Germano Mathias "Ginga No Asfalto" (Odeon, 1962)
Stylistically, this upbeat album is a complete contrast not only to the bossa nova/jazz wave of the early '60s, but also to most of the samba cancao of the time as well. Although the music is samba, the delivery seems more like Cuban-style son, particularly in Mathias's punchy vocals, which echo the style of Cuban singers such as Beny More or Cascarita. A fun album, with perky arrangements and brisk horn charts... I don't know much about Mathias's career, but when I get the full scoop, I'll let you know!
Germano Mathias "Pra Seu Governo" (Chantecler/Warner, 1970)
A pleasant set of latter-day samba cancao, kind of a throwback to the early-'60s production style, when many Brazilian artists still hadn't quite taken in the new bossa nova style. Not stunning, or overly dynamic, but perfectly nice and fun to listen to.
Germano Mathias "Tributo A Caco Velho" (Atracao)
Ney Matogrosso "Personalidade" (Philips, 1987)
A fey, feather-boa wearing male pop singer, for a time, Matogrosso pitched himself as sort of a Brazilian glam queen. He started out as a psychedelic rock'n'roller, but later became more of a synth-pop artist -- his contralto is not unlike hearing Gal Costa sing with a bad head cold. This best-of collection gives a pretty fair representation of his disco-tinged early-'80s work, which may be too mainstream for many, but it's not terrible. His work with the rock band Secos & Molhados is pretty cool, though.
Ney Matogrosso "Sangue Latino" (Continental, 1982)
The title track was written by rocker Rita Lee, whhich is entirely appropriate since the casual listener would be hard pressed to tell the difference between her voice and Matogrosso's. Actually, this is one of his better albums, with kooky but uncluttered arrangements... It's playful and engaging; outlandish and a bit busy, perhaps, but still kind of fun. At least there aren't any big, crunching, bad rock riffs on here, just an odd and somewhat deft mix of pop, rock, fusion jazz and Latin American themes... Worth checking out; for what it's worth, this album is more engaging than a lot of stuff put out by several bigger Brazilian stars around the same time...
Ney Matogrosso "Colecao Obras Primas" (Mercury/PolyGram, 1995)
Buhllllllecch. This best-of collection covers several early-'80s albums, and some stuff done in 1993-94. It's all pretty uninspiring. Bland pop with tinkly keyboards that wouldn't be out of place on an evangelical Christian program, or a Toni Tennille solo album. Nothing I need to hear again.
Ney Matogrosso "A Arte De Ney Matogrosso" (Universal-Mercury, 2005)
Rough going. Although there's a tinge of his rock'n'roll roots (on songs like the anthemic "America Do Sul," etc.), it doesn't take long for a cheesier pop-ballads style to dominate. And throughout it all, Matogrosso's thrilling, feminine voice pierces through... This is mostly made up of later work, from 1994-2003, although an old Secos & Molhados track or two are thrown in for good measure. Yucky, but representative of his work.
Jose Mauro "Obnoxious" (Quartin, 1970)
One of the rare records championed by the European acid-jazz scene which actually lives up to the hype. This lovely album ranges from lovely acoustic balladry to lush (but subtle) orchestral pop. A couple of tracks are mildly irritating, but overall this is a winner. The spacey, melodic numbers prefigure some of Gilberto Gil's calmer moments. Musicians include Paulo Moura and Wilson Das Neves, with arrangements by Maestro Gaya. Recommended!
Jorge Mautner "Para Iluminar A Cidade" (Philips, 1973)
A delightful relic of authentic Brazilian hippie folk-rock. Violinist-songwriter Mautner, a fast friend of tropicalia founders Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, performs live at the Teatro Opinao in Rio de Janeiro, with sparse acoustic accompaniment: his violin, bass, guitar and bongo drums. His style is loose, rambling and playful, and utterly appealing. Vocally, he sounds a bit like Caetano, but shorn of the seriousness and gravity that marks much of Veloso's work. It's a kooky, low-key album, a novel oddity that might have arisen as easily from the margins of the San Francisco freak scene as from Brazilian climes. Includes one song co-written with Caetano ("From Faraway") although all the other songs are by Mautner himself. Anyone who's into marginal, different-sounding, uncommercial art might wanna check this out.
