Nacao Zumbi "Radio S.Amb.A" (YBrazil?, 2000)
One of Brazil's premiere rock bands, these guys are Chico Science's old crew, and also crank out their own albums with some regularity. It's a cool-toned mix of samba, funk, hard rock, ska/reggae, and hip-hop -- more Beastie Boys than Chili Peppers. It's not really my cup of tea, but these guys are pretty solid and much more accomplished than most of their contemporaries. Definitely worth checking out if contemporary Brazilian pop appeals to you. (See also: Chico Science, under the letter "S" )

Nacao Zumbi "Nacao Zumbi" (Trama, 2004)

Nacao Zumbi "Futura" (Trama, 2005)
(Produced by Nacao Zumbi & Scotty Hard)

Nacao Zumbi "Propagando" (Trama, 2007)
A 2-CD live set...

Naire "Naire" (RGE/Fermata, 1974)
(Produced by J. Shapiro & Toninho Paladino, arrangements by Luiz Claudio Ramos)
Flowery soft-pop from one of the later entrants in the fabled Brazilian song competitions of yesteryear... Antonio Adolfo contributes sugary piano accompaniment, along with an all-star studio crew. Paulinho Tapajos co-wrote most of the music and sings two duets that bookend the album. In addition, florid vocal choruses and tweetling flutes a woven in as well. This is too gooey and occasionally bombastic for me, but on the positive side, it did sound different than a lot of what was going on at the time. If you want to mine deep into the reservoir of vintage Brazilian folk-rock, it seems like this disc might be of interest. My guilty pleasure on this one would have to be the song "Donzela," one of many written with Tapajos.

Joel Nascimento - see artist discography

Milton Nascimento - see artist discography

Neguinho Da Beija-Flor - see artist discography

Bob Nelson "Vaqueiro Alegre" (Revivendo)
Great stuff! I'd heard that Brazil has a homegrown country scene, and here's an early forerunner from the 1940s ... Naturally, little traces of samba creep in around the edges, but sure enough this ten-gallon hatted "happy cowboy" has genuine hillbilly fiddle, accordion, and banjo pickin' to spare, and yodels like there's no tomorrow. This is decidedly nutty, goofy, frivolous material... but the musicianship is also quite good! It's kind of like when Gene Autry or Roy Rogers did some Latin-American-tinged, polka-flavored number, except that this is coming at it from the opposite direction. Anyway, if this sounds interesting, but you're not quite sure, take my word for it: this is fun stuff! (PS - the only place I've ever seen this available is through the label. It's worth getting in touch with them to track this down.)

Nenhum De Nois - see artist discography

Netinho - see artist discography

Accioly Neto "Trancelim" (RGE, 1986)
Astonishingly bland, monotonous pop from a guy with an Abraham Lincoln-style beard and a really thin voice. It took me a while to realize that this was some sort of modernized, poppified forro... It's not very interesting, though.

Accioly Neto "Meu Forro" (Sony, 2002)

Bernardo Neto "Sumare" (1988)
An odd, wispy album, rather attenuated, wimpy MPB, along the same lines as Lo Borges or Beto Guedes, sort of a folkie-gone-synth-rocker kinda thing. I don't know much about this guy, other than this one record. It's mildly irritating in places, but mostly inoffensive and a bit windswept and wistful.

Jovino Santos Neto "Caboclo" (Liquid City, 1997)
The first solo album by multi-instrumentalist Jovino Santos Neto, a longtime veteran of Hermeto Pascoal's band. Light, breezy jazz, mainly built around tight piano-flute duets, with sympathetic accompaniment from a small jazz combo, and in large part a tribute to his mentor. Not really my cup of tea, but pretty solid for the style. I could certainly see how folks into the whole "dinner jazz" sound might like this. (For more information about Neto and his career, check out his website.)

Jovino Santos Neto & Richard Boukas "Balaio" (Malandro, 2001)
Mellow and accomplished acoustic jazz featuring original compositions by New-York based guitarist Richard Boukas and Brazilian pianist, Jovino Santos Neto. There are also a trio of tunes by Braz-jazz legend Hermeto Pascoal, whose band Jovino Santos Neto performed in for much of the 1990s... The vibe is kind of a cross between John McLaughlin and Milton Nascimento -- Boukas scats in a very Milton-like fashion, although with more restraint and precision. These tunes are generally very sprightly; overall this isn't my cup of tea, but it's very nice for the style, and if you like acoustic jazz, you might enjoy this disc...

