St. Julian Samba Showdown 28 by J Thyme (2011) 320 kbps - 174 mb

Happy full moon.
Happy Birthday to me and you too, since you get the same present as me. I'm happy with it and I hope you are too? I adore Música Popular Brasileira. In this volume I pay a little extra attention to the style called Forró. I really start to really fall in love with this country style that filters it's way into the musical landscape of the Brasilian sound. There are certain sounds that I associate with this style. The acoustic guitars, the accordians and the triangle.
All I can say about this volume for now is, that when you love something it does love you back.
I feel all the love I give to this series come back to me instantly! Let's see if you feel that love too. Thank you to all of you out there who have followed me this far. You're real bunch of Sambistas & Forró-heads. As always, ENJOY!

St. Julian Samba Showdown 28 by J Thyme (2011)

01. Bom Dia, Portela - Elza Soares (1974)
02. Tudo Sobre Eva - Péricles Cavalcanti (1991)
03. Aldeia Global - Burnier & Cartier (1974)
04. Baby - Quinteto Ternura (1974)
05. Contra-Veneno - Antônio Carlos & Jocafi (1975)
06. O Namoro De Maria - Maria Creuza (1976)
07. Brinde Ao Cansaço - Candeia (1975)
08. Contrariedade - Os Originais Do Samba (1977)
09. Sabiá Marrom - Alcione (1980)
10. Canto Da Ema - Jackson do Pandeiro (1970)
11. Forró - Baiano & Os Novos Caetanos (1975)
12. Menino Da Lera - Nonato E Seu Conjunto (1978)
13. Chuculatera - Luiz Gonzaga (1971)
14. Minha Viola - Téca & Ricardo (1978)
15. Enganadora - João Nogueira (1979)
16. Alì Fevereiro - Dóris Monteiro (1972)
17. Meu consolo é a viola - Os Magnatas Do Samba (1971)
18. Dono De Casa Boa Noite - Djalma Dias (1974)
19. Porta Aberta - Brasilian Singers (1974)
20. Batuque Na Cozinha - Martinho Da Vila (1972)
21. Sentimentos - Paulinho Da Viola (1973)
22. As Mariposas - Adoniran Barbosa (1974)
23. Não Entendi Bulufas - Gordurinha (1962)
24. Foi No Carnaval - Zuzuca (1972)
25. Há Quem Diga - Jorginho Pessanha (1971)

P.S. I really want to highlight that track 3 by Burnier & Cartier. This is one of the finest examples of Brasilian Basswork. Listen to the umph on the Bass. Up front for a supporting instrument. Not just upfront, but beautifully recorded electric bass. Lovely pluckings from this player and masterfully recorded by the fucking genius's over at RCA Victor. This is that allusive "11" that they go on about in "This Is Spinal Tap". After hearing this track, this is way I want to hear the bass recorded! BOLD! VIGOROUS! LIVELY! BASS TEMPO!
One last tally for all 28 volumes = 676 tracks. Those of you who have listened thus far have the appetite of a scholar. I know, I'm one.

St. Julian Samba Showdown 27 by J Thyme (2011) 320 kbps - 198 mb

This is my hello to Spring post. Spring has come a few days earlier here, so I'm sharing my latest installment of the Samba Showdown series. I hope you fans of MPB enjoy this. If I can find another 24 tracks that sound good, then I'll be back. Until then, enjoy this tour through 70's Brasil. Happy Spring!
My favorite track here, in terms of fidelity, is the Elton Medeiros track "Vazio". I marvel at the amazing tape saturation, compression and warmth of the composition & the expert handling of material. When this sits next to another track, the jump in fidelity is quite noticeable!