Jorge Mautner "Jorge Mautner" (Polydor, 1974)
Jorge Mautner "Mil E Uma Noites De Bagda" (Phonogram, 1976)
Jorge Mautner "Bomba De Estrelas" (WEA, 1981)
Jorge Mautner "Antimaldito" (Polygram, 1985)
Jorge Mautner & Nelson Jacobina "Arvore Da Vida" (WEA, 1988)
Jorge Mautner "Pedra Bruta" (Rock Company, 1992)
Jorge Mautner "Estilhacos De Paixao" (Primal Records, 1997)
Jorge Mautner "O Ser Da Tempestade: 40 Anos De Carreira" (Dabliu, 1999)
Fans of old Os Mutantes or of Tom Ze's oddball surrealist rantings may enjoy this 2-CD set... An interesting, often goofy collection of songs by an MPB old-timer and musical absurdist... This is divided in two parts, one is a disc of violinist-vocalist Mautner playfully lurching his way through a newly-recorded, sideways-tilted collection of songs, some old, some new, and several which are recognizable from old records by various MPB and tropicalia stars. Those same folks -- including Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa -- pitch in on the second CD, which is made up of their versions of Mautner's songs, including two recordings of "Maracatu Atomico," Gilberto Gil's 1973 original, and a more contemporary version by Chico Science. Mautner's own performances are super-goofy, kinda like once got in the studio he just couldn't resist the opportunity to mug his way through them... The arrangements around his silliness are pretty solid, though, and have a latter-day music-hall feel to them, in the tradition of Ray Davies and the Kinks. Nothing earth-shattering, but worth checking out if you're interested in the history of the whole tropicalia/MPB phenomenon.
Jorge Mautner & Caetano Veloso "Eu Nao Peco Desculpa" (Universal, 2002)
A delightful, deliciously humorous collaboration between Caetano and one of his favorite tropicalia-era pals. Songwriter/violinist Jorge Mautner is not a particularly prolific recording artist, but his work is marked by a certain playful inventiveness, and he and Caetano are clearly both on the same wavelength when they get together, as evidenced on this warm, richly textured and stylistically varied album. Quiet acoustic numbers nestle alongside rollicking Afro-Brazilian samba tunes, jittery rock and mystical ballads. It's all quite good, although some songs worth noting include an interesting remake of Mautner's best-known song, "Maracatu Atomico" (previously heard on Gilberto Gil's 1975 Refrazenda album), a nerve-jangling rock tune ("Tarado") that sounds for all the world like a Portuguese-language Doors song, and the album's opener, "Todo Errado," in which Caetano crafts a flawless American-style country tune (with a few hints of Mexican bandera thrown in for good measure. Another brilliantly creative Caetano album... Recommended! [PS - yes, I know the album art is sideways... so do Caetano and Jorge...]
Jorge Mautner "Revirao" (2007)
Yo-Yo Ma "Obrigado Brazil" (Sony Classics, 2003)
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, possibly the most celebrated classical musician alive, has understandably fallen for the allure of Brazilian bossa nova, having previously explored Appalachian mountain music and the Argentine tango. Yet, like the countless American and European jazz players that precede him, it's difficult to tell in Ma's luso-classical crossover where the subtlety of samba ends and the glass-clinking simplicity of dinner jazz begins. In the baroque world, emotionally resonant, romantic passages are Ma's forte, but the precision and exactitude of Ma's classical background work against him when approaching the odd, interstitial nuances of Brazilian popular music. Backed by Brazilian virtuosi such as percussionists Paulo Braga and Cyro Baptista, Ma excels when playing the fast-paced, Dixieland-ish instrumentals written by choro pioneer Pixinguinha, though on slower, harmonically indefinite material such as the Antonio Carlos Jobim songbook, Ma sounds stiff and stilted, perhaps a little too perfect. Classical fans will doubtless find this album to be an enriching musical journey, while Brazilians may raise a wary eyebrow of amusement. Lovely performances, but they don't completely hit the mark.
Rose Max "Atlantico" (Cinq Etoiles, 2003)
An adequate singer amid slick, somewhat generic slick-soul MPB arrangements. Didn't do much for me, but might be fun for folks who like singers such as Patricia Marx or Luciano Mello.
Maysa - see artist discography
Ana Mazzotti "Ana Mazzotti" (Top Tape/Whatmusic, 1974/2002)
A mellow MPB pop/jazz fusion album from the mid-1970s that features pleasant, if underwhelming, vocals by Ana Mazzotti and musical backing from members of the well-known Brazilian jazz band, Azymuth. This has been hailed by devotees as a lost classic of Brazilian fusion, and I suppose it is, although I wouldn't get too worked up about it. Mazzotti has a refreshingly cool approach to the music, much like Tania Maria but far less frantic, and the arrangements are similarly cool and relaxed. This features "Roda Mundo," a Mazzotti original that has been covered several times since, notably by the singer Salome De Bahia. This is a nice record, worth checking out, but not earth-shattering by any means.
Ze Luiz Mazziotti "Cancoes De Chico Buarque" (Dabliu, 2002)
A good, standard-issue MPB homage to master songwriter Chico Buarque... Mazziotti's voice is rich, velvety and confident... The arrangements are fairly restrained, although on the whole this disc may drift into milkier modes than some listeners might like. If you enjoy the elegant, smooth-jazz side of the MPB scene, though, this album is definitely worth checking out.
Jose Luiz Mazziotti "Jose Luiz Mazziotti" (2004)
