 kbps
     Time: 59:53
     Size: 131 MB
     AMG Rating


Guitarist/vocalist Joao Gilberto is credited with being the originator of the bossa nova, due to his 1950s affiliation with songwriter Antonio Carlos Jobim. Hence, the rest is history. While this recording captures his genius via a solo perfomance at Italy's "Umbria Jazz" festival in 1996. His easily identifiable sound is intact here, as Gilberto delves into fourteen pieces, composed by Jobim and others. The artist's wistful, hush-toned vocals and rhythmically charged acoustic guitar work just reaffirms his significance in modern music. He typifies the coolness of Brazil amid his relatively toe-tapping pulses and contrasting melodic interludes. Part of the beauty, resides within his often-lilting harmonic structures, deterministic sense of purpose and understated themes. Gilberto's sensual demeanor and calming celebration of life hits the mark in a huge way, largely due to his effortless mode of execution and inspiring musical persona.

     Artist: Joao Gilberto
     Album: In Tokyo
     Label: Universal
     Year:2003 ; release: 2004
     Format, bitrate: MP3 320 kbps
     Time: 69:08
     Size: 97 MB
     AMG Rating



In Tokyo is a straight parallel import of the Japanese disc of the same title. It is a solo concert recorded in 2003 with the Great One playing solo -- just the man, the voice, and the guitar, running through classics and lesser-known tunes from "Corcovado" and "Ligia" to "Bolhina de Papel" and "Wave." Thankfully, this a songwriter's set as much as it is a singer's, making for a gorgeous if sparse performance. This is as moving and beautiful as anything Gilberto has ever recorded live, and because of its stunningly warm and intimate sound, it's better than most offerings of the ao vivo variety.

     Artist: Celso Fonseca
     Album: Natural
     Format: FLAC + MP3 (320)
     Size: 345 + 123 MB (inc. artwork)
     Label: Ziriguiboom/Crammed
     Total time: 53:13
     AMG rating

This will look like a debut album to most Americans, but it is, in fact, Celso Fonseca's fifth solo effort, not counting his many collaborations and supporting gigs with the likes of Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, and Bebel Gilberto, not to mention such American luminaries as Carlos Santana and jazzman Charles Lloyd. On Natural, Fonseca is not exactly breaking any new ground, but his effortless command of bossa nova's vocal and instrumental conventions and his surehanded leadership of a small but distinguished ensemble combine to produce what is simultaneously one of the most relaxing and most exciting releases of 2003. There are covers of classic tunes by Antonio Carlos Jobim ("She's a Carioca") and Baden Powell ("Consolacao") and a great, shimmering version of the jazz standard "The Night We Called It a Day," but his own compositions are equally fine, especially the lovely "Slow Motion Bossa Nova" and the subtly complex "Teu Sorriso." Natural is one of those rare records that will appeal equally to music snobs and rank amateurs, and to deeply knowledgeable Brazilian music fans and complete newcomers to that country's rich musical tradition. Very highly recommended.

     Artists: Toots Thielemans & Elis Regina
     Album: Aquarela do Brasil
     Label: Philips / Verve
     Quality: FLAC
     Year: 1969
     Size: 196 MB (cue+log+covers)
     Total time: 33:10


 

   

     Artist: Toninho Horta
     Album: Toninho in Vienna
     Lable: PAO Records
     Year: 2007
     Quality: MP3; 320 kb/s
     Size: 138 mb



New solo album by Toninho Horta : the famous guitar player, composer and singer from the Minas Gerais area of Brasil, who has been winning the respect of a solid international audience for almost three decades. After playing and recording with ,Milton Nascimento, Elis Regina, Gal Costa, Wagner Tiso and Nana Caymmi, among others, he recorded his first album as leader in 1980. He has made many albums since then. He employs his highly individual, virtuoso guitar style, often with improvised vocal interplay, in a wonderfully rhythmic & melodic way - mixing jazz and Brazilian music. He has worked with ,Pat Metheny, ,George Duke, Gil Evans, ,Joe Pass, Randy Brecker, ,Wayne Shorter, Larry Carlton, etc - and with almost every main Brazilian star, including : ,Tom Jobim, ,Sergio Mendes, ,Astrud Gilberto, ,Flora Purim, ,Maria Bethania, ,Caetano Veloso, ,Eliane Elias, Joao Bosco, ,Hermeto Pascoal, ,Joyce, and countless others.

