Pe De Boi "Power Samba Band" (Arkadia, 1998)
The lone album by this long-lived New York City samba-jazz band, formed in 1980 by percussionist Guilherme Franco, a veteran of the McCoy Tyner band... Plenty of guest performers on here, notably Cyro Baptista, Jorge Dalto, and a whole slew of Franco's friends in New York's Brazilian expatriate community. A skillful, well-realized and substantive mix of samba, modern jazz fusion, and a dash of NY-style salsa... It's too far into the "jazz" camp for my tastes, but I can definitely recognize that it's a high-quality performance, and that Franco didn't really sacrifice anything from any of the elements he's drawn on: the composition and playing is solid throughout.
Cauby Peixoto "Cauby Canta Para Ouvir E Dancar" (RCA, 1965)
Horrendously schmaltzy, Vegas-y versions of contemporary bossa nova tunes and North American standards such as "Call Me Irresponsible" and "Hello, Dolly." Peixoto may have been popular, but he sure was no Tom Jones or Sinatra, either in terms of personal charisma or vocal ability. Really, I just don't see the attraction of such hammy, cornball performances. This album is actually less subtle than a ton of bricks, and does not stand the test of time.
Cauby Peixoto & Angela Maria "Angela & Cauby" (EMI, 1982)
A mega-schmaltzy set of romantic duets from two old-time Brazilian crooners, with songs drawn from sources ranging from Brazilian composers such as Djavan, Jobim and Gonzaguinha to Spanish-language Latin Americans such as Agustin Lara and Gabriel Ruiz. If you like boleros and other cornball ballad styles, this disc might be a treat. But anyone looking for something with a bit more bite will wanna avoid this album.
Cauby Peixoto "Eternamente: 55 Anos De Carreira" (Atracao, 1998)
Cauby Peixoto "Serie Focus: O Essencial De Cauby Peixoto" (BMG, 1999)
This album includes more than half the tracks off of a later live album Peixoto recorded in the early 1990s, and although the remainder of the music comes from his old RCA albums from the early '60s, it all feels more modern than that... Mostly because it's all so schmaltzy and drippily produced. Super-cheesy, as a matter of fact! Peixoto's fans probably won't be disappointed, but geez... who are his fans?? This music is kind of hard to handle!
Marco Pereira & Cristovao Bastos "Bons Encontros" (Caju/Milestone, 1992)
Guitarist Pereira and pianist Bastos dance through a nice set of instrumental duets, exploring the compositions of Dorival Caymmi and Noel Rosa. It's a little on the lite-jazz side, but basically it's pretty engaging. Good for the genre, at any rate. They have light accompaniment on a few tunes, but mostly this is just the two of them together and they seem to have a lot of chemistry in their playing. Worth checking out.
Marco Pereira "Elegia: Virtuoso Guitar Music From Brasil" (Channel Classics, 1994)
Marco Pereira "Cameristico" (Biscoito Fino, 2007)
Nazare Pereira "Boite A Soleil" (RCA-France/Cesame, 1981)
A nice early album by this Paris-based Brazilian expatriate... Smooth, sweet vocals and a nice melodic mix of samba and forro stylings, sort of a Luiz Gonzaga-meets-Clara Nunes vibe. This disc may be hard to track down, but it's worth looking for.
Nazare Pereira "A L'Olympia" (RCA-France/Cesame, 1981)
A concert album, recorded in France's prestigious Olympia theatre. This double LP doesn't hold any great surprises -- another nice set of forro and samba, including several standards written by Dorival Caymmi, Luiz Gonzaga, a few Pereira originals, a Gilberto Gil tune, and some others that are more off the beaten track. There's also a long percussive batucada track at the end, which frames her shout-outs to the band. It's nice to hear her connection with the Parisian audience, and to get a sense of her strengths as a live performer.
Nazare Pereira "Ritmos Da Amazonia" (Playasound, 1988)
Highly recommended! One of the more obscure artists included on David Byrne's first BRAZIL CLASSICS compilation, Pereira is a Paris-based expatriate Brazilian with a lovely voice. This cheerful, brightly produced album is a fun mix of poppish samba and folkloric elements. Includes a cute, clever melange of French and Portuguese lyrics on "Bonjour Pra Voce", as well as the unusual inclusion of a banjo as rhythm instrument, in place of the usual Brazilian cavaquinho. I have a real soft spot for this album...
