Tag: Brazilian
This week’s BeatCaffeine Weekly Record Rundown features the latest brilliant release from London-based cosmic composer and keyboardist Greg Foat, the highly anticipated new album from São Paulo trio Caixa Cubo on Far Out Recordings, Soundway’s latest compilation diving into the exploratory sounds of Nigeria, and a memorable live session from Jeff Parker and his ETA IVtet on International Anthem.
The superb new UK-based Echo Chamber Recordings has released a white-label 7″inch” release of a brilliant cover of Airto Moreira’s jazz dancefloor classic “Samba de Flora” by the North Argentinian group Romero Bros.
Italian producer, singer, vinyl collector, DJ and music producer Mistura Pura (aka Federica Grappasonni), who’s put out a number of superb singles over the last couple of years (see ‘Vamo Vive’ 7″), has just released a couple new tracks digitally in anticipation of her forthcoming full-length album on Ubiquity Records in early 2025.
Legendary UK-based DJ and producer Chris Bangs follows-up last year’s superb My Only 7″ debut from his latest project Nova Vida with a highly-anticipated full-length release, titled Ritmo Da Vida, on London’s BDQ Records. This is also his first album since 2023’s equally impressive record, Firebird (Acid Jazz Records).
Multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer Lucas Arruda, who’s from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo (near Rio de Janeiro), has returned with his fourth and arguably best album to date for the superb French label Favorite Recordings, titled Ominira.
This Saturday, April 20th is Record Store Day 2024. I believe this international record store celebratory day has reverted back to just one day annually, which to me makes the most sense. Over the last several years, this has become the prime day in which many labels release limited-edition or never-before-released vinyl albums, singles, compilations and reissues. Sometimes it feels more like “record label day” or “new vinyl collectables day”, given how it’s evolved. While the day usually attracts many hardcore collectors, shops also often see a large influx of casual music fans and even a few that might be buying their first record. Regardless, these are all great things.
As with new music releases, 2023 was an outstanding year for reissues and previously unreleased recordings. It feels like with every great new release or artists that breaks through on the scene, there are still so many records from the past to still discover and dive into as a listener. The quality of the actual reissue releases themselves also seems to improve in time. The care and work that goes into many of these releases is astonishing and handled like the artifacts that they truly are.
Almost another year around the sun, and that means it’s that time again (hard to believe), where we revisit some of the best releases of the year. In regards of new music, 2023 was another incredible year. As always, it was admittedly extremely challenging pulling together a “best of” list, however I’m excited to have been able to expand to 40 releases, which still didn’t feel like enough. As always, I’m sure I missed a few worthy selections.
For over six decades, there has arguably not been a more pioneering duo that has brought together the sounds of Brazilian jazz, fusion, and samba more so than Airto Moreira and Flora Purim. Through their own collaborations and individual works, the legendary musical tag-team and longtime life partners have over time gained a vast global fan base that includes everything from UK’s jazz-funk and jazz dance scenes, to experimental jazz and Brazilian-rooted music fans. This month, the London-based label BBE is releasing the highly anticipated 5LP Box Set, titled A Celebration: 60 Years – Sounds, Dreams & Other Stories, highlighting some of their most notable tracks.
For over the past 30 years, the Brighton-based record shop and label Mr Bongo have been at the forefront of reissuing rare Brazilian gems from the past, from their Brazil 45 series to full-length albums, notably Arthur Verocai’s 1972 self-titled “holy grail”. Over the last month, they have recently added two more must-own releases to the list in Minas‘ 1983 private press bossa nova recording Num Dia Azul, and Mário Castro Neves and his group, Samba S. A.‘s 1967 breezy samba self-titled classic.