Jovino Santos Neto & Mike Marshall "Serenata: The Music Of Hermeto Pascoal" (Adventure Music, 2003)
Delving deeper into his love of choro, and of Brazilian jazz, Marshall explores the work of avantnik multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal, one of the most original and more challenging modern Brazilian jazz players. On the whole, I would say this set is far less "out there" than most of Pascoal's own albums, but the interplay between mandolinist Marshall and pianist Jovino Santos Neto reveals a strong intuitive link, both between the performers and the music they're tackling. Interesting album with some remarkable moments. Pascoal himself adds a flute solo to one track, giving the album that extra bit of authenticity...

Jovino Santos Neto "Roda Carioca" (Adventure Music, 2006)
A straightforward, all-instrumental smooth jazz set, with a solid Brazilian bossamba foundation... Pianist Jovino Santos Neto leads this lively set, with a top-flight cast of Brazilian jazz players behind him. A lot of this is too jazzy for me, but there are flourishes that stand out, such as Hamilton Da Holanda's swinging, choro mandolin riffs on "Gente Boa," and Joyce's guest vocals on the song, "Nana." Brazil's leading avant jazz artist, Hermeto Pascoal, also plays on one track (playing a chewing gum wrapper and a glass of water, among other things!) Mainly this is a showcase for Santos Neto's brisk piano work, which at some times if quite lyrical and at others is a little too rat-a-tat-tat for me. Most soft jazz fans will probably like this, though... Worth checking out, if modern Braz-jazz is your bag.

Jovino Santos Neto "Alma Do Nordeste: Soul Of The Northwest" (Adventure Music, 2008)
Jazz pianist Jovino Santos Neto delves into the music of Brazil's Northeastern region, home to frenetic styles such as forro music and the baiao. If you've ever wanted to hear the accordion as a lead instrument in a jazz context, then this disc will give you goosepimples of delight: in the album's first half, accordionist Toninho Ferragutti cuts loose with some fine improvisational flights, supported by the rest of Santos Neto's elastic, energetic band. The second half of the album gets into too much of a mainstream jazz mode for me, but the more "Brazilian" material is pretty exciting. Fans of either style -- forro or modern jazz -- will find a lot to appreciate here.

Jovino Santos Neto & Weber Iago "Live At Caramoor" (Adventure Music, 2008)
(Produced by Jim Luce & Richard Zirinsky, Jr)
Brazilian pianists Jovino Santos Neto and Weber Iago combine their talents for these crisp live recordings, both as solo performers and together, with accompaniment by saxophonist Joe Lovano. They cover the work of Braz-jazz touchstones such as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Hermeto Pascoal and Pixinguinha, as well as some of their own compositions.. What marks this disc, though, is its departure from the bedrock conventions of Brazilian bossa nova-ism; this is much more of a classical-meets-avant jazz recording, arch and erudite, with less appeal to the smooth-jazz set, and more to fans of Pascoal and the more challenging brand of Brazilian jazz. Worth checking out if you're into "serious" jazz.

Wilson Das Neves - see letter "D"

Nora Ney & Jorge Goulart "Nora Ney & Jorge Goulart" (InterCD, 2000)
Older recordings by two romantic balladeers of the pre-bossa nova "radio singer" era; although Ney and Goulart did record and perform together throughout several decades, these ten songs are all solo efforts, not duets -- four by Ney, six by Goulart. Some of it's really fun, in a super-corny, kitschy kinda way; some of the songs are way over the top and too goopy. This cheapo reissue package is worth checking out, just to get a sense of the style of the times, although you can't help but feel these artists could be better served by more extensive, better programmed selections.

