Arnaldo Baptista - see artist discography & Os Mutantes
Cyro Baptista & Derek Bailey "Cyro" (Incus, 1982)
The first recording by Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista finds him paired with English avant-guitarist Derek Bailey in a brisk set of oddball, disjointedly angular free jazz/difficult listening improvisations. This kind of exploratory wanking around doesn't do much for me, personally, but in the moments where they actually slide into intuitive grooves, their musicality comes more to the fore, and there are some impressive passages. Bailey is kind of a rhythmic, physical player, so the match-up with a percussionist such as Baptista -- who comes from a country where drumming takes on a melodic hue -- is somewhat inspired. Avantniks will probably like this more than Brazilianites, but it's still worth checking out of you're a Baptista fan.
Cyro Baptista "Villa Lobos - Vira Loucos" (Avant-Japan, 1997)
A younger percussionist gets artsy and loose with Nana Vasconcelos and the John Zorn crowd, on this multi-textured tribute to classic composer Hector Villa Lobos. Jazz bassist/arranger Greg Cohen participates, along with guitarist Marc Ribot and sax maniac John Zorn -- this has its moments of brilliance, blending Brazilian folk elements along with weirdo NYC art stylings. (Classical guitarist Romero Lubambo, who plays on here, has also put out an album in this series; it is reviewed under the letter "L"...)
Cyro Baptista "Beat The Donkey" (Tzadik, 2002)
Percussionist Baptista gets funky and wild with his band, Beat The Donkey, and a slew of high-power guests, including Tzadik label founder, saxophonist John Zorn, guitarists Marc Ribot and Romero Lubambo, vocalist Luciana Souza, ex-Ambitious Lover Peter Scherer, and a host of others. On this wild, veering improvisational display, Baptista proves himself as far-reaching and restless an innovator as Brazilian jazz elder Hermeto Pascoal... Yet even with the kookiness and relentless, brisk experimentalism, this disc is also packed with plenty of zanily catchy melodies... At once challenging and good, goofy fun, this is an album that stretches the boundaries of Brazilan pop and traditional music, while giving us all something to smile about as well. Recommended!
Cyro Baptista "Beat The Donkey Beat" (OMM, 2004)
This is a lively, purposefully goofy collaboration between the East Coast-based Baptista and his band, and San Francisco's Peter Apfelbaum and some of his pals... The results are mixed. The opening tracks evoke the giddy propulsiveness of old-school Brazilian forro and baiao, while other ttracks delve into indigenous Amazonian music, much like Egberto Gismonti... But midway through the album sheds much of its charm, transforming instead into a how-fast-can-you-play beatfest, music that sounds like it was fun to play (and might be fun to see performed live), but that may leave many listeners cold. Some songs are just horrible, like the shrill, irritating "Movie Screen," or "Rio De Jamaica," with a tacky, Santana-esque guitar intro... I found my inner comparisons shifting away from forro old-timers like Luiz Gonzaga and Ary Lobo to modern-day prog-wankers such as Primus... Now, for some, that may sound like a compliment, and by all means, you are invited to check this out... But for others, folks who value subtlety and softness, you might want to skip this one.
Cyro Baptista & Richard Crandell "Mbira Magic" (Tzadik, 2004)
Cyro Baptista "Love The Donkey" (Tzadik, 2005)
Cyro Baptista & Derek Bailey "Derek" (Incus, 2006)
Cyro Baptista & Richard Crandell "Spring Steel" (Tzadik, 2007)
Cyro Baptista "Banquet Of The Spirits" (Tzadik, 2008)
Barao Vermelho "Barao Vermelho" (Columbia/Som Livre, 1982)
One of Brazil's original "BRock" bands, led by singer Cazuza, who later went on to a successful solo career. These guys were rockers, pure and simple, and while their sound was several years out of date, at least they had their hearts in the right place. There's a slight waft of punkiness to them, but they seem to have had more in common with the countless American and British pre-punk bands that thrashed and thumped in the night while rock wrestled to find its soul in the era that found disco and AOR ascendant. Bands like the Tubes and Head East come to mind, with clear echoes of the Stones and Johnny Thunder in there as well. In the English speaking world, five years earlier, these guys still would have been a B-list band, but they would have done alright... Their appearance in a rock-starved early-'80s Brazil wound up being fairly electrifying. It's easy for folks looking in from the outside to look down on them, but in their defense, I will say that they were energetic and sounded pretty sincere. This is worth checking out, but don't expect it to be incredible, or anything.
