Various Artists - Blue Brazil: Blue Note in a Latin Groove (1999)

BRAZIL WEEK (FEBRUARY 4-10, 2013)

A great compilation that shows there's more to Brazilian jazz than just bossa nova. Once you get past the cheesy Carmen Miranda illustration on the cover, there's an eclectic collection inside. The 17 tracks here were originally released between 1965-1980. These (formerly) rare cuts are a combination of jovem guarda, bossa nova, samba, and MPB with African, European and Indian influences. As correctly stated in this review, this is the "first collection for serious Brazilian jazz lovers compiled by Brazilian jazz lovers." Great stuff. There were two subsequent volumes in the Blue Brazil series, but unfortunately, I haven't come across those yet. Even though it was a strong reissue compilation series, Blue Note's Blue Series went out of print rather quickly so grab one if you see one. Highly recommended.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart:  Did not chart

Tracks:

Artist	Song	Year
Luiz Arruda Paes	Upa Neguinho	1968
Alaide Costa	Catavento	1976
Mandrake Som	Berimbau	1975
Quartet Novo	Vim De Santana	1967
Pery Ribeiro/Bossa 3	Deus Brasiliero	1965
Milton Banana Trio	Primitivo	1965
Milton Banana Trio	Noa Noa	1965
Edu Lôbo	Viola Fora De Moda	1973
Bossa 3	Não Me Diga Adeus	1966
Marcos Valle	Batucada Sergiu	1968
Joyce	Aldeia De Ogum	1980
Lô Borges	Tudo Que Você Podia Ser	1979
Som Três	Homenagem A Mongo	1979
Elza Soares	Deixa Isso Prá La	1968
Quarteto Novo	Misturada	1967
Eumir Deodato	Bebê	1972
Johnny Alf	Um Tema P'Ro Simon	1974

Not a stinker in the bunch. My favorites are Catavento by Alaide Costa, Deus Brasiliero by Perry Ribeiro and Bossa 3, Viola Fora De Moda by Edu Lobo, and Aldeia De Ogum by Joyce. That latter track alone is worth the price of the CD IMO. Now that I'm reacquainted with that track, it's a safe bet I'll be purchasing a Joyce CD in the near future.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Capitol Rare: Funky Notes From The West Coast (1999)
Capitol Rare: Funky Notes From The West Coast, Vol. 2 (1999)
Blue Bossa, Vol. 2: Cool Cuts from the Tropics (1999)