Jacildo E Seus Rapazes "Lenha-Braca E Bronca" (1964)
Cooler-than-usual Beatles-era jovem guarda rock, with a distinctly rough, garage-y, surf/frat-rock feel; if other JG bands were emulating Bobby Sherman and Annette Funicello, these guys sound more like they were into the Kingsmen or the Champs. Their songs are clunky and fun; it would be nice to hear these guys collected on a set of more obscure JG bands... they seem like a very sincere, authentic expression of Brazilian fascination with American-style rock -- it's not perfect-sounding, and that's what makes it nice.
Jair Do Cavaquinho - see "Do Cavaquinho"
Jamelao -- See artist discography
Jammil E Uma Noites "Serie Bis" (EMI, 2000)
Brainless, good-timin', lightweight pop. This echoes the axe pop of the 1980s and '90s, with faint hints of hip-hop and boy-band fluff thrown in around the edges. This 2-CD set gathers a couple of dozen of their songs from 1997-98, including their cover of Nenhum De Nos's cover of David Bowie's "Starman." The collection's fluffy, but listenable. Just don't expect too much from it.
Jammil E Uma Noites "Acustico - Ao Vivo" (Atracao, 2001)
Joanna "Joanna" (RCA-BMG, 1991)
Blech-o-rama! Goopy, synthy syrupy pop, with a "quiet storm" vibe, but even more softcore than that. It is telling that the first song on here is a Portuguese-language cover of "Killing Me Softly With His Song" (adapted, appallingly, by Paulo Sergio Valle...) A-void!
Joanna "Momentos - Ao Vivo" (BMG-Som Livre, 2000)
Oh, god, this is awful. I would compare her to some crappy, sentimental pop vocalist up here in the USA, but I never hear listen to anyone this bad, so I really have no frame of reference to work from. Still, she does have her fans -- just listen to them cheer and sing along on this concert album... Yikes. These people scare me.
Joao Bosco & Vinicius "Acustico No Bar" (Atracao, 2003)
Cutesy, New Kids-ish, Brazilian boy-band pop, sung by the duo of "Joao Bosco" (Joo Bosco Homem de Carvalho Filho) and "Vinicius" (Vinicius Fernando Karlinke) who are not to be confused with the MPB greats Joao Bosco and Vinicius De Moraes. Not by a longshot.
Joao Bosco & Vinicius "Joao Bosco & Vinicius" (Atracao, 2004)
Antonio Carlos Jobim -- See artist discography
Joelho De Porco "Sao Paulo 1554 - Hoje" (Crazy, 1974)
Joelho De Porco "Joelho De Porco" (Som Livre, 1978)
Joelho De Porco "Saqueando A Cidade" (Continental, 1983)
Joelho De Porco "18 Anos Sem Sucesso" (Eldorado, 1988)
Joelma "Joelma" (Continental)
Joelma "Joelma Muito Mais" (Continental, 1968)
Joelma "Casatschok" (Continental, 1969)
Joelma "Vitrola Digital" (Continental, 2007)
Jongo Trio "Jongo Trio" (Gravodisc, 1965)
So far, I haven't been wild about the semi-bossa jazz trio albums I've heard (Tamba Trio, Zimbo Trio, etc.) but I've gotta say, these fellows -- who backed Baden Powell on some of his early recordings, and who worked regularly on the Elis Regina/Jair Rodrigues TV show -- are kind of fun... Their jazz chops seem stronger than many of their contemporary '60s Braz-jazz bands; there are hints of Thelonious Monk and early Miles Davis in here, and several lightly swinging tracks. I wound up not keeping this disc (or giving it to my radio station...) but it was still fairly interesting... worth checking out.
The Jordans "Serie Bis: Jovem Guarda" (EMI, 2000)
The Jordans "25 Sucessos" (2002)
Frank Jorge "Vida De Verdade" (Trama/YBrazil, 2003)
Excellent! A simple, unassuming set of contemporary melodic power-pop, sung em Portugues by songwriter Frank Jorge (formerly of the bands Cascavelettes and Graforreia Xilarmonica...) While not as bright or aggressive as some of the foundational '70s power-pop bands, such as The Romantics, Eric Carmen, et. al., this is still quite nice, even moreso since Frank sings all his lyrics in Portuguese, rather than English. (Yay.) This album is very much in keeping with the modern power-pop scene, recalling artists such as Frank Bango, The Wondermints, Pearlfishers, etc. If you like "foreign" indie rock, this is definitely an album you'll want to pick up! (PS - does anyone know if this is the same Frank Jorge who was active in the 1960s Jovem Guarda scene? Or is it just two different Brazilian rockers with the same name?)