Barao Vermelho "Barao Vermelho 2" (Columbia/Som Livre, 1983)
By contrast this album, which brought them their first big hits, sounds much more forced and bland, a more watered-down, calculated, more modern, New Wave-y affair, and much more tedious musically. I suppose this is where Cazuza's reputation as a great lyricist comes into play, and if I ever get around to translating these songs for my lil' old gringo self, I'll letcha know what I think. But as far as the musical end goes, it's pretty tedious and unexciting.
Barao Vermelho "Maior Abandonado" (WEA, 1984)
Not bad, actually. There's plenty of spazoid New Wave pop, but performed at a level that at least places them on a level alongside most of the crappy British and North American synth-pop bands that were crowding the MTV playlists at the time. And bluesier, grungier numbers like "Nao Amo Ninguem" and "Por Que A Gente E Assim?" have a sleazy, Stonesy, New York Dolls-ish feel to them that's a little surprising after you've heard a bunch of their fluffier stuff. It's monotonous, but less amatuerish than a lot of their rock-oriented contemporaries. Not really all that great, but better than the Brazilian BRock average, and worth checking out.
Barao Vermelho "Ao Vivo" (WEA, 1989)
This was the last album released with Cazuza as a member; afterwards the group went on through the 1990s, with several changes in lineup.
Barao Vermelho "Na Calada Da Noite" (WEA, 1990)
Barao Vermelho "Supermercados Da Vida" (WEA, 1992)
Barao Vermelho "Carne Crua" (WEA, 1994)
Barao Vermelho "Album" (WEA, 1996)
Barao Vermelho "Ao Vivo & Remixes" (Warner, 1997)
Barao Vermelho "Puro Extase" (Warner, 1998)
Barao Vermelho "Balada MTV" (Warner, 1999)
Barao Vermelho "Declare Guerra" (Som Livre, 2002)
Barao Vermelho "Barao Vermelho" (Warner, 2004)
Barao Vermelho "MTV Ao Vivo" (Warner, 2005)
Barao Vermelho "MTV Ao Vivo, v.2" (Warner, 2005)
Barao Vermelho "e-Collection" (Warner, 2002)
Barao Vermelho "Perolas" (Som Livre, 2002)
Barbatuques "Corpo Do Som" (MCD, 2003)
Barbatuques "O Seguinte E Esse" (MCD, 2005)
Adoniran Barbosa "Raizes Do Samba" (EMI/Copacabana, 1999)
What a delight! Sao Paulo samba composer Adoniran Barbosa croons and growls his way through a buoyant, luxuriant set of '70s-style pagode, acoustic-based and filled with large, cheerful vocal choruses. This CD collects twenty tracks drawn from albums recorded between 1973-80, with guest stars such as Elis Regina, Clementina De Jesus, Luiz Gonzaga Jr. and Djavan pitching in on various duets. It's all really nice stuff, comparable to the best work by contemporaries such as Martinho da Vila, Clara Nunes and Alcione. (For other interpretations of Barbosa's work, check out the classic recordings of the vocal group, Demonios Da Garoa, which helped popularize his work in the 1960s.
Adoniran Barbosa "Adoniran Barbosa" (Som Livre, 2002)
Alternately kitschy and soul-rending nostalgia material, recalling Barbosa's glory days, while also highlighting his age and comparative musical stuffness. This disc also draws on the handful of albums recorded by Barbosa in the last ten years of his life (from 1973-82), and includes some beautiful performances as well as several where he simply sounds old and tired. Actually, on these lesser cuts, Barbosa's vocals still had some emotional heft, but the musical and vocal arrangements behind him are pedestrian and uninvolving. At any rate, this is a nice compliment to the Raizes Do Samba collection reviewed above... They cover much of the same material, but each has songs on it that the other one does not.
Adoniran Barbosa "Serie Bis" (EMI/Copacabana, 1999)
Even better yet is this 2-CD set which spans the same 1970s/1980s era, but seems better paced and more captivating somehow. After I got this, I was ready to pass my copy of Raizes Do Samba on... This disc definitely supersedes that one.
Beto Barbosa "Beto Barbosa" (Continental, 1987)
Before the lambada really took off, Barbosa was doing the same sort of material, only at halftime tempo. Sounds a lot like modern (synthy) Mexican ranchera music; these songs sound better than most -- they're listenable -- but as an album this is terribly, terribly monotonous.
