AIRTO MOREIRA - Fingers (1973-2002) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The 1970s were banner years for Airto Moreira -- not only because of his association with Chick Corea's Return to Forever and his work on wife Flora Purim's Milestone dates, but also, because of the generally superb work he did under Creed Taylor's supervision at CTI from 1972-74. One of the five-star gems that the Brazilian percussionist recorded for CTI was Fingers, which employs Purim on percussion and vocals, David Amaro on guitar, Hugo Fattoruso on keyboards and harmonica, Jorge Fattoruso on drums and Ringo Thielmann on electric bass. Produced by Taylor and recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's famous New Jersey studio, this LP demonstrates just how exciting and creative 1970s fusion could be. When Moreira and his colleagues blend jazz with Brazilian music, rock and funk on such cuts as "Wind Chant," "Tombo in 7/4" and "Romance of Death," the results are consistently enriching. Fingers is an album to savor.  by Alex Henderson
Tracklist
1    Fingers (El Rada)    4:30
Ruben Rada / Eduardo Uzeta
2    Romanca Of Death    5:35
Hugo Fattoruso
3    Merry-Go-Round    2:40
Airto Moreira / Flora Purim
4    Wind Chant    5:45
Hugo Fattoruso
5    Parana    6:00
Hugo Fattoruso
6    San Francisco River    4:05
Flora Purim
7    Tombo In 7/4    6:20
Airto Moreira
Credits
Acoustic Guitar, Guitar [Electric], Guitar [12 String] – David Amaro
Bass, Vocals – Ringo Thielmann
Drums, Vocals – Jorge Fattoruso
Keyboards, Harmonica, Vocals – Hugo Fattoruso
Percussion, Drums, Vocals – Airto
Percussion, Vocals – Flora Purim

FLORA PURIM - Open Your Eyes You Can Fly (1976-2000) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As an original member of Chick Corea's group Return to Forever, Purim subsequently drew praise as a solo act. Recording for the jazz label Milestone since 1973, Purim's sensual and strong voice was singular enough to withstand the pitfalls that hampered the work of many Latin jazz fusion artists. Open Your Eyes You Can Fly represents a commercial breakthrough, and has the artist again supplemented by adventurous players and top-notch songwriting. The best of the three Chick Corea tracks is the title song. With it's emotive and stinging guitar solo from David Amaro, it features Purim at her most accessible and charming. The remake of "Sometime Ago" has one of Corea's more accessible melodies, as Purim turns in one of her more sweet and fulfilling vocals. The melodic and soothing "San Francisco River" has the artist writing solely with frequent Corea collaborator Neville Potter on the evocative track. Despite the great work here, Open Your Eyes You Can Fly, lacks consistency. But with the great talents assembled and great voice, it's easy to overlook that fact. Hermeto Pascoal's "Andei (I Walked)" has a great synthesizer solo from George Duke and a flute solo from Pascoal. "Ina's Song (Trip to Bahia)" features Purim singing in Portuguese, starting off slow but then enlivened by her passion filled vocalizations. Produced by jazz producer Orrin Keepnews, this features the artist more lucid and joyful than some of her other work. For the reason it is recommended. by Jason Elias  
Tracklist
1 Open Your Eyes You Can Fly 4:29
Backing Vocals – David Amaro, Flora, George Duke, Hermeto Pascoal
Drums – Ndugu (Leon Chancler)
Electric Bass – Alphonso Johnson
Electric Guitar – David Amaro
Electric Piano – George Duke
Percussion – Airto Moreira
Soloist – Amaro
Written-By – Corea, Potter
2 Time's Lie 5:09
Drums – Ndugu (Leon Chancler)
Electric Bass, Acoustic Bass – Alphonso Johnson
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – David Amaro
Electric Piano, Synthesizer [ARP String Ensemble] – George Duke
Flute – Hermeto Pascoal
Percussion – Airto Moreira
Soloist – Pascoal, Ndugu
Written-By – Corea, Potter
3 Sometime Ago 4:44
Congas – Laudir De Oliveira
Drums – Ndugu (Leon Chancler)
Electric Bass – Alphonso Johnson
Electric Piano, Synthesizer [ARP String Ensemble] – George Duke
Flute – Hermeto Pascoal
Percussion – Airto Moreira
Soloist – Amaro, Pascoal
Written-By – Corea, Potter
4 San Francisco River 4:06
Acoustic Bass – Ron Carter
Acoustic Guitar – Egberto Gismonti
Arranged By – Egberto Gismonti, Hermeto
Drums – Robertinho Silva
Electric Bass – Alphonso Johnson
Electric Guitar – David Amaro
Flute [Duet] – Pascoal
Flute, Electric Piano – Hermeto Pascoal
Percussion – Airto Moreira
Synthesizer [Duet], Synthesizer [Moog] – Duke
Written-By – Purim, Potter
5 Andei (I Walked) 6:11
Arranged By – Hermeto
Clavinet, Synthesizer [Moog] – George Duke
Drums, Berimbau – Robertinho Silva
Electric Bass – Alphonso Johnson
Electric Guitar – David Amaro
Flute, Electric Piano – Hermeto Pascoal
Percussion – Airto Moreira
Soloist, Flute – Amaro, Pascoal
Soloist, Synthesizer – Duke
Vocals [Duet, Uncredited] – Airto, Flora
Written-By – Hermeto Pascoal
6.1 Ina's Song (Trip To Bahia) 3:40
Arranged By – Flora Purim
Congas – Airto Moreira, Laudir De Oliveira
Drums – Robertinho Silva
Electric Bass, Acoustic Bass – Alphonso Johnson
Electric Guitar – David Amaro
Percussion – Airto Moreira, Robertinho Silva
Soloist, Synthesizer [ARP Odyssey] – Duke
Synthesizer [Moog, ARP Odyssey, ARP String Ensemble] – George Duke
Written-By – Flora Purim
6.2 Transition 0:34
Arranged By – Flora Purim
Electric Piano, Synthesizer [String Ensemble] – George Duke
Percussion – Airto Moreira, Robertinho Silva
Soloist, Synthesizer [ARP Odyssey] – Duke
Written-By – Moreira, Duke
7 Conversation 2:34
Acoustic Bass – Alphonso Johnson
Arranged By – Hermeto
Drums, Percussion – Airto Moreira, Airto Moreira
Electric Guitar – David Amaro
Electric Piano – Hermeto Pascoal
Synthesizer [ARP String Ensemble, Moog] – George Duke
Written-By – Hermeto Pascoal
Medley
8.1 White Wing (aka Asa Branca) 1:40
Electric Piano – Hermeto Pascoal
Written-By – Teixeira, Gonzaga
8.2 Black Wing 4:09
Acoustic Bass – Ron Carter
Acoustic Guitar – Egberto Gismonti
Acoustic Guitar [12-String] – David Amaro
Arranged By – Hermeto
Drums, Berimbau, Percussion – Airto Moreira
Electric Bass – Alphonso Johnson, Alphonso Johnson
Electric Piano, Flute, Harpsichord, Whistling, Percussion [7-UP Bottles] – Hermeto Pascoal
Percussion, Berimbau – Robertinho Silva
Soloist, Harpsichord, Whistling – Pascoal
Vocals [Duet] – Airto, Flora
Written-By – Purim, Pascoal

