Alcione - see artist discography
Aldeia Dos Anjos "Music From South Brazil" (Arc Music, 2002)
Traditional folkloric "country" music from the gauchos of Rio Grande Do Sul, which sounds very different from most Brazilian music you're likely to have heard... This acoustic quartet is pretty lively and pretty polished; for some reason I keep being reminded of Italian or Sardinian folk music when I listen to this CD. It might not be for everyone, but this non-samba style is definitely another part of the Brazilian cultural patchwork...
Paulo Alencar "The Best Of Bossa Nova Jazz" (Castle Pie, 2001)
I'm normally pretty resistant to '60s pop kitsch, but these swanky pop-jazz recordings are pretty swinging, especially the backbeat-heavy "Ziriguidum," which is as perky and cheerful a loungecore classic as you could ever hope for. Alencar was a Rio native who moved to LA and did session work with Neil Diamond and others, and made a few albums for stateside labels such as Atco and Kapp. This CD appears to be a near-exact reissue of a 1963 Atco album, Jazza Nova, with two extra songs of indeterminate origin... There are a few tepid tracks, but mostly it's fun stuff, a notch or two above the standard-issue bossa-jazz ensembles of the time. The downside of this British import is there are no liner notes -- none -- making it kinda difficult to find out when these recordings are from, or who played on these "all-star" sessions. (In particular, who was the adorable female vocalist on "Ziriguidum"?) Still, it's definitely worth checking out, especially if you're looking for fun early '60s fare.
Johnny Alf - see artist discography
Walter Alfaiate "Olha Ai" (Alma/Eldorado, 1999)
A beautiful, no-nonsense set of '70s-style acoustic pagode sambas, with the buoyant chorus and warm, melodic cavaquinho and guitar riffs. Songwriter Walter Nunes is nicknamed Walter The Tailor (Alfaiate) because of his "day job" as a tailor in Rio, work he's done since the 1940s... He's an older gentleman, and his voice reflects his years, although this thickness of tone just adds to the air of authenticity and unpretentiousness that makes this album so nice. Alfaiate has worked at the margins of the samba scene for decades... In the 1970s Paulinho Da Viola recorded several of his songs and put him on the map as a samba composer; you can also hear him perform on the Piraja "Equina Carioca" album that Beth Carvalho produced around the same time this disc came out. Nice stuff... definitely recommended!
Walter Alfaiate "Samba Na Medida" (2003)
Laurindo Almeida & Bud Shank "Brazilliance v.1" (Pacific Jazz, 1953)
Hailed as the first great Braz-Jazz crossover, this anticipated many of the relaxed, timeless qualities of Joao Gilberto's original bossa nova recordings, although ultimately it lacked the fluidity of either the early bossa or the seminal '60s Braz-Jazz crossovers. Almeida's guitar playing is gorgeous, though heavily classical-derived, and Shank's cool jazz sax work is appealing, but he had nowhere near the depth of tone and maturity of style that Stan Getz would bring to the table a decade later. Part of it is circumstance: this was a bold and innovative record for the time, yet the West Coast scene was still developing at the the time, and hadn't quite hit on the Brubeckian standards of super-cool that we now look back on so fondly. Part of it, too, is the difficulty of what they were trying to achieve -- no one had tried to meld jazz, choro and samba to this extent before, and while Almeida brought some choice material to the sessions (Pixinguinha, Ary Barroso, Radanes Gnattali... even Luiz Gonzaga), it was inevitable that the character of the compositions would be overshadowed by the disparate tendencies of players. On the whole, this is a very pleasant, very North American, very West Coast-y album, with a "Brazilian-ness" that may need to be prized out through a bit of active listening.
Laurindo Almeida & Bud Shank "Brazilliance v.2" (Pacific Jazz)
Laurindo Almeida & Sammy Davis, Jr. "Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings, Laurindo Almeida Plays" (Reprise, 1966)
If you were hoping for Sammy to break out with a bossa nova vocals set, well, look again. This is a rather sedate, "classy" vocals set, with Davis slowing things down and taking the swing out of his step, singing only to spare acoustic arrangements. Almeida provides solid, artful accompaniment, but there isn't a glimmer of Brazilian-ness on the entire album, including no songs by Brazilian composers.
