V.A. - The Rough Guide To The Music Of The Andes (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

One of the greatest things about the Rough Guide series is the incredible diversity that they try to pack into the albums. Every style that the producers can find in a region will find its way onto the album in question. This is no exception to the rule. An album of music from Chile, Peru, and the whole of the ancient Incan territories, this one has plenty of the panpipe playing that people recognize as Andean. It also has slightly newer introductions to the Andean scene, such as charangos (a lute like instrument made from the shell of an armadillo). More striking are the newest additions, the nuevo cancion, a "new song," tied in with the politics of revolution in Chile. Guitars and newer vocals were added, and the performers doubled as political rallying points, lobbyists, and rebels (Victor Jara, here on track 17, was actually tortured and murdered during the course of a revolution as a political prisoner). On top of all this, the great world diva Susana Baca makes an appearance as well, showcasing her talent as a vocalist. For someone interested in the full range of music from the Andes, this would be a great starting point. For those that have already tuned into a given sector of the music, other options may present themselves as superior. by Adam Greenberg  
Tracklist:
1 Savia Andina – Tempestad 3:01
2 Los Kjarkas – Puedo Vivir Sin Tu Amor 4:04
3 Emma Junaro – De Regresso 5:11
4 Rumillajta – Atahuallpa 4:44
5 Eddy Navia – Daniela Soledad 3:57
Written-By – Eddy Navia
6 Inti Illimani – El Hacha 5:24
7 Ernesto Cavour – Leño Verde 2:34
Written-By – Ernesto Cavour
8 William E. Centellas – Chaquiras De Luz 3:30
Written-By – William E. Centellas
9 Nelly Enriqueta Ulloa Mealla – Me Querido Potosi (Si Supieras)    3:20
10 Awatiñas – Quirquinchos De Corazón 4:34
11 Fernando Jimenez – Virgenes Del Sol 3:16
12 Jenny Cárdenas – Jallalla 4:00
13 Susana Baca – Maria Lando 5:37
14 Picaflor De Los Andes – Un Pasajero En Tu Camino 2:37
15 Orquesta Los Tarumas De Tarma – Alianza Corazón 2:35
16 Sukay – Conception 3:48
Written-By – Eddy Navia, Gabriel
17 Victor Jara – Te Recuerdo Amanda 2:33
Written-By – Victor Jara

V.A. - The Rough Guide To The Music Of The Andes : Bolivia (2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

If you thought the music of the Andes was all pan pipes and funny little guitars and melancholy songs about condors, think again. This very fine collection of music from Bolivia focuses on performers from La Paz, the country's largest city, and it showcases a fascinating variety of sounds. It opens with "El Guajojo" by Esther Marisol, who sings in a sweetly rich alto voice and whose music is typified by an elegant, almost decorous mood that falls somewhere between fado and samba. A similar delicacy informs Zulma Yugar's "El Transnochador," a lovely song accompanied by those flutes and double-strung guitars (called charangos) that you're used to hearing. Also noteworthy are the lurching and horn-heavy (wait for it -- the horns come in about halfway through) "En el Funeral del Rio" by Luis Rico and the sumptuously beautiful "Añoranzas" by the all-female conjunto folklorico Grupo Bolivia. Everything on this richly diverse album is worth hearing, with the possible exception of the poorly recorded and halfheartedly performed "Dalia Morada" by Enriqueta Ulloa. by Rick Anderson
Tracklist:
1 Esther Marisol – El Guajojo 3:22
2 Arawi – Chofercito 4:09
3 Zulma Yugar – El Trasnochador 3:32
4 Ernesto Cavour – Greda Mestiza 2:28
5 Semilla – Wistu Vida 4:29
6 Ana Cristina Cespedes – Paloma Del Alma Mia 4:33
7 Savia Andina – K'alanchito 3:36
8 Grupo Bolivia – AÑoranzas 3:31
9 Enriqueta Ulloa – Dalia Morada 3:39
10 Luis Rico – En El Funeral Del Rio 6:09
11 Luzmila Carpio – Bartolino Sisaman 3:04
12 Los Kjarkas – Senora Su Hija 2:58
13 Betty Veizaga Y El Grupo Pukaj Wayra – Ulala Kiskita 3:37
14 Grupo Aymara – Huellas De Mi Llamita 3:06
15 Emma Junaro – De Regresso 5:12
16 Rafael Arias Paz – Kaluyos Tradicionales 3:31

RICHARD GALLIANO - Nino Rota (2011) Mp3

It's hard to tell from the packaging, but these are not straight performances of melodies from Nino Rota's film scores but jazz versions of them, with French accordionist Richard Galliano in the lead role. That's not a stretch: Rota's tunes are full of dance and circus elements that need only a bit of a rhythmic push to cross over into jazz, and Galliano's group handles the transitions subtly and cleverly. Moreover, his program is beautifully sequenced and contains some marvelously odd items such as the "Il matto sul filo" (The Fool on the Wire) from La Strada, track 9. He includes a couple of famous pieces from The Godfather, including the Love Theme, which work well in two ways: the better known the piece, the more liberty Galliano can take with it melodically, and he also draws the interesting connection between Rota's Godfather music and those of his films of the 1950s with Federico Fellini, with a few tracks from the serious 1960s films Otto e mezzo (8 1/2) and La Dolce Vita as interludes. All these pieces present visions of Italian popular culture, inflected in different ways. This was Rota's genius: his music seemed simple and sentimental, but it was actually a flexible language that could comment both the attractions and the grotesque dangers of mass culture. Rota's music, some of it now almost 75 years old, has stood the test of time, and one of the marks of its greatness is that it not only can stand up to but invites a variety of treatments, such as this fine jazz reading. by James Manheim  

