Guilherme Coutinho

Guilherme Coutinho e Seu Conjunto - Procura-Se Chantecler CMGS-9040 (1971)

Here's another genre blurring recording courtesy organist Guilherme Coutinho. A mammoth melange of groovy, funky club tunes just ripe for dancing. Infectious samba flavoured afro-latin cuts give way to funky breakbeats and easy jazzy ballads, all in all a little known and catchy tour de force. Miss this one at your peril...

Joining Guilherme on piano & organ are Fernando on drums & percussion, Tangerina on bass and the soulful vocals of José Carlos and Walter Bandeira.

1) Saravá Babalorixá
2) Faléncia
3) Tributo A Mim Mesmo
4) Adios, Guadalajara
5) Vai Lá
6) Crepúsculo
7) Papa Jimmy
8) Vira Bróto
9) Trepadeira
10) Bar Do Parque
11) Baby
12) Belo Kid

Mike Nock Underground

Mike Nock Underground - Between Or Beyond MPS/BASF CRM 722 (1970)

Mike Nock has long been one of the top modern jazz keyboardists to emerge from New Zealand. He began taking piano lessons from his father when he was 11 and began gigging four years later and at 18 moved to Australia. After heading a trio that toured England in 1961, Nock went to the U.S. to attend the Berklee College of Music. After a year he dropped out of school to be the house pianist at a Boston club and had opportunities to work with Coleman Hawkins, Pee Wee Russell, Phil Woods and Sam Rivers among many others. Nock gained some recognition during this period as a member of Yusef Lateef's band (1963-65). He led his own combos, gigged for a short period with the Jazz Messengers and eventually moved to San Francisco where he worked with John Handy.


During 1968-70 Nock was involved with fusion, leading the seminal jazz-rock group The Fourth Way. After a few years he became a studio musician in New York (1975-85) and then returned to Australia where he has been busy as both an educator (teaching at the N.S.W. Conservatorium of Music) and as a musician, occasionally revisiting the U.S. As a leader, Nock recorded as early as 1960 (Move which was recorded in Australia) and has made records for Capitol (with the Fourth Way), MPS & Improvising Artists (in a band called Almanac).

This album, recorded in the legendary MPS Studio Villingen features Mike Nock on piano & electric piano, Ron McClure on electric bass and Eddie Marshall on drums in a funky, spacey, modal jazz groove. One of the toughest to find from the Saba/MPS/BASF stable.

1) Outfall
2) The Squire
3) Hobgoblin
4) Between Or Beyond
5) Space Bugaloo
6) Lady Love
7) Wax Planet
8) Denim Dance

Peru's Bossa 70

Bossa 70 - Bossa 70 Philips 6350-003 (Peru) (1970)

Bossa 70 was the brainchild of Nilo Espinoza, a Peruvian musician with a Brazilian heart. Nilo, a classically trained musician, was the top flute player in Peru in 1960. In 1961 he was honored with a scholarship to Austria to study advance classes of his instrument as well as other kinds of wind instruments. He lived in Europe for five years. It was during that time that he developed a profound attraction for all forms of the jazz language.

When he returned to Peru, in 1966, Nilo approached the best musicians he could find to form a group to play jazz and Bossa-nova, the new music craze from Brazil. Very soon they found out there were not too many followers for their preferred musical styles. The group decided to play popular dance music on a part time basis so everyone in the band could make a living. They named the group Los Hilton's, because they got a gig as the house band in the best International Hotel in Lima, Peru, called "Hilton".

They had several singers during the time they played at the Hilton. This was their major weakness, since it was hard to find a singer that could feel comfortable singing jazz and Bossa-nova as well as popular music. In 1967 they recorded an long-play under the name Los Hilton's, which became extremely rare, since the Peruvian record label printed only 200 copies. The tracks on the album are a compilation of original compositions with some popular songs, played in The Hilton' s style.

In 1968 the group got busy giving concerts of jazz and Bossa nova. They decided to change their name to Bossa 70, to reflect the musical style they were going to offer, specially after their main singer was replaced by Carmen Rosa Basurco. Carmen Rosa was a beautiful black woman that could sing in English, Portuguese and Spanish, and also had an electrifying personality with good control of audiences. As a means to promote their new name the group recorded a mini-lp with four fantastic songs. 100 copies were pressed and giving as a prize during the concerts and to personal friends and family.

