A Night In The '706' Club

Eduardo Prates e Seu Conjunto & Fernando Martins e Seu Conjunto - Uma Noite No 706 Philips 6349.336 (1977)

This will satisfy lovers of Fender Rhodes led jazzy bossa. Lots of funky tunes here awash with groovy male & female vocals.

This session was recorded live at the "706" club in Rio and features a side each by Eduardo Prates & Fernando Martins with their respective groups.

Side A - Eduardo Prates e Seu Conjunto
1) Vai Levando
2) Papo Furado
3) O Que Vier Eu Traco
4) Bambo Do Bambu
5) Ajoelha
6) Partido Rico
7) Te Segura
8) Recordacoes De Um Batuqueiro
9) Voce Vai Ver

Side B - Fernando Martins e Seu Conjunto
1) Adeus, America
2) Rock-Enredo
3) Acreditar
4) Outro Amor
5) Jesuino Galo Doido
6) Antes Ele Do Que Eu
7) Perdoa
8) Maracatu Atomico

Os Tatuis

Os Tatuis - Os Tatuis Farroupilha LPFA-410 (1965)

Yet another early Bertrami brothers project, also known as Azymuth!. Here's a the slickest bossa jazz, the group's forward thinking arrangements are already self-evident on this perfectly realised album.

Os Tatuis are led by Jose or Ze Roberto on piano & Claudio Henrique on bass, the remainder of the group comprising Og Vasconcelos on Sax, Ivo Mendes on trumpet, Elizeu de Campos Vieira on drums with Aresky Aratto also on keys.

1) Vivo Sonhando
2) Nuvens
3) Inutil Paisagem
4) Voce
5) A Morte De Um Deus De Sal
6) Insensatez
7) A Bossa Do Ze Roberto
8) Primavera
9) Samba Do Aviao
10) Sou Sem Paz
11) Minha Namorada
12) O Menino Das Laranjas

A Musica De Briamonte

José Briamonte - Sambeco, A Musica De Briamonte RCA Victor BBL-1449 (1968)

Probably the rarest LP by this legendary songwriter, arranger & pianist. His talents often grace the grooviest sixties' bossa releases and this album is no exception.

Joined by the likes of Papudinho on trumpet, Raulzinho on trombone, Heraldo do Monte on acoustic guitar, Capacete & Guará on acoustic bass, Garoto on vibes, Chacau & Heitor on drums & percussion and Boneca on acoustic guitar.

Whether it's tight snapping jazz instrumentals or groovy bossa vocals, each tune is propelled in Briamonte's trademark swinging fashion - and with songs penned by Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Quincy Jones, João Donato, Luiz Carlos Vinhas, Milton Nascimento & Johnny Alf, as well as Briamonte himself, it's a great listen all the way through!

1) Roda De Samba
2) Selva
3) Moça
4) The World Goes On
5) Canto Pra Amada
6) Eu E A Brisa
7) Mr. King
8) Travessia
9) Watch What Happens
10) Januaria
11) Sonho Bom
12) Ye Me Le

Inner City Summer

Here's a compilation of lesser known summery jazz fusion tunes all taken from the U.S. Inner City label and are of a late seventies vintage. I did this one for personal consumption but thought you might enjoy it, so here it is with suitable cover art.

If there are enough takers, I'll post the second volume at a later date.

1) Sam Morrison - Song Of Landa
2) Arn Evans + Tradewinds - Song For The Changing Seasons
3) Jeff Lorber Fusion - Chinese Medicinal Herbs
4) Listen Featuring Mel Martin - Growing
5) Dry Jack - Heads In The Cloud
6) Solar Plexus - The Darwin Dilemma
7) Bert Ligon - River Journey
8) Didier Lockwood - Aspiring Answer
9) Cybill Shepherd - Triste
10) Kellis Ethridge - Pensacola Joy
11) Arni Egilsson - Hot Air On A G String

Guitarra Cósmica

Sebastião Tapajós - ... E Sua Guitarra Cósmica Forma VDL-114 (1969)

Sebastião Tapajós is a renowned Brazilian musician with over 50 recorded albums. A classically-trained violonista (acoustic guitar player), he soon awakened to his own musical expression, which bridges the gap between the rich Brazilian tradition and the delicacy, subtlety, and sophistication of the classical tradition. He received more than 20 awards in his career, including Germany's Album of the Year. Touring intensively through Europe, he has played and recorded with Gerry Mulligan, Astor Piazzolla, Oscar Peterson, Paquito de Rivera, Zimbo Trio, Hermeto Pascoal, and many others, with concerts attended by more than 600,000 people.