Nazare Pereira "Forro" (Playasound, 2002)
Nazare Pereira/Various Artists "Capoeira Brasil" (Playasound, 2003)
Jovelina Perola Negra "Perola Negra" (RGE, 1985)
Jovelina Perola Negra "Luz Do Repente" (Som Livre, 1987)
Jovelina Perola Negra "Sorriso Aberto" (RGE, 1988)
Jovelina Perola Negra "Amigos Chegados" (RGE, 1989)
Jovelina Perola Negra "Sangue Bom" (Som Livre, 1991)
Jovelina Perola Negra "Vou Na Fe" (RGE, 1993)
Jovelina Perola Negra "Samba Guerreiro" (RGE, 1996)
Pleasant, typically buoyant, samba cancao, with a full musical accompaniment (though a slightly flat-sounding mix...) Vocally, she has more than a passing similarity to Nina Simone. This is a nice throwback to the classic '70s sound, though honestly, this is not a stand-out album.
Jovelina Perola Negra "Roda De samba Com Jovelina Perola Negra" (2006)
Jovelina Perola Negra "E Isso Que Eu Mereco: Jovelina Duetos" (Som Livre, 2007)
A posthumously-released collection of duets, featuring contributions from Alcione, Jorge Aragao, Leci Brandao, Beth Carvalho, Grupo Fundo De Quintal and others. Presumably some of these recordings were made while Jovelina was still alive -- others, with younger artists such as Seu Jorge and Marcelo D2, must be newer studio concoctions.
Pifanos De Caruaru "A Bandinha Vai Tocar" (Sonopress)
One of the more striking, unique sounds of the Brazilian northwest... the combination of clattering tinny percussion and the arresting sound of the native flutes, known as "flautas de taboca" (or "pifes") should turn your head. Beautifully recorded and fascinating, even if the tracks all start to sound the same after a while. Gilberto Gil recorded with this group in the early '70s.
Pifanos De Caruaru "Isso Tudo E Sao Joao" (Trama, 2002)
Pifanos De Caruaru "No Seculo XXI, No Patio Do Forro" (Trama, 2004)
Pinduca "20 Super Sucessos" (Polydisc, 1999)
I'm afraid that this disc -- late-edition rerecordings of earlier hits -- is a poor representation of Pinduca's music... The leading exponent of the "carimbo," a manic regional style that incorporated Carribean rhythms into Brazilian dance music, Pinduca started his career in the 1950s, but didn't start recording until the early 1970s. As the style's progenitor, he had a considerable impact on regional pop in Salvador and elsewhere. He is widely considered the creator of the lambada, a popular dance style that peaked in the 1980s, albeit in a rather mindless, glossy pop form. The prefab monotony of that scene is echoed here, with cheesy, uninspired synth riffs and a female chorus that makes every song sounds the same. Although Pinduca can eventually win you over with his sheer exuberance, I have a feeling his older recordings are much more interesting. This is okay, but not great.
Leila Pinheiro - see artist discography
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro/Baden Powell/Os Cantores Da Lapinha "As Musicas De Baden Powell E Paulo Cesar Pinheiro" (Elenco, 1970)
(Produced by Joao Mello)
I'm not even sure if Powell is the guy playing guitar on this album, but it certainly is a lovely, alluring set. "Os Cantores" turn out to be two members of Quarteto Em Cy and two of their male counterparts from MPB-4, along with Elizete Cardoso singing the leads. Not a bad lineup! The music is pretty nice, too -- some of the most overtly sambaed-out Powell material you're ever likely to hear. All but one of the songs the songs are Powell-Pinheiro compositions (the exception being a collaboration with the album's producer, Joao Mello), with the drums and cuica keeping the beat throughout, and fine, swinging vocals. Only on one song do the Em Cy gals go a little overboard and slip into one of their facile, saccharine harmonies... Otherwise, this is a lovely, lovely album, a little known gem of the era.
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro "Paulo Cesar Pinheiro" (EMI-Odeon, 1974)
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro/Eduardo Gudin/Marcia "O Importante E Que A Nossa Emocao Sobreviva" (EMI-Odeon, 1975)
Live performances from the long-running show, O Importante E Que A Nossa Emocao Sobreviva...