Ataulfo Alves "Serie Raizes Do Samba" (EMI, 2000)
Awesome. Old style samba cancao from one of Carmen Miranda's contemporaries. Alves' star shone most brightly in the 1940s, when he sang in an upbeat, slightly big band-ish style. Almost half the tracks on this fab collection come from his 'Forties heyday; the balance are from several late-'50s revival albums which are completely true to the spirit of his older recordings. Not a bad track on here. If you want to check out some old-style, pre-bossa nova Brazilian pop, then take advantage of this album while you can. One of the best discs in this recent reissue series.
Ataulfo Alves/Various Artists "Vol. 1: Vida De Minha Vida" (Revivendo)
Ataulfo Alves/Various Artists "Vol. 2: A Voce" (Revivendo)
Outstanding collections of work written by one of the great early stars of samba cancao. each disc has a healthy dose of recordings by Alves himself; other artists include Carmen Miranda, her sister Aurora, Aracy De Almeida, Sylvio Caldas and some very early recordings by Elizete Cardoso. There's a wide stylistic range, though all these songs are marked by a strong melodic catchiness... Of the two, I prefer the second volume which includes some jazzier, big band-influenced numbers which are quite striking. Highly recommended!
Francisco Alves "Serie Bis - Cantores Do Radio" (EMI-Brasil, 2000)
Classic material from one of the most beloved singers of the golden era of samba cancao. An early recording star in the 1920s, Francisco Alves was also one of the biggest names in Brazilian radio during the 1930s and '40s, hosting his own program, and popularizing songs by writers such as Cartola and Ismael Silva. He was a marvellously schmaltzy singer, with tips of the hat towards Russ Columbo, Bing Crosby and the like... This 2-CD set covers a wide variety of styles, from clattering, bouncy Carnaval sambas to swank, Hollywood-tinged "sweet" big band and pop vocals material, including many songs that have become MPB standards. The musicianship is top-flight throughout, as are Alves' warm, inviting, pleasantly corny vocals. An excellent collection -- highly recommended!
Francisco Alves "Francisco Alves" (Revivendo)
Another first-rate collection of early '30s crooning tunes by one of Brazil's greatest "radio singers," one of several on the Revivendo label. It's telling that this CD was chosen to be Revivendo's first release... they have their favorites, and make no effort to conceal their love of Alves' work. This first collection includes songs written by Ary Barroso and Carlos Gardel, as well as several written by Alves himself, along with his longtime collaborator Orestes Barbosa. This is music from the heart and soul of Brazil's early music industry... perfect for those who want to delve deeper into Alves' mystique. Highly recommended!
Francisco Alves "O Rei Da Voz" (Revivendo)
More stellar material from the "King Of The Voice," including several older songs from his late 1920s recordings on the Odeon label, and several tracks from the 1940s as well.
Francisco Alves "O Rei Da Voz" [Box Set] (RCA, 1997)
More super-delicious Francisco Alves material. This 3-CD box set has the advantage of being mastered off the original tapes in the BMG vaults, so the sound quality is very bright and compelling. And the music is even better! You can hear it all, the bouncy Carnaval percussion, the schmaltzy pop arrangemtns, Alves' gloriously suave vocals. Plus, the accompanying booklet has plenty of great old photos, etc., and info on his career. My only complaint is that it doesn't also include discographical information (particularly the recording dates) for the dozens of songs... Oh, well. That's Brazil for you. Otherwise, this collection is HIGHLY recommended... I could listen to it for days on end.
Gilberto Alves "Serie Bis - Cantores Do Radio" (EMI-Brasil, 2000)
Now a lesser-known star of Brazil's radio days, Gilberto Alves recorded extensively in the late 1930s and '40s, and was one of the best-beloved singers of his generation. His style encompassed big band crooning as well as straightforward samba cancao, all delivered in a fresh-sounding, friendly voice. Not as studiously suave as his contemporaries such as Orlando Silva or Francisco Alves, Gilberto is in a sense a more inviting, less moderated singer -- this is one of the best collections in this series, particularly if you are looking for the old stuff!
Lucio Alves - see artist discography
Tania Alves "Millennium" (Polygram, 1999)
Alves is an interesting throwback to the lush romanticism of the pre-bossa "radio singers," who in turn took their inspiration from the syrupy bolero vocalists that dominated Latin American pop throughout the 20th Century. These mid-1990s recordings generally have nice understated arrangements -- although the collection gradually moves from pretty acoustic backings to more cloying string arrangements. Alves is a fairly throaty, declarative singer, though hardly as strident as, say, Maria Bethania. Bossa or rock fans probably will find little here to hold their attention, but folks with a classicist's sweet tooth may enjoy the slurpy, yet straightforward sentimentality.