His father, who was his first teacher, prompted him to begin playing at nine. He continued to study as a self-taught, until he moved to Belém, in Pará, Brazil, studying musical theory with Professor Drago. In 1963, he moved again, this time to Rio, where he studied with Othon Salleiro. In 1964, he moved to Portugal, where he graduated from the Lisbon National Music Conservatory. Tapajós was already an active performing artist, performing concerts in Portugal and Spain. In Madrid, he studied with guitar master Emilio Pujol, having graduated from the Hispanic Culture Institute. Since 1968, his recordings have been released in Brazil, Argentina, Japan, and in most European countries. Returning to Belém, he spent some time there before moving again to Rio, in search of performing opportunities and at the same time researching Brazilian popular music. The first opportunity to perform came with a rendition of Villa-Lobos' "Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra," together with National Symphonic Orchestra, at the Teatro Municipal, Rio's most distinguished classical music concert house. The critics were very favorable, and he began to tour Brazil and the U.S., giving concerts. By and by, Tapajós began to demonstrate interest in writing Brazilian popular music. His compositions, always evidencing an original character while avoiding easy commercial references, are profoundly rooted in Brazilian tradition. In 1972, his Brasil/El Arte de la Guitarra was released by Discmedia/Trova-Alfa, with themes from classical and popular Brazilian composers, and his own compositions, together with a Weiss piece, "Allemande." After 1973, he toured Europe with great success. In that same year, he performed at the Folklore and Bossa Nova of Brazil Festival, accompanying Maria Betânia and Paulinho da Viola, and he recorded Bienvenido Tapajós for MPS. He then began an intense touring schedule through Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Holland, Belgium, and other countries. He also makes a point in presenting to his European audiences other great Brazilian musicians, such as Maurício Einhorn, Zimbo Trio, Joel do Bandolim, Djalma Correa, Sivuca, and others.

In 1981, Sebastião Tapajós recorded with Zimbo Trio the album Sincopando, for Stockfisch. In 1982, his LP Guitarra Criolla was awarded, in Germany, as the Album of the Year. Two years later, he released Xingu, with Pedro "Sorongo" Santos and Djalma Correa, through Tropical Music. His LP Terra was also awarded as Best Foreign Album in Germany. In 1988, Sebastião Tapajós recorded Luá, Joá, with Maurício Einhorn, for Caju Music. In Brazil, he was awarded by the Academia Brasileira de Letras as the best Brazilian musician of 1992. In 1993, he recorded a CD entirely dedicated to Villa-Lobos' music, Villa-Lobos, for L'Art. In 1994, also for L'Art, he recorded another album with pieces mostly by Hispanic classical composers. But, in 1995, his Visões do Nordeste (L'Art) brought his own compositions with Northeast Brazilian rhythms; with only one song not written by him, the Northeastern folklore song, "Mulher Rendeira." With Brazilian pianist Gilson Peranzzetta, Tapajós recorded, in 1996, the album Affinities, mostly with compositions by the two. Rejecting being labeled as a "jazz" player, Sebastião Tapajós is simply a Brazilian music player.

1) Light My Fire
2) Rio Das Ostras
3) A Estrela E O Astronauta
4) Call Me
5) Luar Em Veropeso
6) Eu Quase Sozinho
7) Cantiga De Errante
8) A 200 P.H.
9) Zazueira
10) Wave
11) Sinhazinha
12) La Mentira

Paz

Paz - Kandeen Love Song Spotlite SPJ-507 (1977)

In 1974 keyboard player Geoff Castle joined Latin fusion band PAZ and started a Sunday night residency at the Kensington pub in Holland Park, which ran for 8 years. The band, led by the late Dick Crouch, who wrote most of the material, built a huge following and in 1976 recorded the first of many BBC broadcasts. The band’s first album “Kandeen Love Song”, issued on Spotlite Records in 1977, quickly became popular on the club scene.