Nora Ney "Tire Seu Sorriso Do Caminho Que Eu Quero Passar Com A Minha Dor" (Som Livre, 1972)
(Produced by Joao Mello & Fustaquio Sena; arrangements by Guio De Moraes)
A star of the radio singer era, Nora Ney's artistic prime encompassed live, on-air performances and 78rpm singles... In this album she revisited the songs she made famous, with modern recordings that wowed many fans. Her well-aged voice is remarkably masculine, but her phrasing and bearing are confident and regal; the arrangements are alternately prosaic and majestic, with the better tracks providing a nice legacy for this venerable performer. Grand, torchy, nostalgic ballads, very old-school, perhaps even a bit dour... Probably not for everyone, but if you're delving into the pre-bossa stuff, this is worth checking out.

Nora Ney "Grandes Vozes" (Som Livre, 2007)
I'm not sure if this best-of set draws on her older '78s, or the re-recordings Ney did in the early '70s for the Som Livre label... Or even a combination of both? If I find out, I'll be sure to let you know.

Dudu Nobre "Dudu Nobre" (BMG-RCA, 1999)
(Produced by Jorge Davidson & Rildo Hora)
A protege of sambista Zeca Pagodinho, songwriter Dudu Nobre is, I suppose, the fresh-faced future of pop-samba, although on this album he hasn't quite attained the same level of soulfulness as some of the elders in the style. Well, okay, so maybe he's no Paulinho Da Viola, but at least his stuff isn't as tacky as some of the more lightweight popular bands that are out there... Nobre seems like the kind of guy who'll be around for a while... definitely an artist to keep your eye on.

Dudu Nobre "Moleque Dudu" (Sony-BMG, 2001)

Dudu Nobre & Zeca Pagodinho "Dois No Samba" (Sony-BMG, 2004)

Dudu Nobre "Ao Vivo" (Sony-BMG, 2004)

Dudu Nobre "Festa Em Meu Coracao" (Sony-BMG, 2005)

Dudu Nobre "Os Mais Belos Sambas Enredo De Todos Os Tempos" (Universal, 2007)

Dudu Nobre "Roda De Samba Ao Vivo" (Universal, 2008)

Dudu Nobre "Maxximum" (Sony-BMG, 2005)

Dudu Nobre "Essencial" (Som Livre, 2008)

Emmerson Nogueira "Versao Acustico (Box Set)" (Sony, 2004)
A native of Belo Horizonte who made a name for himself playing barzinho gigs in Minas Gerais, Nogueira performs mellow acoustic versions of classic rock songs from the United States and England -- Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Doobie Brothers, Peter Frampton, etc. No relation to Joao Nogueira, as far as I can tell. Haven't heard him myself yet... this is a 3-CD box set that gathers together three albums listed below.

Emmerson Nogueira "Versao Acustico" (Sony, 2001)

Emmerson Nogueira "Acustico Versao 2" (Sony, 2002)

Emmerson Nogueira "Acustico Versao 3" (Sony, 2003)

Emmerson Nogueira "Ao Vivo" (Sony, 2003)

Emmerson Nogueira "Beatles" (Sony, 2005)
You can kinda see where this is headed, right?

Emmerson Nogueira "Ao Vivo" (DVD) (Sony, 2007)

Emmerson Nogueira "Dreamer" (Sony, 2008)

Joao Nogueira - see artist discography

Paulinho Nogueira "Sambas De Ontem E Hoje" (RGE, 1961)
I came to Nogueira's early work backwards, having first heard a few lackluster later albums, so the early stuff is a nice surprise. This is a mainly-instrumental, bossa-based album -- bright, upbeat, cheerful and compelling -- which showcases Nogueira at his best. There are passages that slip into easy listening kitsch, but mostly this is a soulful record with crisp guitar work and a few vocal tunes than feature Nogueira singing solo, as well as with a perky, Os Cariocas-esque vocal group. Standout tracks include his moody version of Geraldo Vandre's "Quem Quiser Encontrar O Amor" and the sprightly choro tune, "Odeon," from the Ernesto Nazareth catalogue. A nice one!