     Artist: Yamandu Costa
     Album: Tokyo Session
     Label: Koala Records (KBCW 1022)
     Year: 2005; release: 2006
     Genre: Brazilian Jazz, Bossa Nova, accoustic guitar
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320 kbps
     Time: 47:53
     Size: ~120 MB

One of the greatest geniuses of Brazilian music of all times, young Yamandu deserves the highest praise. Whenever he is on stage, he fills with joy the most select audience since his impressive performance shows the deep intimacy between Yamandu and his guitar. The recognition he has earned throughout the years reveals what he can offer the audience – recreation of the magic of music - once from his fingers the music he plays travels through his body and soul and is almost miraculously transformed.

Yamandu is a guitar player, composer and arranger that does not fit into a single music style, yet he creates his own when he combines all of them playing his 7-string guitar.

     Artist: Charlie Byrd
     Album: Charlie's Choice
     Label: OFFBEAT
     Year: rel.1960
     Format: Flac, (vinyl rip)
     Size: about 247 MB

      Artist: Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis & Barney Kessel
      Album: Great Guitars Live (At The Winery/ At Charlie's Georgetown)
      Label: Concord
      Released: 1982
      Format: MP3, 320(?) kb/s
      Time: 46:27
      Size: 81.9 MB

      The Great Guitars' fifth and final recording with their original three guitarists (Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis and Barney Kessel) is another excellent effort, although a bit lazier than their previous records. Bassist Joe Byrd and drummer Chuck Redd contribute tasteful support. Other than "Get Happy," most of the selections (which include "Where or When," "Opus One," "Old Folks" and even a soulful "When the Saints Go Marching In") are taken at slow to medium tempos, but the interplay between the guitarists is always impressive and swinging. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
     A jazz guitar double-header -- two older albums from the classic Great Guitars series packaged in a single set! First up is Great Guitars At The Winery -- a date that has a sweet trio of guitarists -- Charlie Byrd, Barney Kessel, and Herb Ellis -- swinging in easygoing, open-ended formation that allows for plenty of fast string interplay! Rhythm is from Joe Byrd on bass and Jimmie Smith on drums, and at times, the guitar-driven approach is almost in the mode of gypsy swing -- but with a lot more of a contemporary feel overall. Titles include "So Danco Samba", "Sheik Of Araby", "Broadway", "Air Mail Special", and "Talk Of The Town". Great Guitars At Charlies Georgetown follows the great format first set out by the trio of guitarists Charlie Byrd, Barney Kessel, and Herb Ellis -- a pretty airy approach to jazz guitar swinging that also features a bit of bass from Joe Byrd and some drums from Chuck Redd! As before, the approach seems to work best on older swing-styled numbers -- letting one guitar play rhythm while another solos strongly -- on titles that include "Where Or When", "New Orleans", "Change Partners", "Opus One", "Get Happy", and "Danielle". © 1996-2010, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

     Artist: Joao Gilberto
     Album: Joao
     Label: Philips
     Year: 1991, release: 1992
     Format: FLAC + MP3 (320k/s)
     Size: 285 + 118 MB (scans)
     Total time: 50:26
     AMG rating:

This 1991 record ended a decade-plus silence from the man who helped create bossa nova. Though JOAO features full orchestral backing, the arrangements by Clare Fischer dart in and around Gilberto's understated singing and rhythmically ingenious guitar work, never overpowering the artist or obscuring his unique vision. The effect is not unlike that achieved by Nelson Riddle in his orchestrations for Frank Sinatra. Though Gilberto tackles a tune in French ("Que Reste-T-Il de Nos Amours") and a Cole Porter classic in English ("You Do Something to Me"), even these are presented in the bossa nova style to which he has remained true throughout his career. The delicate beauty of Gilberto's voice, the soft-but-insistent pulse of his guitar, and the otherworldy grace of his artistic conception are as much in evidence on JOAO as they are on his legendary recordings from 30 years prior. As ever, the man proves to be simply incapable of making a wrong move. ~ cduniverse.com

