FLORA PURIM - Perpetual Emotion (2001) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

For those who thought that despite recording, Flora Purim's musical career went out the window with her prison term in the early '90s, or, worse, at the end of 1970s jazz-world fusion boom, think again. Perpetual Emotion is the strongest recording Ms. Purim's monumental talent has given us since 1975's 500 Miles High. Accompanied by life partner and collaborator percussionist Airto Moreira, saxophonist Gary Meek, pianist Christian Jacob, bassist Trey Henry, and acoustic guitarist Oscar Castro Neves, and producer Dom Comardella, Purim has selected material that showcases the ease and flow of a voice that contains within it the passion of Brazil and the airiness of a spring day. Some of those selections, such as Cesar Mariano's "Saudade," offer the deep melancholy of looking back to places you can never again visit and reveal within them the sweeter memories they hold. Chris Jacob's piano leads the way trough the tune and strips it of any false "exotic" artifice. It's a jazz ballad with a Brazilian melody and rhythm, eased through the gates by Moreira's easy touch and a flowing bassline by Henry. On "Fotographia" by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Purim takes the tune, which has been recorded literally hundreds of times, to its folksy essence and makes of it a song that is neither jazz nor samba, but a tome of memory and longing. The highlight of the album is the revisiting of Chick Corea's and Neville Potter's "Crystal Silence." While the song had been in Purim's early repertoire as an improvisation, a wordless melody, because she had not known -- even though she had been part of Corea's Return to Forever -- that the tune had words all along. Her feeling for the original is fierce and moving; it flows from her like a river of feeling and motion, it offers the notion of seeing with new eyes that which has been present all along. Her interpretive voice has never sounded stronger, and her band is understated enough to let it come freely through the mix while providing her with musical challenges to rise to. Perpetual Emotion is the album Purim's been promising to deliver her entire career. Let us hope that this is the first of many like it to come.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1     San Francisco River 4:57
Airto Moreira / Flora Purim
2     My Ship 4:12
Ira Gershwin / Kurt Weill
3     Escape 4:12
Flora Purim
4     Saudade 3:02
Flora Purim
5     Crystal Silence 6:17
Chick Corea / Neville Potter
6     Flora and Airto 5:00
Flora Purim
7     Fotografia 6:54
Ray Gilbert / Antônio Carlos Jobim
8     Journey to Eden 5:18
Flora Purim
9     Search for Peace 6:07
Flora Purim / McCoy Tyner
10     Airto's Jazz Dance 4:06
Flora Purim
11     Carinhoso 3:52
Pixinguinha / Flora Purim
Credits :
Acoustic Bass – Trey Henry
Acoustic Guitar – Oscar Castro-Neves
Drums, Percussion – Airto Moreira
Piano – Christian Jacob
Saxophone, Bass, Clarinet, Flute – Gary Meek
Vocals – Flora Purim 

