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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