St. Julian Samba Showdown 27 by J Thyme (2011)

01. Até Parece - Dóris Monteiro (1973)
02. Desfigurado - Cartola (1977)
03. O Patrão Mandou - Paulinho Soares (1978)
04. Toda Tarde - Trio Mocotó (1975)
05. Menina Da Ladeira - João Só (1971)
06. Perspectiva - Antônio Carlos & Jocafi (1975)
07. Tatuagem - Nelson Cavaquinho (1972)
08. Terecô - Nonato E Seu Conjunto (1978)
09. Tá Chegando Fevereiro - Os Originais Do Samba (1970)
10. Pimenta No Vatapá - João Nogueira (1977)
11. Nao é Hora de Tristeza - Elza Soares (1974)
12. Ironia - Batatinha (1976)
13. O Mundo Encantado de Monteiro Lobato - Jair Rodrigues & Escola De Samba Acadêmicos Do Salgueiro (1971)
14. Não Suje O Meu Caixão - Alcione (1979)
15. Num Arredo O Pe - Djalma Dias (1974)
16. Tocar Na Banda - Adoniran Barbosa (1975)
17. Caramba - Ed Lincoln (1966)
18. Dia 4 Dezembro - Aquarius Y Luiz Antonio (1973)
19. Maria Portugal - Paulo Diniz (1973)
20. Miudinho - Paulinho Da Viola (1978)
21. Requenguela - Brasilian Singers (1974)
22. Vazio - Elton Medeiros (1973)
23. Pros Filhos Do Ze - Ely Arcoverde (1972)
24. Tem Mais Samba - Chico Buarque de Hollanda (1966)
25. Que Samba é Esse - Jorginho Pessanha (1971)

P.S. This very special post goes out to my friend Paul Kennedy. This one's for you Paul. Happy belated Birthday and congratulations on your new home & new family member.
Also, I could compare this series to "raiding the candystore". All 27 volumes of this series equals 651 tracks and that's a lot of gathered candy.

Ed Lincoln - Ed Lincoln [1966 Musidisc] 320 kbps - 72 mb (reup)

So much of what is contained on this really fun slice of mid-60's MPB can be sensed by the LP cover. What a great cover! I must have spent the past 2 or 3 years trying to decide what I really think of this set. At first I thought it just a sweet little record with a slightly comical edge, almost a novelty record. A nice pop vibe and an almost light-weight and humorous recording, but I've since grown to really fall in love with this latin gem.
Ed Lincoln has a warm, jumpy organ style & has put together a nice Rock/Soul/Jazz slice of MPB. Groovy would be a good word for this album. Upbeat & light-hearted too. I won't hype this and call it the greatest record ever out of Brasil, but it is a very good little record with a nice, fun vibe & every track is a winner. Also, this one is fairly rare & out of print. This was up on the Loronix site for a while, but since that page is missing in action I chose to give this another shot at being heard. As always, enjoy!

P.S. Many thanks to Quimsy's Mumbo Jumbo blogspot for this lovely share!
One last thing. The length of this is only 29 minutes. I really marvel at the tightness of the compositional style and production of classic 60's/70's MPB. Twelve songs in less then a half hour is very punchy Pop songwriting! How many artist can you think of today who can deliver 12 songs in such a "to the point" way? Very few, if any!

Toquinho - Toquinho [1970 RGE] 320 kbps - 97 mb

What more do I need to say about this very fine guitarist other then that he would go on to collaborate with the mighty Vinícius de Moraes to become the duo of Vinícius & Toquinho, who released many fine albums during the 70's. I'll remind those new to this page about the importance of Vinícius de Moraes, who wrote the play "Orfeu da Conceição" that would later become the film Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro). There is no greater break out moment for the popularization of Brasilian song then the very important international film sensation "Black Orpheus" from 1959. It introduces us to not just the talents of Vinícius de Moraes, but Antônio Carlos Jobim, Luiz Bonfá & Bola Sete as well. This very fine document finds Toquinho working with Jorge Ben on a few outstanding Pop numbers, "Que Maravilha", "Zana" & "Carolina Carol Bela", but also leans towards classical styles on many numbers to show off Toquinho's learned skills on the guitar. I really enjoy this early look at this talented artist. A sweet album from 1970. This would sit nicely next to "Jorge Ben (1969)" or "Samba é de lei" by Os Originais Do Samba as a point in time. This is a little slow in spots and leans towards the classical a bit, but wins out for me as a very nice start to the 70's in Brasil. Enjoy!