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro/Eduardo Gudin/Marcia "O Importante E Que A Nossa Emocao Sobreviva, v.2" (EMI-Odeon, 1976)
Live performances from the long-running show, O Importante E Que A Nossa Emocao Sobreviva...
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro "Paulo Cesar Pinheiro" (EMI-Odeon, 1980)
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro "Poemas Escolhidos" (EMI-Odeon, 1983)
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro "Afros E Afoxes Da Bahia" (Polygram, 1989)
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro & Joao Nogueira "Parceria - Ao Vivo" (Universal, 1992)
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro/Eduardo Gudin/Marcia "Tudo O Que Mais Nos Uniu" (Dabliu, 2000)
A reunion of the trio that recorded two albums worth of material from their long-running O Importante E Que A Nossa Emocao Sobreviva shows... This warm, stately bossa nova concert, recorded in 1996, features music that was composed by Gudin and Pinheiro between 1967 and 1976. Mostly it's quite lovely, occasionally on the syrupy side, but with sufficient rough edges and earthiness to satisfy our traditionalist impulses. Nice stuff with a heavy samba flavor.
Tiago Pinheiro "Tiago Pinheiro" (Dabliu, 1999)
Classic jazz-tinged MPB after the style of Edu Lobo, Chico Buarque, Aldir Blanc and the '70s generation of bossa-pop ballad singers. Vocalist Pinheiro threads his way through MPB tunes by Moraes Moreira, Milton Nascimento and Caetano Veloso, alongside several older songs in the public domain, as well as an oldie from Luiz Gonzaga. Pinheiro seems primarily to be a jazz-ish song stylist, although he does contibute one original composition, "Ceu." Marlui Miranda joins Pinheiro on a duet of Elomar's "O Violeiro.." If you like old-style MPB, you might really dig this disc.
Rossini Pinto "Rossini Pinto" (CBS, 1964)
Pop composer Rossini Pinto was one of the major players in the teen-oriented 1960s jovem guarda pop-rock boom; as a songwriter, producer and lyric translator, his imprint was all over the work of all the other artists in the scene, with versions recorded by Jerry Adriani, Roberto Carlos, The Fevers and The Golden Boys, to name a few. I don't think he really got a fair shake as a performer, though, as this was his only solo album in a decades-long career. Having come to this album after hearing dozens of drab and perfunctory JG rock runthroughs, I have to say I was really impressed. Backing Rossini up here were Renato E Seus Blue-Caps, one of the best-known JG bands, and they give one of their liveliest, jangliest performances -- what I really like, though, are Rossini's vocals. He has an imperfect voice and an offhand delivery that I find quite appealing; there's an imperceptible roughness that's almost like American hillbilly music, a lack of polish that makes him sound refreshingly human. Plus, what a swell set of tunes! Although the JG scene was awash with saccharine, slurpy pop ballads, Pinto tilted towards bouncy, upbeat material. There are a couple of cover tunes on here -- most notably "His Latest Flame," which kicks the album off -- but most of the songs are Rossini originals, and most of them are pretty fun. For my money, this album is way cooler than many of the better-known jovem guarda discs -- it's got more grit and more pep to it than most. Definitely worth checking out!
Piraja Esquina Carioca "Uma Noite Com A Raiz Do Samba 0 Ao Vivo" (Dabliu, 2000)
A gorgeous live samba album! It wouldn't be unfair to compare this fab acoustic ensemble to Cuba's much-beloved Buena Vista Social Club -- although this particular group of sambistas, including Beth Carvalho, Joao Nogueira and Dona Ivone Lara never found their fame eclipsed in the same way that the Cuban old-timers did, and they didn't need Ry Cooder to gather their forces together. Still, this is a loving, lively tribute to the old days, and it's done by a bunch of veteran performers who really know their stuff. Every time Carvalho gives a little shout-out to encourage the band, she sounds so joyful that you can't help but smile. Great stuff. HIGHLY recommended!
Alexandre Pires "Alexandre Pires" (BMG/RCA, 2001)
Dreadful, N'Sync-ish boy-band pop from a former member of So Pra Contrar, cast here as a Brazilian Ricky Martin. Plus, he's singing en espanol... Boo, hiss. Icky.
