TOOTS THIELEMANS - The Brasil Project (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This popular set matches the brilliant harmonica player Toots Thielemans with such top Brazilian performers as Ivan Lins, Djavan, Oscar Castro-Neves, Dori Caymmi, Ricardo Silveira, João Bosco, Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso, Luiz Bonfá, Edu Lobo and Eliane Elias, in addition to bassist Brian Bromberg, keyboardist Michael Lang, trumpeter Mark Isham and Dave Grusin. Thielemans is often in a supportive role behind the many soothing Brazilian singers and performers. The atmospheric date surprisingly does not have any Antonio Carlos Jobim songs, instead emphasizing lesser-known tunes (other than Toots' greatest hit "Bluesette"). Easily recommended to fans of Brazilian pop and jazz, this CD was soon followed by a second (and equally rewarding) set featuring many of the same performers. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Comecar de Novo 3:54
Ivan Lins / Vitor Martins
2     Obi 4:22
Djavan
3     Felicia and Bianca 2:59
Oscar Castro-Neves
4     O Cantador 4:09
Dori Caymmi / Nelson Motta
5     Joana Francesca 5:56
Chico Buarque
6     Coisa Feita 4:25
Aldir Blanc / João Bosco / Paulo Emilio
7     Preciso Aprender a So Ser 3:17
Gilberto Gil
8     Fruta Boa 5:41
Fernando Brant / Milton Nascimento
9     Coração Vagabundo 4:27
Caetano Veloso
10     Manha de Carnaval 3:27
Luiz Bonfá / Antônio Maria
11     Casa Forte 3:37
Edú Lobo
12     Moments 2:35
Eliane Elias
13     Bluesette 9:39
Norman Gimbel / Toots Thielemans
Credits :
Bass – Brian Bromberg, Jamil Joanes, Nico Assumpção
Contrabass – Marc Johnson
Drums – Teo Lima
Electric Guitar – Ricardo Silveira
Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Harmonica – Toots Thielemans
Keyboards – Gilson Peranzzetta, Mike Lang
Percussion – Cassio Duarte, Paulinho Da Costa
Performer – Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque, Djavan, Dori Caymmi, Edu Lobo, Eliane Elias, Gilberto Gil, Ivan Lins, João Bosco, Luis Bonfá, Milton Nascimento
Piano – Dave Grusin
Producer, Performer – Oscar Castro-Neves
Trumpet – Mark Isham

GUINGA - Suíte Leopoldina (2000) Mp3

Comparable to New York's Penn Station or Philadelphia's 30th Street Station, Leopoldina Station is a major train station in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Just as a New Yorker would venture to Penn Station to take a train to the suburbs of Long Island or Northern New Jersey, Leopoldina Station is where a carioca would catch a train to Rio's suburbs. By calling this CD Suite Leopoldina, Brazilian guitarist Guinga is celebrating his Rio background. All of the tunes that Guinga wrote or co-wrote for this album, recorded in late 1998 and early 1999, have a strong Rio orientation. Whether he is playing samba or choro, whether he is embracing instrumental Brazilian jazz or jazz-influenced Brazilian pop, the guitarist is consistently Rio-minded on Suite Leopoldina. And it's important to emphasize the Rio connection because carioca music is distinctive; Guinga might admire the Brazilian pop and jazz sounds coming out of Salvador or São Paulo, but this ultra-melodic CD is distinctly Rio. That is true of the album's instrumentals as well as the tracks that feature vocalists, who include Alceu Valenca, Ed Motta, and the influential Ivan Lins. Guinga's love of jazz is strong; he features harmonica player Toots Thielemans on two instrumentals ("Constance" and "Dos Anjos") and pays tribute to Charles Mingus on "Mingus Samba" (which features vocalist Lenine). Excellent from start to finish, Suite Leopoldina is enthusiastically recommended to anyone who treasures the Rio school of Brazilian jazz and pop. by Alex Henderson