Zelia Barbosa "Brazil: Songs Of Protest" (Le Chant Du Monde, 1968/Monitor LP, 1988/Harmonia Mundi CD, 1995)
Besides this one album of political songs recorded in France for the Le Chant du Monde label, I don't know of anything else this artist has done. It's a fun record, though, featuring protest songs written or popularized in response to the military coup of 1964. Particularly catchy are renditions of Chico Buarque's "Pedro Pedreiro", "Opinao" and several other Ze Keti songs, and "Carcara" by Joao do Vale. Barbosa is not the greatest vocalist ever, and there are other versions of many of these songs (particularly those by Nara Leao) that are more are compelling -- but this is still worth checking out. Harmonia Mundi also reissued this on CD, under the title Sertaos E Favelas.
A Barca Do Sol "A Barca Do Sol" (Continental, 1974)
A Barca Do Sol "Durante O Verao" (Continental, 1976)
A pioneering folk-jazz-classical fusion band, featuring the immensely talented cellist/arranger Jacques Morelenbaum near the start of his pop music career. The first album (re-released on a single CD along with the second) opens with a trio of stunning numbers, which blend flamenco guitar and NY-style salsa rhythms in with a heady mix of traditional Brazilian melodies and jazzy instrumental flourishes; the group sounds like a cross between the acoustically-based Quinteto Violado and wilder, more rock-oriented groups such as Novos Baianos. Sadly, the formula wears thin and by the second album, where they try on an even more experimental tone, becomes fairly irritating. These albums have a fascinating feel, but may ultimately be best seen as Morelenbaum's most energetic juvenelia. Still, since Morelenbaum later became one of Caetano Veloso's key collaborators and a major modern interpreter of Antonio Carlos Jobim, this disc may be worth checking out for any serious student of Brazilian avant-pop.
A Barca Do Sol "Sucessos" (1997)
Vincente Barreto "Mao Direita" (Dabliu, 1996)
Lovely acoustic album, reminiscent of early Chico Buarque and Joao Bosco, but with a sprightliness that also reminds me of Cuba's Silvio Rodriguez. Nice stuff -- not a bum note or an irritating track on here. Guitarist Barreto is a longtime collaborator with oddball tropicalista legend Tom Ze, who pitches in on a few tracks, and many of the songs were co-written with Paulo Cesar Pinheiro. Recommended!
Vincente Barreto "E A Turma Chegando Pra Dancar" (Dabliu, 1999)
Wonderful! Silky, sensual, multi-layered gentle pop, along the lines of Arnaldo Antunes and Vinicius Cantuaria, with more than a slight nod towards Jorge Ben's best stuff of the early '70s. A relaxed, dreamy album with only a few misfires (such as the reggae-based "O Crague.") On the whole, I'd say this is record well worth checking out, and obviously an album that the artist spent a fair chunk of time planning out and composing. Recommended!
Vincente Barreto "Noite Sem Fim" (Ouver, 2003)
Vincente Barreto "Ano Bom" (Dabliu, 2003)
Ary Barroso - see artist profile
Ronaldo Bastos/Various Artists "Cais" (Sigla, 1989)
(Produced by Ronaldo Bastos & Milton Nascimento)
The packaging on this one is a little confusing... This is, in fact, a Ronaldo Bastos album, but it's also a various-artists songbook, with about a dozen of his compositions, as performed by MPB stars such as Chico Buarque, Gal Costa, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Milton Nascimento and Alceu Valenca, as well as lesser lights such as '80s new wavers, RPM and rockers Os Paralamas Do Sucesso. Given the era in which it was recorded, it's not surprising there's a lot of stylistic drek on here, although the songs themselves do have a certain allure and originality to them. Although this is an all-star guest-fest, it does seem to have been produced as its own session, with Bastos somewhere in the mix (but not singing or playing lead on any of the songs) and apparently is not drawn from other artists' albums. The biggest surprise come from old-timer Angela Maria, who gives a lovely performance in conjunction with the Manhattan Transfer-ish pop-retro band, Nouvelle Cuisine -- Caetano Veloso also contributes two typically lovely tracks. Other than that, though, not much on here really rang my bells.
Ronaldo Bastos & Celso Fonseca "Sorte" (Dubas/Universal, 1994)
Singer-guitarist Celso Fonseca, who has worked with Gilberto Gil, Marisa Monte and others of Brazil's brightest MPB stars, strongly recalls Caetano Veloso's mellower moments. This album, co-produced with songwriter/producer Ronaldo Bastos, is a stripped-down acoustic set which at first feels a little sparse and unsteady, but gains resonance and depth with every repeat listening. As good as any of Fonseca's later efforts, and well worth tracking down. The pronounced stylistic debt to Veloso is a little embarassing, but it still sounds so good, it's hard to get upset about it. Highly recommended.
