Linha Rolando para a Música Brasileiro 2006

I've already discussed this elsewhere, but this is the most amazing music I've heard this year. It's big band jazz but it's not, it's got choro and samba roots but it's also Third Stream neo-classical but it's hardly scripted, I mean it is (by middle-aged bandleader Itibirê Zwarg, and that's the best name of the year), but it's also improvisational (20-piece band of teenagers and 20-year-olds), songs mutate suddenly but also organically, lots of "ba-ba-ba" vocals like it's the 5th Dimension or something, also trombone solos, string quartet pieces; each song is named after a different band member's birthday so they're impossible to keep straight in the mind without looking at the booklet, which is intense and has the melody for each piece scribbled down; lots of guest dada-ist harmonica by Hermano Pessoa, who is insane. I am blown away each time. Also, it's a double-CD album that only barely repeats itself.

At first you think it's smooth jazz / neo-bossa / choro, with nice flute playing and acoustic guitar melodies -- but then you realize they're changing keys every few seconds, and that some of the improvisation is actually some pretty amazing high-wire stuff. Gets kind of sappy sometimes ("Amandy (Dia de Chuva)", frinstance), but extra points for sounding a lot like 70s / 80s slow-jamm pop without lyrics.

Choro quartet with two amazing guitar players and the world's best pandeirista, Roberta Valente, who beats that thing for all she's worth, which is a lot. Title translates to "Lizard Drool," so don't get it twisted, they're cool as hell. Fun but semi-adventurous too.

Did you know that (prior to this post) you're the only person on ILM who's ever mentioned Cibelle? I was really sad to discover that the other day. You should be honored.

5. Jovino Santos Neto, Roda Carioca

Rio-born pianist now based in Seattle goes back home to burn out a hot/cool set featuring wonderful cameo appearances (I was so psyched to hear Joyce on here and rushed inside from shoveling snow to make sure it was her, and it was! then more snow, ugh). There's a lot of complicated time sig stuff but it's very accessible and funky / dancey; even the bass solos are fun.

What he/she said, plz.

Swingin' big band stuff, tons of solos that give way to other solos, songs are usually very long for lots of space and ensemble passages. None of it is very radical (the way Itibirê is, for example), but it is about as smooth as Adriana Lima's skin and that is good enough for me most days.

well, with slightly deeper googling it looks like the year of compositions were in fact written by pascoal? which would make it less creepy. but hermeto is historically a pretty crazy dude so it isn't all that surprising really

7. Minas, In Rio

Two American-based musicians go down to Rio, tear up some mellow-ass but tricky bossa and choro. I thought this would be corny but it's not, it sneaks up on you like a little sibling.

I couldn't find this thread, thought it had been deleted. More to follow.

And I also heart Joyce too. "Rio Bahia" is gorgeous, as was "Hard Bossa". Just discovered her "Passharino Urbano" album from 77 too.

The Clara Moreno "Morena Bossa Nova" album is my favorite Bossa/Electronica mash-up that I've heard to date. Anything else you'd recommend in the same vein?

Also very curious about the following titles on Dusty Groove:

Peri "Samba Passarinho" Light and beautiful work from Peri -- a modern Brazilian composer, but one with all the sensitive grace of the best bossa stars from earlier years! Peri's working here in a mostly solo setting -- singing along with his acoustic guitar, in a way that echoes similar modes from Joyce, Joao Gilberto, and Baden Powell -- yet which also takes on a new sort of life thanks to Peri's personal shadings of the tunes.

Nelson Angelo "Caterete" A pretty darn great record from Brazilian singer and guitarist Nelson Angelo -- an artist we haven't heard from since his early 70s album with Joyce! Angelo clearly hasn't missed a beat in the time that's gone by -- and he's working here in a compelling mode that blends small combo instrumentation with adventurous songwriting -- but which also has lots of jazzy touches in the phrasing of the vocals and instruments. There's a lightly breezy feel to some of the best tracks -- reminding us almost of early Ivan Lins at his best -- but the album also has a more personal approach that comes through in most of Angelo's original compositions.

Anyone heard these?

8. Cabruêra, Proibido Cochilar

I have already talked about this a lot, but it's just great stuff, veering between folk-samba and indie-rock-ish stuff and dancey electronic/acoustic hybrids. It's political -- respect for the poor, the northern, the forgotten! -- but you don't have to know Portuguese to dig it. Plus, bonus points for Piranha quoting ME on the back cover!

Can a trombonist and a flautist lead a six-piece band through a whole bunch of lovely Brazilian songs, including pieces by A.C. Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes and Baden Powell, Edu Lobo, and Ary Barroso, and make it sound relaxed and sexy instead of snooze-inducing and lazy? Why, it turns out that YES THEY CAN.

Two American-based musicians go down to Rio

Is this Philadelphia's Minas? Probably not. (I thought there was a woman in that band, but it's been many years since I've checked them out.)

Haha, ILM thread deletion paranoia.

This is a great idea, Rockist. I always appreciate your threads.

Oh My God you guys this kicks so much ass. He's the Sao Paulo-based producer of Cibelle (and Andrea Marquee's completely underrated Zumbi from a few years ago, wonder what happened to her?), and he is at the forefront of making ambient bossa or Brazilian trip-hop or whatever, but he does it COOL and he uses Jose from Trio Mocoto AND LANNY GORDIN WHO PLAYED THE EFF OUT OF THE GUITAR ON A BUNCH OF OLD GILBERTO GIL RECORDS and Seu Jorge and Cibelle and a dude named Fred 04 sings sometimes. Maybe as good as the Cibelle album, maybe better. YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY!

*of Os Mutantes, duh, do try to keep up

And Cabruera's Proibido Cochilar would have been on the list, but I decided it was too 2005. BOO YOU WHORE

Satanic backmasking!

música demoníaca revertida
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oops

I'm trying to post a backwards video of Xuxa, xuxa satanica