Sidney Miller "Sidney Miller" (Elenco, 1967)
(Produced by Sidney Miller)
A beautiful, understated album by this nearly forgotten bossa nova composer, who died tragically young in 1980. Nara Leao and Gal Costa were among his faithful champions and greatest interpreters, but there's something particularly appealing about hearing Miller singing his own songs. This is a fine set of a dozen original tunes, delivered at a relaxed pace, with a peppy, toot-toodlin' orchestra behind him. It sounds very similar to early Chico Buarque albums, though perhaps a little less forceful, and a bit more natural. At any rate, it's mighty fine stuff, well worth checking out... Plus it's packed with tunes you may recognize from several classic MPB albums of the '70s.
Sidney Miller "Brasil, Do Guarani Ao Guarana" (Elenco, 1968)
Sidney Miller "Linguas De Fogo" (Som Livre, 1974)
Sidney Miller/Various Artists "Sidney Miller" (Funarte, 1983)
A posthumous tribute to songwriter Sidney Miller, featuring many excellent interpretations of his work from Alaide Costa, Zeze Gonzaga and Ze Luis Mazziotti, as well as two vintage recordings featuring Miller himself, "O Circo" and "A Estrada E O Violeiro," a duet with Nara Leao. This is a lovely, restrained set, the very epitome of MPB classiness. Recommended!
Miltinho "No Palco!" (InterCD, 2000)
Bleh. Tepid, cheesy romantic vocals by a '60s samba cancao old-timer with a half-asleep backup band. This guy may have had better moments in his youth, but this 1985 session is not worth picking up. If I find something better by Miltinho, I'll let you know.
Miltinho "Retratos" (EMI, 2004)
Carmen Miranda - see artist discography
Luperce Miranda "Luperce Miranda Interpreta Luperce Miranda" (MIS, 1978)
A sweet set of choro bandolim instrumentals, with a slight regional flair. Apparently Miranda was an old-timer in his seventies when this was recorded; indeed, he passed away not long after its release... But his age was certainly no impediment to his talent -- this is a great record. Anyone who's into the mandolin will want to track this one down, particularly for dazzling, inventive runs on songs such as "Moto Continuo," but also for the sweeter, more lyrical tunes. Fans of Jacob Do Bandolim and Joel Nascimento owe it to themselves to check this album out. Highly recommended.
Marlui Miranda "Olho D'Agua" (Warner/Continental, 1979)
(Produced by Solano Ribeiro, Arnaldo Saccomani & Manuel Barembein)
Marlui Miranda is certainly one of the most challenging Brazilian artists of the post-tropicalia era... Here is where her devotion to indigenous, Amazonian music is first made manifest, on a perplexingly dense, wildly creative, and sometimes quite irritating album. Bassist Zeca Assumpcao joins Miranda and album producer/multi-instrumentalist Egberto Gismonti for a bewildering mix of native Brazilian styles and slick jazz fusion. You can definitely hear a lot of Gismonti's influence in this album, although these performances are a lot livelier than many of his own albums. To be sure, this may not be for everyone, but it's certainly an innovative tour-de-force, worth checking out if you're looking for something completely different. Folks familiar with her later albums, Ihu and Ihu II, (reviewed below) will find this disc of a piece with those albums.
Marlui Miranda "Ihu: Todos Os Sons" (Blue Jackel/Pau Brasil, 1995)
Marlui Miranda "Ihu II" (Blue Jackel/Pau Brasil, 1997)
A challenging figure on the world music landscape, Miranda's Ihu albums draw on the musical and oral traditions of Brazil's 200-plus native tribes. As she herself puts it, the project is "artistic, not ethnographic" -- she's sort of like a Brazilian Meredith Monk, crafting highly unusual vocal landscapes, presenting music from an astonishingly broad range of cultures, but all within a modern artistic framework. Gilberto Gil and Rodolfo Stroecher pitch in, and Miranda's vocal chorus hits harmonies which would make both Le Voix Mysterie Bulgares and the Monks of Santo Domingo stand around a while, just scratching their heads in wonder. The first album is the more sonorous; many listeners may find Ihu II much starker and less accessible.