Ronaldo Bastos & Celso Fonseca "Paradiso" (Dubas/Universal, 1997)
A more ornate album, with a full band behind Fonseca's gentle vocals. The Veloso comparisons will be abetted by the presence of Caetano's cellist and bandleader, Jaques Morelenbaum, but where Caetano takes his music into arch, artistic directions, Fonseca opts for a mellower, more subdued sound, and includes a strong strain of Miles Davis-style "cool jazz" on several songs. Another great record... the guy can do no wrong, as far as I can tell.
Ronaldo Bastos & Celso Fonseca "Juventude/Slow Motion Bossa Nova" (Universal, 2001)
Another lovely album, although it has a 1970s-ish fusion sheen than some may find off-putting. Most of the musicians are lesser-known, younger artists, although Daniel Jobim adds some star power, playing piano on a couple of tracks. This album is quite listenable, although I confess I prefer when Fonseca plays in slightly more stripped-down style. Definitely worth checking out, though, if you're looking for something mellow, classy and new.
Batatinha "Toalha Da Saudade" (Warner/Continental, 1976)
Old-school Bahian sambista Batatinha, a magnificent composer and gentle performer, sings a dozen of his best songs, with moving, richly emotional, mainly acoustic backing. The liner notes include a testimonial from Caetano Veloso, giving a sense of the high regard Batatinha is held in in his home town of Salvador. Lovely stuff, the kind of latter-day samba cancao that I adore.
Batatinha "Diplomacia" (EMI-Brasil, 1998)
A gorgeous album showcasing the songwriting and vocals of a samba old-timer -- the music is delicately sculpted, simple and strightforward. Batatinha's good-humored, old-man vocals are deliciously framed by straight-ahead acoustic arrangements. The nostalgic simplicity and grace of this album strongly recalls Joao Gilberto's 1981 album, Brasil. And, like that album, this one also features warm, reverential contributions by Maria Bethania, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque and Jussara Silveira. This is well worth searching for, and not just for the high-power guest stars! Highly recommended.
Dyrcinha Batista "Serie Bis - Cantores Do Radio" (EMI-Brasil, 2000)
This disc opens on shaky ground, technically speaking, as the first track, her 1937 version of Lupicinio Rodrigues' "Nunca," warbles and buckles a bit under the weight of time. That's how you know, though, that this is a collection that includes actual radio performances, along with film appearances and numerous studio recordings. It's worth sticking it out, though, as Dyrcinha turns out to be one of the finest Depression-era singers in the Brazilian constellation. A confident vocalist with a warm, delicate trill and cheerful delivery that's reminiscent of Carmen Miranda, Batista also covered similar terrain, excelling in a brace of cheerful samba cancao tunes. This collection tracks her career through the late thirties into the wartime era and onto the early '50s... Highly recommended set by one of an early great whose best work is little-remembered nowadays.
Linda & Dircinha Batista "Linda E Dircinha Batista" (RCA-BMG, 2004)
A fine collection of two of the best "radio singers," sisters Linda and Dircinha Batista, recording solo (not as a duet) over the course of two decades (from 1941-1959). Each singer has her strengths, and each has a tremendous, appealing presence. In general, the earlier, more samba-oriented recordings are the best; as time went on, the arrangements and the overall approach became more florid and formulaic. But as a glimpse at the pre-bossa nova pop vocals era, this is a fine collection.
Bat Makumba "Bat Makumba" (Bat Makumba, 2003)
A super-impressive set of Brazilian/latin dance funk tunes, written and recorded by a trio out of San Francisco, CA. Although the band is known for live shows in which they do sizzling cover versions of '60s/'70s tropicalia oldies, this album is comprised entirely of original tunes written by the band... though you'd be hard pressed to tell this apart from contemporary Brazilian manguebeat artists such as Nacao Zumbi or Lenine. The spirits of Gilberto Gil, Jorge Ben and Os Mutantes hover supportively overhead as the Bat Makumba crew work their way through a dizzying array of rhythms, moods and styles, opening with the catchy forro-funk of "Trabalha" to the calming MPB balladry of "Resolucao", soft electronica of "Cantiga" and rowdy, good-time salsa rhythms of "Quiero (Cuba Rum, Cachaca Brasil)." On "Morro De Saudade (Enredo 415)," the band collaborates with the esteemed Velha Guarda da Mangueira, a group of musicians associated with Rio's famously bouyant Mangueira samba school. All in all, this disc by Bat Makumba is quite a feat: if any band from the EU stands a chance of having their music covered by someone back in Brasil, I imagine it would be these guys! Heck, they're even named after a Gilberto Gil song... what more could you want? Highly recommended.
