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)
(Produced by Marco Aurelio)
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" (CPC-UMES, 2003)
(Produced by Marcus Vinicius De Andrade & Joao Moreirao)
Another solid, no-nonsense, classy old-school acoustic pagode album, with sweet, muscular samba melodies, strong vocals and an ever-present chorus. Fine music. Recommended!
Walter Alfaiate "Tributo A Mauro Duarte" (2006)
Laurindo Almeida - see artist discography
Aloysio E Seu Conjunto "Na Ciranda Do Samba" (Copacabana, 1962)
(Produced by Aloysio Figueiredo)
Cornball EZ-listening samba instrumentals, with dit-dit-ditty organ playing at the fore, and a bit of mildly jazzy electric guitar, sort of along the same lines as Walter Wanderley, but even cornier. A vocal group known as Os Modernistas (including a soloist named Cacau) provide some stylistic respite, and the few tunes where they perform have a fun, kitschy quality... The all-instrumental tunes, however, aren't likely to stick to your ribs. Too goofy for me.
Atualfo Alves - see artist discography
Francisco Alves - see artist discography
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!
Gilberto Alves "Selecao De Ouro - 20 Sucessos" (EMI-Brasil, 1998)
Gilberto Alves "Serie Raizes Do Samba" (EMI-Brasil, 2000)
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 nice acoustic backings to more cloying string arrangements. Alves is a fairly throaty, declarative singer, although 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.
