Grupo Batuque "Samba De Rua" (FarOut, 1997)
A funk- and rock-flavored percussion album recorded (in the studio) during Rio's 1997 Carnaval. Features the eminent Wilson Das Neves and a slew of younger players. I thought most of these tracks were pretty boring; many are monotonous riffs on one swinging beat or another, it's all very well and fine, but overall it's amazingly static. I suspect this album was made with club DJs in mind, folks looking for beats to sample, rather than for the casual listener... There is one song at the end ("Aoyama Sam") which features a full parade ensemble, along with cuica, surdo, and (thank god!) a vocal chorus... But mostly this album is really sparse and unmelodic. Not my cup of tea, but if you're into percussion per se, this album might be a real turn-on.
Grupo Batuque "Samba De Futebol" (FarOut, 1998)
Grupo Batuque "Africa Brazil" (FarOut, 2000)
Grupo Batuque/Various Artists "O Tempo Do Samba" (FarOut, 2005)
Remixes galore!
Grupo Batuque "O Tempo Do Samba" (FarOut, 2005)
Grupo Batuque "Ole Ola - Futebol Bonito" (FarOut, 2006)
Grupo Batuque "Batucada Maneira" (FarOut, 2006)
A four-song EP, including two remixes of the title track, "Batucada Maneira."
Grupo Fundo Do Quintal - see artist profile
Grupo Manifesto "Manifesto Musical" (Elenco, 1967)
One of the many politically-minded bossa nova groups that took their cues from theatrically oriented, second generation bossa songwriters such as Chico Buarque and Edu Lobo. Manifesto's sound was primarily choral, although there are some nice vocal solos on this album -- it's kind of like Quarteto em Cy without all the saccharine. A little stagey, but nice.
Grupo Manifesto "Grupo Manifesto No. 2" (Elenco, 1968)
Grupo Revelacao "Revelacao" (BMG, 2000)
Grupo Revelacao "Nosso Samba Virou Religiao" (BMG, 2001)
(Produced by Sergio Bittencourt & Bira Haway)
A mix of live and studio tracks... Generally, the studio stuff is a bit overproduced and poppy, even though there is a solid foundation of old-school pagode samba. This one didn't grab me as much as other Revelacao stuff I've heard, but it ain't bad.
Grupo Revelacao "O Melhor Do Pagode De Mesa" (BMG, 2002)
Grupo Revelacao "Ao Vivo No Olimpo" (Deckdisc, 2002)
Grupo Revelacao "Novos Tempos" (Deckdisc, 2003)
(Produced by Joao Augusto)
Sweet. When the album opened, I thought the production sounded too slick and poppy, but it soon settled into a straight-ahead acoustic samba sound, with plenty of cavaquinho strumming and nice, smooth vocals, and I was digging it. This is kind of easy-listening samba, but it sure is pleasant. Cheerful, easy on the ears, and not cluttered up with big pop arrangements.
Grupo Revelacao "Ao Vivo -- Na Palma Da Mao" (Deckdisc, 2004)
Grupo Revelacao "Ao Vivo No Olimpo" (DVD) (Deckdisc, 2005)
Grupo Revelacao "Velocidade Da Luz" (Deckdisc, 2006)
Grupo Revelacao "100%" (Deckdisc, 2007)
Grupo Revelacao "Maxximum" (2007)
Vince Guaraldi - see Bossa Nova Jazz
Eduardo Gudin - see artist discography
Beto Guedes - see artist discography
Fatima Guedes "Fatima Guedes" (EMI-Odeon, 1979)
Fatima Guedes "Fatima Guedes" (EMI-Odeon, 1980)
Fatima Guedes "Lapis De Cor" (EMI-Odeon, 1981)
Fatima Guedes "Muito Prazer" (Polygram, 1983)
Fatima Guedes "Setima Arte" (Polygram, 1985)
Fatima Guedes "Coracao De Louca" (Velas, 1989)
Fatima Guedes "Pra Bom Entendedor" (Velas, 1993)
Fatima Guedes "Grande Tempo" (Velas, 1995)
Fatima Guedes "Muito Intensa" (Velas, 1999)
(Produced by Paulinho Albuquerque)
Jazz-tinged, soft-pop MPB, with delicate, crisp vocals and equally restrained arrangements... This is a little too much on the "classy" side for me, although I found it easy on the ears and wouldn't quite call it goopy or syrupy. As with all her records, the majority of the songs are her own compositions, although several were co-written with other jazz-MPB stars, including Adriana Calcanhoto, Joyce, Ivan Lins and Nei Lopes. Djavan contributes fine duet vocals on one of two songs he co-wrote, "E Serio," while Ze Renato chimes in on the Ivan Lins track, "Perfeito." (Both duet tracks are album highlights.) If you like mellow, measured, mature smooth-jazzish vocals, this is an album you might want to check out.