The first side was recoreded in 1976, when Brian Smith was the main melodist, playing soprano & tenor saxes and some flute. By 1977 when the three beautiful tracks on the second side were made, Ray Warleigh had taken over on soprano & tenor saxes, but on this album concentrates on piccolo in superb fashion.

Stay awhile on that second side. On it you will hear the title track, a long leisurely rhapsodic piece heavily featuring the flute. Should you marvel at the length of Ray Warleigh's lines, as he elegantly spins improvisations, then that's because he is using cyclic breathing - in through the nose and out through the mouth at the same time, to sustain the phrasing - just like Roland Kirk. Incidentally, the theme of Kandeen Love Song is thousands of years old, a tune which so seized Dick Crouch when BBC producer Angela Bond sang it to him that he added the chords.

Another unique point about this album: Ron Matthewson , probably recognised as the leader on his instrument in Britain, plays bass guitar with Paz , wheras he usually uses string bass. It could well be the first time he's ever been recorded playing bass guitar.

There's also a contrast between the first and second sides. Even though you'd rarely realise it, the 1977 tracks are played totally "free", but the good sense and feeling of the musicians disguises the fact almost completely.

Dick Crouch wrote Crotales (means "strings of bells") and The Bell Tree on the first side - on both of them there's glorious resonant bass from Matthewson. Solar Wind is the keyboardist's, Geoff Castle, who comes from the very rich background of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Graham Collier and Nucleus. Yours Is The Light is from Santana's repertoire, a most melodic and exhilarating version.

Listen to Warleigh's stratospheric piccolo on both The Buddha and Time Stood Still, two peices which show how relentlessly the band continue to move forward in ideas, execution and taste.

(Side One)
Brian Smith - soprano, flute; Geoff Castle - keyboards; Phil Lee - electric guitar; Ron Matthewson - bass guitar; Dick Crouch - Electravibe, percussion; Dave Sheen - drums; Simon Morton - congas
Recorded in London - Tuesday 18th May, 1976.

(Side Two)
Ray Warleigh - piccolo, flute, alto flute; Geoff Castle - keyboards, synthesizer; Phil Lee - electric guitar; Ron Matthewson - bass guitar; Dave Sheen - drums; Chris Fletcher - congas; Dick Crouch & Simon Morton - percussion
Recorded in London - Saturday 25th June, 1977.

1) Crotales
2) Solar Wind
3) The Bell Tree
4) Yours Is The Light
5) The Buddha
6) Time Stood Still
7) Kandeen Love Song

Oscar Brown Jr. & Luiz Henrique

Oscar Brown Jr. & Luiz Henrique - Finding A New Friend Fontana SRF-67549 (1966)

Here's two artists who need no introduction. A rare coming-together by these great vocalists and friends who met at Greenwich Village's Cafe Au Go Go in August 1965. If truth be told, Brown's sly, sardonic vocal style isn't an exact fit for bossa nova; he has to rein himself in for this subtle, almost whispering idiom. But then, the songwriting collaboration works surprisingly well, mostly leaning toward a romantic bossa style, but occasionally hearkening back to Brown's North American hipster persona. And they wander off the territory altogether with Brown's playfully racy bossa calypso, "Wham! Bam! Thank You Mam!".

The album also includes a few Brazilian standards as appetizers before the collaboration begins in earnest. The multi-talented Brazilian Santa Claus, Sivuca, is responsible for three of the soft-focused arrangements, while Henrique takes charge of the rest.

1) Laia Ladaia
2) Nothin' But A Fool
3) Manha De Carnaval
4) Much As I Love You
5) I Had No Idea
6) Wham! Bam! Thank You Ma'm!
7) Finding A New Friend
8) Dawn Comes Again
9) Listen To Me
10) The Answer To My Prayer
11) Seeing Maria
12) Barra Limpa