     Artist: Larry Goldings
     Album: Caminhos Crusados
     Label: BMG
     Year: 1994, release: 1999
     Format: FLAC & mp3 (320k/s)
     Size: 372 & 148 MB (scans)     
     Total time: 60:42
     AMG rating



Listening to this CD, it is surprising to note that few bossa nova records up to now have featured organs. Larry Goldings's subtle style (a laid-back Jimmy Smith) perfectly fits the idiom and some of the selections performed on his set are given straight-ahead sections for variety. The music is mostly easy listening with an appealing ensemble sound, consistently excellent concise solos from Goldings and guitarist Peter Bernstein, and tasteful backup from drummer Bill Stewart and percussionist Guilherme Franco. The three guest appearances by Joshua Redman make one wish that he were on more tracks for his tenor fits very comfortably into this setting. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

Artist: Baden Powell (featuring Maurício Einhorn)
Album: Tempo Feliz
Label: Forma / PolyGram
Year: 1966; release: 1990
Genre: Brazilian Jazz, Bossa Nova
Format, bitrate: FLAC & mp3 @ 320 kbps
Time: 39:05
Size: FLAC: ~263 MB (2 files); mp3: ~89 MB

This classic 1966 Forma album, reissued on LP by Fontana in 1978 and on CD by PolyGram Brazil in 1990, brought Baden Powell's first recordings for his originals "Vou Por Aí" (with Aloysio de Oliveira), "Apelo," and "Deixa" (both with Vinícius de Moraes; other fruits of the fundamental partnership began in 1962). And there is more: the participation of underrated harmonica player Maurício Einhorn, who adds much to the program from the intro of the opening track, "Vou Por Aí," where unaccompanied guitar and harmonica perform with enchanting polyphony, building independent lines that allow room for the entrance of the rhythm section (no reference given in the album notes, but they are Chico Batera on drums and Edson Lobo on bass), following the exposition of the theme by the harmonica and solos by the two instrumentalists and the bassist. Next comes the classic "Apelo," with two choruses of guitar improv with very discreet references to the jazz idiom, focusing in a Brazilian language instead. The valse "A Chuva" brings with its melancholic overtones a very lyrical solo guitar rendition in the intro; soon it's joined by the harmonica solo and rhythm section. Samba bossa nova is the vehicle for swinging improvisation in "Deixa" and the long-winded "Consolação." Equally animated in the same style is "Sem Saber" (Otto Gonçalves Filho), while "Pro Forma" (Maurício Einhorn/Arnaldo Costa) brings for its 6/8 setting an Iberian atmosphere. The acalanto "Tempo Feliz" (Powell/Vinícius de Moraes), in its second recording by Powell (the first had been in the same year's live Baden Powell ao Vivo no Teatro Santa Rosa), closes the album with delicacy, with Powell alone at the guitar. Alvaro Neder on Allmusicguide.com

     Artist: Jack Wilson
     Album: Jack Wilson Plays Brazilian Mancini
     Label: Vault (1001)
     Year: 1965
     Format: mp3@320 (vinyl rip)
     Time: 24:13
     Size: 45MB


Jack Wilson plays Brazilian Mancini is one of the smoothest albums you will ever hear. Jack Wilson on the piano combined with Roy Ayer's vibes is like velvet on the ears. Antonio Carlos Jobim's surprise appearance on guitar should not be overlooked! This will make you want to find not only other Jack Wilson LPs, but those of Mancini as well. A great combination of Mancini and Bossa.

Jack Wilson is one of my favorite pianists, after Monk, of course. :)
This is a quite rare and beautiful LP with all tracks composed by Henri Mancini. the special guest Artist "Tony Brazil" on Guitar is actually Antonio Carlos Jobim, using a pseudonym. This is one of the "smoothest" albums I've heard. ~ tonedog