SÉRGIO AND ODAIR ASSAD - Latin American Music for Two Guitars (1985) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

A fascinating album of Latin and Brazillian guitar duets, it includes works by A. Piazzolla and is a feast for the ears. by Paul Kohler
Tracklist
Tango Suite for 2 guitars
1 Deciso 04:22
Astor Piazzolla
2 Andante 03:40
Astor Piazzolla
3 Allegro 06:13
Astor Piazzolla
Micropiezas (4) for 2 guitars
4 Tranquilo 01:05
Leo Brouwer
5 Allegro vivace 01:28
Leo Brouwer
6 Vivacissimo muy ritmico 00:49
Leo Brouwer
7 Sonoro 01:39
Leo Brouwer
8 Bebé 02:12
Hermeto Pascoal
Suite Retratos, for 2 guitars
9 Anacleto de Medeiros 03:37
Radamés Gnattali
10 Chiquinha Gonzaga 04:27
Radamés Gnattali
11 Recife Dos Corais, for 2 guitars 02:03
Sergio Assad
12 Valseana, for 2 guitars 01:29
Sergio Assad
13 Vitoria Regia, for 2 guitars 01:59
Sergio Assad
14 Pinote, for 2 guitars 02:03
Sergio Assad
Estancia, ballet, Op. 8
15 Idilio Crepuscular 01:41
Alberto Ginastera
Credits
Composed By – Alberto Ginastera (tracks: 15), Astor Piazzolla (tracks: 1 to 3), Hermeto Pascoal (tracks: 8), Leo Brouwer (tracks: 4 to 7), Radamés Gnattali (tracks: 9, 10), Sergio Assad (tracks: 11 to 14)
Guitar [Left Channel] – Odair Assad (tracks: 1 to 11, 13 to 15)
Guitar [Right Channel] – Sergio Assad (tracks: 1 to 11, 13 to 15)
Guitar, Soloist – Sergio Assad (tracks: 12)

SERGIO AND ODAIR ASSAD - Latin American Music for Two Guitars 

(1985) Nonesuch / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

O Púbis da Rosa

RICHARD GALLIANO - French Touch [1999]

Tango accordion has a clear icon in the late Astor Piazzolla, but these days Richard Galliano is making a strong case for being the premier jazz accordionist. He's as lyrical as one needs, swings like mad, or brings tempos down to a sensual jog with passion and soul. When called upon, he can play a gut-wrenching tango or two himself. For this effort he's joined by two different crack rhythm sections, the brilliant Jean-François Jenny-Clark and Daniel Humair (seven tracks), or the slightly cut below Remi Vignolo and Andre Ceccarelli (four tracks), bass and drums respectively. It's not hard to hear a distinctly French but improvisationally Americanized sound. The lone standard, "You Must Believe in Spring," is one of many waltzes, but this one jumps from second to fifth gear, Galliano rapidly flying through the changes. The title track is also quick, with "Augusta" more a sprightly 3/4, while "L'Envers du Décor" is an easier modal three beat. Nods to Brazilian Hermeto Pascoal are heard on his composition "Bébé" and the mallets on drums and heavy conga beat-based fanfare and theme of "Passarinho." Galliano plays his accordion and whistles in unison on both tracks. Soprano saxophonist Michel Portal swings with Galliano, Humair, and Clark on the 6/8 "J.F.," while Clark duets with Galliano on "Sanguine," which is far from bloody, more like sweet sangria. "Heavy Tango" is as it is titled -- hard-driving and no holds barred -- and there's a slow samba, "Sanfona," one of nine of Galliano's written works. Even when the swing is light, as on "Caruso," Galliano's button pushing is active, pulsing, and popping. There's much to like on this, Galliano's most engaging CD. Perhaps some will beg for more variation, like the Portal cut. But these rhythm sections, especially Europe's finest Clark and Humair, push Galliano's artistry to greater heights, providing the listener with a unique experience in a jazz and even more so in a world music context. Highly recommended. by William Ruhlmann   
Tracklist:
1 Bébé 3:22
Hermeto Pascoal
2 A French Touch 3:08
Richard Galliano
3 J.F. 6:31
Richard Galliano
4 Caruso 3:33
Lucio Dalla
5 Heavy Tango 4:04
Richard Galliano
6 Sanguine 3:51
Richard Galliano
7 Augusta 5:21
Richard Galliano
8 You Must Believe in Spring 4:19
Alan Bergman / Marilyn Bergman / Jacques Demy / Michel Legrand
9 Passarinho 2:25
Richard Galliano / Dudu Tucci
10 Sanfona 3:09
Richard Galliano / Egberto Gismonti
11 L 'Envers du Décor 4:24
Richard Galliano
12 Tacot Blues 3:25
Richard Galliano / Daniel Humair
Credits
Accordion – Richard Galliano
Acoustic Guitar – Jean-Marie Ecay (tracks: 1, 10)
Double Bass – Jean-François Jenny Clark (tracks: 2 to 4, 6, 7, 11, 12),
                     –  Rémi Vignolo (tracks: 1, 5, 8, 10)
Drums – André Ceccarelli (tracks: 1, 5, 8, 10), Daniel Humair (tracks: 2 to 4, 7, 9, 11, 12)

RICHARD GALLIANO - French Touch 

[1999] Dreyfus Jazz / CBR320k / scans

O Púbis da Rosa