Pedro Miranda "Coisa Com Coisa" (Deckdisc, 2006)
Wilson Miranda "Samba E Rocks" (Chantecler, 1960)
Wilson Miranda "Teu Amor E Minha Vida" (Chantecler, 1961)
Wilson Miranda "Veneno" (Chantecler)
Wilson Miranda "A Outra Face De Wilson Miranda" (Chantecler, 1964)
(Produced by Roberto Menescal)
A fun album, if a bit corny. Miranda's voice is a nice mix of the avuncular male pop vocals of the old-school radio singers crowd and the more youthful jovem guarda teen scene. The music is pure bossa-meets-pop, with some interesting touches from producer Roberto Menescal, one of the early stars of the bossa crowd, and his fellow arrangers, Oscar Castro-Neves and Ugo Marotta. The arrangements are kind of square, but still more nuanced than some of the more staid, old-fashioned pop of the time. Several songs were written by Menescal; he also plays acoustic guitar on several tracks, with some of Brazil's best jazz players -- including Castro-Neves, Paulo Moura, J. T. Mierelles and others -- sitting in on the session. Not earthshaking, but nice. Worth a spin, if you're in a nostalgic mood.
Wilson Miranda "Tempo Novo" (RCA, 1965)
Corny, bombastic pop vocals of the 'Fifties-style old school... Apparently, Miranda was originally a jovem guarda-style rocker, but he mellowed out pretty quickly, and by '65 was ready for an album of schmaltzy samba cancao and brassy bossa nova covers, ala Nelson Goncalves or Tito Madi. Somehow, though he doesn't summon quite enough corniness to make this feel fun or kitschy... Antonio Adolfo, Erlon Chaves and Chico Moraes split the arrangements, with Adolfo fronting the 3D Trio on one track... The very last song, Ze Keti's "Bo-Do," has a little more bounce to it, but the album itself isn't much to write home about. It just sounds a bit irritating, mostly.
Wilson Miranda "Grandes Sucessos" (BMG, 2000)
Mr. Hermano "O Globo" (Disorient/Mr Bongo, 1999)
A British-based band that fuses electronic-ambient groove with Brazilian bossa-jazz and samba... Apparently Brazilian percussionist Dom Um Romao is involved as well... A nice project if you're looking for mellow chill-out music.
Mr. Samba "Mr. Samba E Seus Skindos Ritmicos" (RGE, 1962)
Swinging, big-bandy samba tunes, with a little more blaring brass than I would prefer, but also some swell percussion, pleasant group and solo vocals, and some creative arrangements, including a dash of Cuban-style salsa. The horn section often gets in the way, but this is still a pretty fun record. The album art proudly proclaims this as an album recorded for tourists, and songs such as Pedro Caetano's "Onde Estao Os Tamborins" tip their hat that these guys may have been connected to the Mangueira samba school... Who knows? Mostly this is just for shaking your cute little booty!
Mr. Samba "This Is Bossa Nova" (RGE, 1963)
Dom Mita "O Som Do Black Rio" (Transmita/Whatmusic, 2001)
A Black Rio revivalist album, this features soul singer and percussionist Dom Mita along with a slew of his old pals, including members of Banda Black Rio and vocalist Carlos Dafe (who guests on one song). The album is dedicated to the late Brazilian funk pioneer Tim Maia, and is definitely true to his spirit. There's an odd, familiar mix of disco-ish production and legitimately funky rhythms -- this modern disc is well-produced and tightly arranged. It might not be your bag, but if it is, I'm sure you'll be pretty happy with it.
Miucha - see artist discography
Jun Miyake "Innocent Bossa In The Mirror" (Tropical Music, 2002)
(Produced by Jun Miyake & Arto Lindsay)
A sparse, entirely beautiful novo bossa nova album from an "outsider" with cross-cultural leanings. Japanese art-song multi-instrumentalist Jun Miyake had never tackled Brazilian music before this album, but with the help of modernists Arto Lindsay and Vinicius Cantuaria, Miyake casts a delicate spell that recalls the magical glory days of Joao Gilberto, Carlos Lyra and the other early greats. As on his own albums, Lindsay wrote and sings original Portuguese lyrics, while Cantuaria provides the gentlest, most compelling guitar accompaniment imaginable. Miyake's piano work recalls the haunting echo-iness of Erik Satie, and while each track tends towards a prolonged exploration of a single theme -- a song with odd percussion, another with flugelhorn as a bossa nova lead instrument -- the overall effect is magical and serene. Recommended!