P.S. Really nice mix of Classical meets MPB. The Pop numbers are great and the classical pluckings of Toquinho are majestic!

Trio Mocotó - Muita Zorra! [1971 Forma] 320 kbps - 71 mb

I remember when I started really falling in love with the music of Brasil in the late 90's this was one of the first LP's that made me a big fan of 70's MPB. This one is the Japanese remaster from the short lived Forma label. 11 tracks that spin beautifully at 32 minutes. This one just breezes by. My favorite record of the Forma imprint hands down! Not one bad number on this masterpiece. One can easy see why this band was Jorge Ben's band circa 1969-1971. There are many things in common with this band & Os Originais do Samba who also backed Jorge Ben during the same era. I adore this recording, but also really enjoy the 1975 LP which has a slightly better sound then this set. I find the LP cover of this record kinda funny. Look closely at their faces. They seem to be looking out at a mass of screaming girls and the two guys on the ends seem a little worried about pleasing all those girls while the guy in the center looks ready to jump them all. Very funny! I had this up on this page a few years back, but decided to post it again. A very solid spinner. For those of you who are just discovering the charms of 70's MPB, enjoy.

P.S. Some words that I can add to describe to this excellent session are, funky, soulful & rockin'. So don't miss this gorgeous listen. If I have to sum up what I think of this recording I would say that it spins so well that one could easily spin it twice.

Os Originais do Samba - Alegria de Sambar [1975 RCA Victor] 320 kbps - 102 mb

1975 must just be the most perfect time for Samba Pop in Brasil and this record is proof of that fact. What a great band! At the peak of their powers and amazingly recorded by RCA Victor studios. I'm very impressed with the way RCA Victor records its artist like this group and others on that label. Such depth of fidelity here that it's slightly mind-blowing. This may or may not reveal itself on the first listen, but after a few spins it really opens up sound-wise. 1975 is a peak year in MPB. Grab this and see what I speak of. May this put a smile on your grumpy butt. A big, big thank you to Zecalouro @ Loronix for this share. Since Loronix seems to be out of business, then I'll host those posts that I've suggested at this point. R.I.P. Loronix.

P.S. Since these guys sing in six part harmony they kind of remind me of "The Beach Boys", just a little more macho.
For those that get what's going on here in this era of Brasilian popular song, this record is "The BOMB". The cuica player of this band is rough and ready and the choral singing here is super outstanding. The engineers over there at RCA Victor are Albert Einstein brilliant. So says my ear.

Antônio Carlos & Jocafi - Ossos do Oficio [1975 RCA Victor] 320 kbps - 128 mb

Another fantastic outing by the duo of Antônio Carlos & Jocafi. 1975 finds this team in fine form. The rapport between these artists & the RCA Victor studios is a such a delight. These artists are the height of Brasilian Pop and they're beautifully adorned by the engineers at RCA Victor. Listen for the clarity of recording here. The bass work & choral singing are spectacular.
12 songs in 30 minutes is quite a feat! The pacing & quality are outstanding on this set. Friends of this page who enjoy a nice mid-70's example of MPB will find much to enjoy here. This one goes out to my DJ friend Paul who loves to snatch up these lovely pieces of vinyl before they disappear from God's good Earth. Get this Paul. More then enough RCA goodness here to make this worth your purchase. This sounds great with headphones! Thank you Zecalouro of Loronix for this lovely share. I'll host this, since Loronix seems to be no more. R.I.P. Loronix.

P.S. There are some serious clues about Pop excellence abounding in this era of recording. Listen to not just the warmth of the bass guitar, but the depth, clarity, tempo & agility of the pace setting of the bass playing. Another clue is the depth of fidelity on an instrument like the cuica. You really have to know how to record to get all of these non electric instruments to sound good. Such is the genius of RCA Victor!
Has anyone heard anything by these artist from 1976 or 1977?