Claudio Jorge "Coisa De Chefe" (Rob Digital, 1993)
Claudio Jorge & Luiz Carlos Da Vila "Matrizes" (2006)
Claudio Jorge "Amigo De Fe" (2007)
Odair Jose "As Melhores" (Sony, 2002)
Debuting in the early 1970s, singer-songwriter Odair Jose was a latecomer to the teeniebopperish jovem guarda scene, mixing light, jangly rock riffs with more impassioned, anguished romantic vocals, in much the same way as the style's lead innovator, Roberto Carlos. Like Carlos, Jose's work continued to tilt towards romantic ballads, and as the '70s wore on, he became associated with the so-called "brega," or "tacky" soft pop scene. That being said, I have to admit I enjoy hearing his early recordings -- the arrangements are light and inoffensive, and there is a gently appealing quality to Jose's vocals. This disc collects fourteen songs from his first two albums, 1970's Odair Jose, and 1971's Meu Grande Amor, both recorded for the CBS label, which specialized in jovem guarda material for much of the 1960s. Indeed, many of these tracks sound rather dated, with rinky-sounding 'Fifties rock arrangements that recall records made by other artists in the early '60s. Also worth noting are the several songs written by and along with Rossini Pinto, another of the jovem guarda/brega crooners whose career spanned the '60s and '70s. This is innocuous, lightweight stuff, but I gotta say, I found it pretty listenable.
Odair Jose "As Minhas Cancoes" (Universal, 1993)
Odair Jose "Minha Historia" (Universal, 1998)
A pleasant selection of early 1970s soft pop -- toque popular -- picking up where Roberto Carlos and the jovem guarda set left off, sort of like a Brazilian Gilbert O'Sullivan, or David Gates. I'm almost embarrassed to admit I like this stuff, but what can I say? It sounds nice! Jose has an appealing, mildly tortured, romantic voice... It's nothing dazzling, but there's also nothing heinous about the production and overall this is quite easy on the ears. This set covers Jose's Polygram years, including material from three albums, Assim Sou Eu... (1972), Odair Jose, (1973) and Lembrancas, from 1974, a period that was more mature and less forced than his earlier work. Like most of the Minha Historia series, this disc is well-selected and a better-than-average best-of.. Well worth looking for.
Jota Quest "J. Quest" (Sony/Chaos, 1996)
Jota Quest "De Volta Ao Planeta" (Sony/Chaos, 1998)
(Produced & Arranged by Jaques Morelenbaum)
Jota Quest "Oxygenio" (Sony/Chaos, 2000)
(Produced by Marcelo Susskind & Ronaldo Viana)
Sometimes jittery, often ornate alt-rock/pop. The uptempo numbers (which may have been singles) such as "Oxygenio" and "Velocidade" are too hyperactive and cluttered for me, but softer songs, like the synthy "Dias Melhores," are kinda nice. I don't really listen to this kind of mainstream pop much -- in English or in Portuguese -- and it sounds a bit too prefab for me, especially with the layered guitars, etc. But for the style, I guess this is okay. Mostly seems pretty cheesy.
Jota Quest "Discotecagem Pop Variada" (Sony, 2002)
Jota Quest "MTV Ao Vivo" (Sony, 1996)
Jota Quest "Ate Onde Vai" (Sony-BMG, 2005)
Jota Quest "Bootleg Ao Vivo" (Sony-BMG, 2005)
Os Jovens "Os Jovens" (CBS, 1967)
(Produced by Jairo Pires)
These guys get name-checked in relation to Brazil's tiny garage-rock scene of the late 1960s, and are included in fine collections such as the "Hearts Of Stone" compilation. Although this album is tamer and closer to the mainstream of the "ie-ie-ie" pop, than their more raucous singles, it still shows a hipness and toughness that a lot of their JG contemporaries didn't quite have. Includes covers of Dave Clark Five and P.F. Sloan songs, as well as homegrown Brazilian rock by the likes of Renato Barros and Luiz Ayrao... Worth a spin!
Joyce - see artist discography
Jupiter Apple "Plastic Soda" (Trama, 2000)
Jupiter Apple "Hisscivilization" (Nolandman, 2002)
Hip Brazilian indie-rock, with an icy cool, ironic attitude. I liked the first track a lot -- a fifteen minute long, Moog-drenched prog-pop jam that could be compared to the ever-dreary Stereolab, yet is redeemed through its amatuerish rough edges, and comes off a bit more krautrock-y... something that the folks from Can could be proud of. The rest of the album is okay, too, though less audacious than this opening salvo. I was disappointed, though, that the lyrics were in English, rather than Portuguese -- it would have been much more fun the other way around. (Not that it matters that much; these songs are driven more by their grooves than by the lyrics... But I still prefer hearing "foreign" pop singers performing in their native languages; it seems so much more compelling and true to one's roots, somehow...) All in all, this disc is interesting for the light it sheds on Brazil's nascent indiepop scene, and it stands on its own with the UK and European music it seeks to emulate, though it also doesn't quite set the woods on fire. I'm telling you: they shoulda sung in Portuguese!
Jupiter Apple "Uma Tarde Na Fruteira" (Elefant, 2007)
(Produced by Thomas Dreher)
Far-flung, clever, eclectic, bilingual indie-pop -- this set is less groove-oriented and Stereolabby and more guitar-y, with chunky bits, psychedelic flights and spasmodic shifts galore. Os Mutantes are an obvious point of reference, since these guys are also from Brazil, but Redd Kross are another possible touchstone. Definitely worth checking out if you are interested in Brazil's teeny, off-the-radar indie scene. (PS -- I love the graphic art homage to the old Elenco label's cover art... Very groovy!)
Jupiter Apple "Jupiter Apple And Bimbo Presents Bitter" (Tratore, 2007)