Mylene Pires "Mylene" (Fast Horse, 2003)
A beautiful album, merging modern Brazilian electronica with sumptuous, soft pop balladry... Anyone who's impatient waiting for Bebel Gilberto to come out with a new album owes it to themselves to check this disc out. Pires shares a similarly eclectic, modern approach, and may even have a more nuanced, far-reaching (if less overtly dynamic) sound than the widely-renowned Bebel G. Percussionist/producer Ramiro Musotto mans the board, and compliments Mylene's laidback style with wispy samples and snippets that don't seem intrusive or cliched... The only weak moment is on a cover of the Beatles tune, "Eleanor Rigby," which pulls us out of the trancy vibe set by the rest of the record... But as musical sins go, this is a pretty minor misstep. All in all, this is a lovely release, well worth checking out.
Mylene Pires "O Que E Que Ha ?" (MCD, 2005)
Pixinguinha - see artist discography
Portastatic "De Mel, De Melao" (Merge, 2000)
This isn't really from Brazil, but don't let that stop you...! It seems that Merge Record's main man, indie-rock god Mac McCaughy, has been on a big Brazilian kick for a while and, after taking a trip down south, finally worked up the gumption to put out a tribute disc. This five-song EP is great: I'd love to hear a full-length follow up, maybe with some tropicalia-inspired original material as well as the classics... As it is, though, this is pretty engaging, with freshly translated versions of oldies by Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and other tropicalia legends, along with a nice ballad from bossa-jazz chanteuse, Joyce. These are heartfelt, sonically rich and musically perceptive. Check it out!
Fernanda Porto "Fernanda Porto" (Trama, 2003)
She's been hailed as Brazil's best electronic-pop diva, but frankly, I found this disc to be a bit generic and unadventuresome. It's okay -- sort of similar to Bebel Gilberto's Tanto Tempo album, though less inventive and more aggressively "pop" -- but it didn't really wow me. The electronica aspects are too uni-dimensional -- a dip into this or that readily-identifiable dance style, blips, boops and beats, drum'n'bass grooves that have been heard a bazillion times before, and little aural texture to help flesh them out. This is probably best taken in small doses, with a song here and there mixed in with other artists... For about half the record, it's innocuous an easy on the ears... And then after a while the unvarying perkiness starts to wear thin. Please note, I'm fairly critical of dance music and electronica in general, and for those of you who are in a more clubby frame of mind, this album will probably sound completely brilliant and fresh. Take what I say with a grain of salt.
Fernanda Porto "Fernanda Porto" (Trama, 2006)
Fernanda Porto "Giramundo" (Trama/Circular Moves, 2006)
Can't say I'm really loving this new, self-produced record by up-and-coming Brazilian electronica diva Fernanda Porto... There's a rushed, careless feel about the album that, I suppose, is a reflection of the club-oriented "baile funk" scene, which prizes high-energy exuberance above all else. I think Porto would have been better off exploring the silky, multi-textured electronic/ambient style of her previous album, but who knows? Maybe that sort of subtlety and sultriness is too "tired" these days, amid the coolness-obsessed, hip, happening young-uns. All I know is that rapid-fire club music like this doesn't do much for me, nor does it support Porto's modest voice as well as her more relaxed, thoughtful arrangements. You might wanna check it out for yourself, though -- maybe I'm just too old and geezerly to get what she's doing.
Fernanda Porto "Ao Vivo" (Trama/Circular Moves, 2006)
Fernanda Porto "The Best Of Fernanda Porto" (Trama/Circular Moves, 2006)
The best of? Jeez... That was quick!
Zizi Possi - see artist discography
Baden Powell - see artist discography
Louis Marcel Powell "Samba Novo" (JVC-Japan, 2002)
Philippe Baden Powell "Estrada De Terra (Dirt Road)" (Adventure Music, 2006)
The son of famed bossa nova guitarist Baden Powell, Brazilian pianist Phillipe Baden Powell is more or less a straight jazz player -- this is a fast, forceful set that largely eschews the subtlety of his father's work. But it also establishes an energetic newcomer that jazz fans may look forward to hearing more of in years to come. Not my cup of tea (not "Brazilian" enough), but others may dig it...
Flora Purim - see artist discography