FLORA PURIM - Speak No Evil (2003) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Two realities are abundantly clear from listening to this Brazilian songstress legend's latest mix of standards and originals -- she swings magnificently with great jazz company (including her husband, percussion legend Airto Moreira) and she's far more emotionally effective singing in her native Portuguese than in her heavily accented English. Her phrasing is solid on classics like "You Go To My Head" and the samba flavored "I've Got You Under My Skin," but her thick accent keeps the ears distracted somewhat from the message her heart seeks to convey. Fortunately, on these and other English language tunes by Don Grusin, Wayne Shorter and the vastly underrated L.A. keyboardist/songwriter Bill Cantos, she's surrounded by bandmates that propel her to great heights. On the opener "This Magic," that includes Moreira's jamming with flutist Gary Meek and members of The Yellowjackets. The same crowd turns "Speak No Evil" into a similarly wild trad-jazz affair. But compare her strained vocals on those tracks with her effortless vocal magic on Brazilian classics like "Tamanco no Samba" and "O Sonho" and the distinction between mere very good and close to perfection is clear. Another gem is the samba-lite tune written by Airto and Yutaka Yokokura, "Primeira Estrela," which rolls along on the strength of Purim's vocal harmonies with Yutaka and Oscar Castro Neves' beautiful acoustic guitar. To truly speak no musical evil, Purim should concentrate on mas Portugues. by Jonathan Widran  
Tracklist :
1     This Magic 5:06
Don Grusin
2     You Go to My Head 3:54
J. Fred Coots / Haven Gillespie
3     Speak No Evil (All for One) 5:13
Wayne Shorter
4     I've Got You Under My Skin 2:52
Cole Porter
5     Tamanco No Samba 5:05
Orlann Divo
6     Don't Say a Word 6:28
Bill Cantos
7     Primeira Estrela 5:01
Airto Moreira / Yutaka Yokokura
8     It Ain't Necessarily So 5:22
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
9     I Feel You 4:37
Bill Cantos
10     O Sonho (Moon Dreams) 6:39
Egberto Gismonti / Chummy MacGregor
Credits :
Jimmy Branley - Percussion
Gary Brown - Bass
Bill Cantos - Arranger, Composer, Keyboards
Oscar Castro-Neves - Arranger, Guitar (Acoustic), Keyboards
Russell Ferrante - Arranger, Keyboards
Jimmy Haslip, Trey Henry - Bass
Christian Jacob - Keyboards
Gary Meek - Arranger, Clarinet, Clarinet (Bass), Flute, Producer, Sax (Alto), Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
Airto Moreira - Composer, Drums, Percussion, Vocals (Background)
Flora Purim - Voices
Michito Sánchez - Percussion
Yutaka Yokokura - Arranger, Assistant Engineer, Composer, Keyboards, Producer, Vocal Treatments 

FLORA PURIM - Flora's Song (2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Throughout Flora's Song, the veteran Brazilian singer Flora Purim is heard in prime form. The ten compositions fit her style well; she swings in her own fashion and puts plenty of feeling into her vocals. In addition, there are many fine solos along the way, with the standouts including Harvey Wainapel's flute solo on "Flora's Song" and the steel drums of Andy Narrell on "E Precisa Perdoar" and "Forbidden Love." Whether any of the songs eventually become standards is open to question, but they are welcome additions to Flora Purim's repertoire. This is her most rewarding recording in several years, and she sounds quite happy throughout the excellent set. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Las Olas 6:57
Diana Moreira Booker / Jaco Pastorius / Flora Purim
2     Less Than Lovers
Diana Moreira Booker / Lynne Earls
3     This Is Me 4:53
Diana Moreira Booker / Krishna Booker
4     Flora's Song 9:19
Flora Purim
5     É Preciso Perdoar 4:08
Carlos Coqueijo / Aleyvando Luz    
6     Silvia 6:25
Airto Moreira
7     Forbidden Love 4:46
Diana Moreira Booker / Andy Narell
8     Anjo de Mim 4:28
Ivan Lins / Vitor Martins
9     Lua Cheia 5:58
Diana Moreira Booker / Lynne Earls
10     Anjo Do Amor 4:48
Toninho Horta / Flora Purim
Credits :
Diana Moreira Booker - Arranger, Composer, Vocal Arrangement, Vocals (Background)
Krishna Booker - Arranger, Beat Box, Composer, Keyboard Programming, Vocals (Background)
Jimmy Branly -     Drums, Timbales
Gary Brown - Bass
Grecco Buratto - Guitar
Adam Camardella - Vocals (Background)
Dori Caymmi - Guitar (Acoustic)
Andre De Santanna - Bass
George Duke - Piano
Mark Egan - Bass, Bass Instrument
Rob Gardner - Vocals (Background)
Reggie Hamilton - Bass
Giovanni Hidalgo - Congas
Christian Jacob - Arranger, Piano
Gary Meek - Flute, Flute (Alto)
Airto Moreira - Audio Production, Composer, Drums, Percussion, Producer, Vocals (Background)
Andy Narell - Arranger, Composer, Keyboards, Steel Pan
José Neto - Guitar
Flora Purim - Audio Production, Composer, Producer, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Marcos Silva -     Arranger, Keyboards
Harvey Wainapel - Saxophone