A pretty amazing little package – one that traces the evolution of 100 years of Brazilian music – with an especially strong focus on the best styles of the 20th Century! The performance is a live one – and features a host of talents, both famous and lesser-known – all very well suited to the genres they've chosen to tackle here – which includes a wide range of music from choro through bossa and samba – and even some of the more popular lyrical modes of the postwar years. Most numbers have a relatively earthy feel – almost like some of the Discos Marcos Pereira projects of the time – and artists include Luiza Gonzaga, Johnny Alf, As Gatas, Cauby Piexoto, Jackson Do Pandeiro, Alaide Costa, Doris Monteiro, Pery Ribeiro, Lucio Alves, Beth Carvalho, Cartola, Elza Soares, Paulina Da Viola, Roberto Silva, and many others. Box set features all of the 8 original albums – packaged together in one sweet collection! ~ Dusty Groove
A contemporary album, but one that feels like some lost Euro fusion gem from the end of the 70s – a wonderfully old school session from Finnish reedman Andre Solomko – cut in a real back to basics style! The group here is super-tight, but never slick at all – balanced wonderfully between their own sharp instrumental skills and the need to come together in a groove – all in a style that's somewhere between the American fusion underground of the late 70s, and some of the funky electric work from Germany and Scandinavia in the early 80s. Instrumentation includes loads of great keyboards next to Andre's alto, flute, and soprano sax – and although there's a bit of vocals on the record, there's also an equal focus on strong instrumental solos too. Titles include "Summer 77", "Grooving With Grover In Paradise", "I Recall", "We Had Some Good Years Together", and "Ou Es Tu Maintenant". ~ Dusty Groove
Sublime spacey jazz from the Upperground Orchestra – a record that has some of the spiritual undertones of the 70s generation, but also moves into some of the freer elements of a more contemporary scene as well! The instrumentation here is totally great – lots of moogy electronics, yet used with a strong sense of focus to match the compelling percussion that drives most of the tunes along into cosmic territory – with a vibe that's almost Sun Ra space-like at times! The group also features electric bass, plus alto and flute – both of which are usually used in ways that take second place to the rhythms. Titles include "We Travel The Lands Of Stars & Dust", "Born Again", "Memory Shark", "Distorted Spread", and "Kamanja". ~ Dusty Groove