Tuesday, April 15, 2014

NEW RELEASES: GILBERTO GIL – SAMBA; EMILIO SANTIAGO – COMIGO E ASSIM / O CANTO CRESCENTE / GUERREIRO CORACAO; CAETANO VELOSO – MULTISHOW AO VIVO ABRACAO

GILBERTO GIL – SAMBA

One of the best records we've heard from Gilberto Gil in many, many years – a stripped-down session that focuses on his voice and guitar work – in a style that takes us back to Gil's earliest days in music! The album feels like some lost session that Gilberto might have recorded in the 60s – before his Louvacao debut – done with mostly just a bit of light percussion from the enigmatic Domenico, plus some help from Moreno Veloso – who also co-produced the record as well, with that great sense of space he always brings to his own music too. A few cuts feature extra touches – a bit of accordion, or some flute from Danilo Caymmi – but the main focus is on Gil, who hasn't sounded this great in years – still able to capture our imagination when he works in a straightforward style like this. Titles include "Milagre", "Um Abraco No Joao", "Tim Tim Por Tim Tim", "Eu Sambo Mesmo", "Aos Pes Da Cruz", and "Desde Que O Samba E Samba".  ~ Dusty Groove

EMILIO SANTIAGO – COMIGO E ASSIM / O CANTO CRESCENTE / GUERREIRO CORACAO

A trio of wonderful records from Emilio Santiago – all of which capture him at a key point in his career! Comigo E Assim is a classic batch of jazzy soul from Santiago – one of his best – with sweet 70s arrangements by the likes of Joao Donato, Sivuca, Roberto Menescal, and Antonio Adolfo, all of whom craft a slightly funky style that works wonders with Santiago's vocals. If you've ever bought one of his later, sleepier albums, this is the one to start with – as the record's a great batch of tracks that lives up to the notoriety he's had over the past few years with the international groove scene. Titles include "Nega", "Comigo E Assim", "E Hora", "Danca Mineira", "Preconceito", "Te Cuida, Rapaz", "No Balanco Do Trem", and "Quando Chegares". O Canto Crescente is a wonderful gem from Emilio Santiago – soaring and hip all the way through! After some of his earlier funkier work, this may well be the best full album ever cut by Santiago – thanks to some warm jazzy arrangements from the likes of Antonio Adolfo and Meirelles, both of whom really make the set sparkle with a warm electric piano groove! Emilio's vocals are great – soulful and sophisticated at once, perfectly fitting with the light jazzy changes of the tracks, giving them the right dose of honest emotion. Titles include "Rola Bola", "Recado", "Logo Agora", "Caridade", "Bufete E Cascudo", "Trocando Em Muidos", and "Quase Sempre". Guerreiro Coracao captures Emilio Santiago in a sweet live setting – one that really brings out the sharpest crackle in his music! Titles include "Diariamente", "Perdao", "Pela Metade", "Guerreiro Coracao", "De Repente", "Mistura", "Dama Da Noite", "Minhas Madrugadas", and "Anuncio Classificado".  ~ Dusty Groove

CAETANO VELOSO – MULTISHOW AO VIVO ABRACAO


Caetano Veloso looks like a bit of an old geezer on the back cover of this live set – but damn if he isn't still one of the most exciting talents in the world, even alongside most of the contemporary generation too! The performance is a concert that's very much in the spirit of the studio album Abracao – and the two wonderful records that preceded it – music that's easily some of the most inventive, creative, and immediately appealing that Caetano Veloso has ever recorded – at a level that easily sums up all his past genius in a range of styles, but finds a way to fuse the whole thing down to a very focused core. The vocals alone are wonderful – that haunting style that Veloso really seemed to develop strongly after his years in London – and the instrumentation is often spare and simple, but with these great little twists and turns – especially on the rhythms and phrasing. And despite what must be a relatively large venue, Veloso preserves this sense of intimacy throughout – really reminding us of his undeniable pull, not just in Brazilian culture, but around the globe as well. Titles include "Homem", "Quando", "Um", "Lindeza", "Reconvexo", "Voce", "A", "Funk", "Alguem", and "Eclipse".  ~  Dusty Groove


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