HERMETO PASCOAL - Slave Mass (1977) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Not strictly a jazz album in the strict sense (it was originally issued as part of the Masters of MPB on LP in 1977), Slaves Mass has strong compositional themes among its seven tracks. The maestro Hermeto Pascoal plays everything from flutes, soprano saxophone, guitar, Fender Rhodes, acoustic piano and clavinet on this set, and enlists help from Ron Carter, Airto, Flora Purim, Raul DeSouza, David Maro and others. "Mixing Pot," is the opener and an anomaly in that it is a vanguard fusion tune where Pascoal really digs in and improvises. It also features the only appearance on this set of Alphonso Johnson on electric bass. In "Missa Dos Escravos," the title track, Pascoal's emblematic pig gives his first growls in a song dominated by Brazilian Indian references. Wonderfully and intricately composed, it centers around folk tropes. "Chorinho Para Ele" is a beautiful and modern choro with a somewhat challenging glissando bridge that really proposed new directions for the traditional genre. "Aquela Valsa" is a beautiful six/eight theme that turns into a samba with a beautiful trombone solo by DeSouza. "Cannon" is an utterly improvisational piece that meanders and winds around Pascoal's flute solo. Atonalism dominates the piano solo in "Escuta Meu Piano," which also presents bits and pieces of different styles (like baião) and folk songs. Hot samba improvisation is found in "Geléia de Cereja," that slips and slides through a variety of schema and dynamic changes without much internal focus, but it is a compelling bit of creative anarchy nonetheless in that it displays Pascoal's full range of restless musical and textural impulses -- as well as a beautiful soprano solo. Slaves Mass was finally issued on CD by Collectables in the United States in 2005. by Alvaro Neder   
Tracklist
1 Mixing Pot [Tacho] 9:18
Hermeto Pascoal
2 Slave Mass [Missa Dos Escravos] 4:19
 Hermeto Pascoal
3 Little Cry for Him [Chorinho Pra Ele] 2:11
 Hermeto Pascoal
4 Cannon [Dedicated to Cannonball Adderley] 5:20
 Hermeto Pascoal
5 Just Listen [Escuta Meu Piano] 7:08
 Hermeto Pascoal
6 That Waltz [Aquela Valsa] 2:46
 Hermeto Pascoal
7 Cherry Jam [Geleia De Cereja] 11:45
 Hermeto Pascoal
Bonus Tracks
8 Open Field [Campo Aberto] 4:25
 Hermeto Pascoal
9 Pica Pau [Take 1] 14:20
 Hermeto Pascoal
10 Star Trap (Part 2) 15:45
 Hermeto Pascoal
Credits
Acoustic Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Airto Moreira, Chester Thompson (tracks: 1)
Electric Bass – Alphonso Johnson (tracks: 1)
Flute – Hermeto Pascoal
Guitar – David Amaro
Keyboards – Hermeto Pascoal
Percussion – Airto Moreira (tracks: 2)
Producer – Airto Moreira, Flora Purim
Soprano Saxophone, Acoustic Guitar – Hermeto Pascoal
Trombone – Raul De Souza
Vocals – Flora Purim

 HERMETO PASCOAL - Slave Mass (1977) 

(2006, Warner-Japan) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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