Fatima Guedes & Eduardo Gudin "Luzes Da Mesma Luz" (Dabliu, 2001)
Fatima Guedes "Outros Tons" (Rob Digital, 2006)
Simone Guimaraes "Pirecema" (Independente, 1996)
Simone Guimaraes "Cirandeiro" (Tie Musical, 1997)
Simone Guimaraes "Aguape" (Tie Musical, 1999)
Simone Guimaraes "Virada Pra Lua" (Lua Discos, 2001)
Simone Guimaraes "Casa De Oceano" (Biscoito Fino, 2003)
A lush and, yes, somewhat oceanic set of MPB ballads by songwriter Simone Guimaraes... Her voice is comparatively fragile, and when guest stars such as Maria Bethania join her, Guimaraes quickly has to cede center stage. A duet with Milton Nascimento, on his classic "Milagre Dos Peixes," however, has a pleasant synergistic effect: the two soft voices slide around each other, each making room for the other, creating a subtle interplay that'll capture your ears and enchant you. A slew of talented musicians help sculpt the sound of this album, including Francis Hime, Guinga, and extensive collaboration from Bethania's own guitarist and bandleader, Jaime Alem. On the smooth side, but for fans of modern Brazilian ballads, a pretty nice disc.
Simone Guimaraes "Flor De Pao" (Biscoito Fino, 2007)
Almir Guineto "O Suburbano" (Kelo, 1981)
Almir Guineto "A Chave Do Perdao" (Copacabana, 1982)
Almir Guineto "Sorriso Novo" (RGE, 1985)
This is an exemplary album by one of the founders of the '70s pagode style of acoustic sambas. Multi-instrumentalist Guineto was a member of Os Originais Do Samba (a band credited with helping create the pagode style), and later founded the group Fundo de Quintal, which took the pagode sound into the 1980s and '90s. Here the music is guided by his vocals and playful work on the banjo, an instrument he introduced into Brazilian popular music... Recommended!
Almir Guineto "Almir Guineto" (RGE, 1986)
Almir Guineto "Perfume De Champagne" (RGE, 1987)
Almir Guineto "Olhos Da Vida" (RGE, 1988) (LP)
Guineto sounds kind of over-the-hill and raspy on this one, but the musical end is still pretty groovy. Plain, simple, sweet, old-school pagode, with brisk instrumental work and a warm vocal chorus. Not bad.
Almir Guineto "Jeito De Amar" (RGE, 1989)
Almir Guineto "De Bem Com A Vida" (RGE, 1991)
Almir Guineto "Pele De Chocolate" (RGE, 1993)
Almir Guineto "Acima De Deus, So Deus" (RGE, 1995)
Almir Guineto "Pes" (RGE, 1997)
Almir Guineto "Almir Guineto" (Universal-Mercury, 1999)
A disappointing later album by this pagode pioneer. The musical trappings are all the same, but the spark is greatly lessened from Guineto's glory days. It's not a bad record but it's not as fun as his early work. Zeca Pagodinho guests on one track; Dudu Nobre, Arlindo Cruz, Henrique Cazes and Rildo Hora (who also produced the album) are all among the dozens of sambistas on the album. It's an all-star cast, but the album itself seemed a little lethargic.
Almir Guineto "Rumos Da Vida" (Som Livre, 2000)
Almir Guineto/Various Artists "Todos Os Pagodes" (Velas, 2002)
Almir Guineto "Millennium" (Universal, 1999)
Almir Guineto "Serie Raizes Do Samba" (EMI)
Almir Guineto "Roda De Samba Com Almir Guineto" (2006)
Guinga "Simples E Absurdo" (Velas, 1991)
Guinga "Delerio Carioca" (Velas, 1993)
Guinga "Cheio De Dedos" (Velas, 1996)
Guinga "Suite Leopoldina" (Velas, 2000)
A mixed bag, which ranges from over-sugary contributions by the likes of Toots Thielemans to solid, soulful old-time baiaos and choros approached with the same deft classicism as heard on Paulo Moura's tribute to Pixinguinha... This tribute to the traditions of Rio also includes contributions from Chico Buarque, Ivan Lins and novo-rocker Lenine... Some songs I had to skip past -- such as soul singer Ed Motta's scatting on "Par Constante" -- but other tracks I thought were quite lovely. Definitely worth checking out.
Guinga "Cine Baronesa" (Velas, 2001)
His previous album struck a fair balance between goopy and engaging... This time around, it just plain goopy. Really, really goopy. Too ornate and flowery for my tastes.
Guinga "Noturno Copacabana" (Velas, 2003)
Guinga "Graffiando Vento" (Egea, 2004)
With clarinetist Gabriele Mirabassi...
Guinga "Casa De Villa" (Biscoito Fino, 2007)
Guinga "Dialetto Carioca" (Egea/Dunya, 2007)
Dani Gurgel "Agora" (Tratore, 2005)
Dani Gurgel "Dani Gurgel" (EP) (Tratore, 2008)
A 4-song EP...
Dani Gurgel "Nosso" (Dapa Virada, 2008)