Paulinho Nogueira "...Canta Suas Composicoes" (RGE, 1970)
(Produced & Arranged by Hector Lagna Fietta)

Paulinho Nogueira "Tons E Semitons" (Atracao, 1997)

Paulinho Nogueira "Reflexoes" (Malandro, 1999)

Paulinho Nogueira & Toquinho "Paulinho Nogueira & Toquinho" (Ovacao, 1999)

Paulinho Nogueira "Chico Buarque - Primeiras Composicoes" (Trama, 2002)
Sweet, though somewhat staid, acoustic guitar versions of eleven classic Chico Buarque tunes. I'm not sure how much this actually adds to the Buarque legacy, but if you like mellow, muzak-y guitar instrumentals, you'd probably enjoy this disc.

Paulinho Nogueira "Antologia Do Violao" (Universal)

Noite Ilustrada "Cara De Boboca" (Mocambo, 1960)
Mario de Souza Marques Filho, aka Noite Ilustrada,

Noite Ilustrada "Noite Ilustrada" (Continental, 1969)
Good, but a little too aggressive... The big, brassy orchestral arrangements require Noite Ilustrada to really belt it out and crowd out his more subtle vocal turns, as well as softer, slinkier instruments such as the cavaquinho (as well as any small-scale samba percussion, which I couldn't detect on many tracks...) But if you'd like to hear Brazilian samba taken to punchy, bombastic, Sinatra-esque heights, this record certainly delivers a big wallop. It's fun, in its way, although I prefer a slightly more subtle approach.

Noite Ilustrada "Perfil De Um Sambista" (Trama, 2001)

Noite Ilustrada "Canta Lupicinio Rodrigues" (Atracao, 2003)

Noite Ilustrada "Canta Atualfo Alves" (Atracao, 2003)

Marconi Notaro "No Sub Reino Dos Metazoarios" (1973)
Super-freakulent, electrified psychedelia spaceouts, weird stream-of-consciousness improv raga-rock, with plenty of fuzz, echo and distortion... Fans of early Tom Ze, Ze Ramalho, Os Mutantes, Lula Cortes, et. al. will probably dig this... Indeed, Cortes and Ramalho are on this album as well, originally issued as a private pressing from the trio's own label in Recife. The last track on the album is called "Ode A Satwa," in homage to their previous record, under the band name Satwa. Freaky and weird in a very good way. (Available through Time-Lag Records.)

Nouvelle Cuisine "e-Collection: Sucessos E Raridades" (WEA, 2001)
A rather odd, fish-out-of-water band... These guys are jazz-standards revivalists, sort of like a down-tempo, Brazilian Manhattan Transfer, playing material by Harold Arlen, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, George & Ira Gershwin, et. al., alongside homegrown Brazilian composers such as Dorival Caymmi, Carlos Lyra, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Djavan, etc., placing them all into a compact, though rather goofy , small-ensemble acoustic setting. Personally, I find it all far too precious and overly clever -- while not as acrobatic as the Brazilian vocal group Quarteto Em Cy, there's a similar willingness to draw attention to the group's technique and to their coy re-arrangements of well-known songs. I'm not fond of the mix, either: Guga Stroeter's vibraphone is far too dominant; the clarinet seems tacked on at times, and the band's lone vocalist, Carlos Fernando, seems singularly underwhelming, particularly when he sings in English, which is most of the time. Nonetheless, they were apparently quite popular in Brazil during the late 1980s, and there also seems to have been some connection with Marisa Monte... Personally, I don't get the attraction, but I wasn;t there at the time, either... Maybe their shows were a lot of fun, or something.

Novos Baianos - see artist discography

Clara Nunes - see artist discography

Oswaldo Nunes & The Pops "Ta Tudo Ai" (Equipe, 1969)
A groovy set, wherein the rock chops of the punctuation-challenged jovem guarda band The Pop's are harnessed to the swinging multi-stylistic tornado of singer Oswaldo Nunes, an energetic, expressive performer who apparently died young, but recorded some neat material, including this intriguing album. Like Jair Rodrigues or Wilson Simonal before him, Nunes could be alternately explosive and schmaltzy; I enjoyed him in both modes. There are plenty of regional touches, including an undercurrent of forro and baiao, as well as old-school samba; hearing the crunchy, fuzzy electric guitars in the mix is a gas, and although the Pop's sound a little less committed to their chores as backup vocalists, this is a great record, one that'll get you up and dancing before you know what hit you. Definitely worth tracking down!

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