In 1970, to commemorate the anniversary of the band, they recorded a long-play for Phillips, represented by El Virrey in Peru. The label pressed 300 copies that were sold quickly. In 1972 the members followed their own musical paths, Enrique "Pico" Ego Aguirre, leader of Los Shain' s went on to form the band Pax. Otto De Rojas played keyboards on the Traffic Sound "Tibbet's Suzetts" album & finally Nilo Espinoza formed Nil's Jazz Ensemble who went on to record the only great jazz funk lp from Peru (MAG-LPN 2535).

Nilo Espinoza: Sax, Flute & Vocals
Enrique Sescun: Trumpet,Trombone & Vocals
Carmen Rosa Basurco: First Female
Otto De Rojas: Progressive Keyboard & Chorus
Roberto Rafaeli: Bass & Chorus
Tito Cruz: Drums & Percussion
Enrique "Pico" Ego Aguirre: First Electric Guitar & Rhythm Guitar
Manuel Marañon: Percussion
Adolfo Bonariva: Timbales & Cowbell

1) Nubes
2) Get Out Of My Way
3) Te Quiero Bien
4) Think
5) Nunca Te Olvidare
6) No Sabes Nada De Mi
7) Me Quedo Con El Shingaling
8) Otra Vez
9) Birimbao
10) Cuelgalo Bien Alto

African Voodoo

Manu Dibango - African Voodoo PSI PSI-3036 (1972)

It is almost impossible to find a fitting description for a musician such as Manu Dibango who has made such an enormous contribution to African music as a whole. He is a saxophonist, nicknamed 'The lion of Cameroon'.

Originally trained in classical piano, his musical career began in Brussels and Paris in the 1950s. 1960 finds him in Congo as a member of African Jazz led by Joseph Kabasele (Le Grand Kalle)! He formed his own band in Cameroon in 1963, moving to Paris in 1965. His international breakthrough came in 1972 with Soul Makossa.

Manu Dibango is extraordinarily versatile, having played almost every style of music you care to mention: soul, reggae, jazz, blues and even this rare French library album on PSI. Forget what you know about the man for this one, considered by some as not only one of his finest albums but one of the strongest unreleased library LPs ever recorded. There's real strength in depth with many stand out tracks blurring the boundaries between Afro-Latin jazz, funk and fusion - a wonderful eclectic listen from start to finish.

1) Groovy Flute
2) Soul Saxes Meeting
3) African Pop Session
4) Walking To Waza
5) Out Of Score
6) Ba-Kuba
7) Zoom 2000
8) Aphrodite Shake
9) Wilderness
10) Jungle Riders
11) Iron Wood
12) Coconut

Central Do Brasil

Ronie & Central Do Brasil -S/T Tapecar LP-X.27 1975

Ronie Mesquita is most known for his stint as the replacement drummer of Bossa Tres, the group led by the great Luis Carlos Vinhas. Tempted by the lures of the bossa nova boom in America, and partly to escape the newly installed, US funded military regime, he along with many of his contemporaries went abroad to ply their trade. Playing in groups such as Gemini 5 & Bossa Rio (Sergio Mendes' b-group), he toured religiously covering the US, Mexico and Japan.

Returning home in the early 70's, he was at a crossroad. The demand for trios were at an all time low, safe dinner music was out. The underground was bubbling, with Tropicalia amongst the hottest of topics with his fellow musicians. The extensive travel partaken by said musicians had opened their eyes to many genres of music, and in turn seeped into their creative output.

Feeling ready to step out from the shadows of a decade long sideman, he returned home to assemble a crew of rotating musicans called Central Do Brasil. This lp being the 2nd release of his frontman career after the immortal "Bresil 72" of the the same year. It has elements of his samba jazz drumming roots, but peppered with a contemporary hint of soul with vocal arrangements by Octavio & Sonia Burnier of Burnier & Cartier fame.

Featuring: Ronie Mesquita (drums/percussion); Jorjão (electric piano); Decio Cardoso (bass);Zé Carlos (flute,tenor sax); Octavio Burnier (guitar); Jayme Luiz, Loawa Braz (vocals); Sonia Burnier, Raymundo Bittencourt (chorus); Chacau (Percussion)

1) Remelexo
2) Atoa, Atoa
3) Albatroz
4) Você Não Ser
5) Falsa Baiana
6) Visgo De Jaca
7) Somente O Samba
8) Madeira De Lei
9) Deus Te Acompanhe
10) Essa Maré

Big Parada

Formiga e Sua Orquestra - Big Parada Elenco ME-59 (1970)

Lots of cool Brasilian funkiness courtesy the legendary trombonista Formiga. One of the harder Elenco pressings to find, this LP features covers of the day done to a backdrop of blaring horns, organ, electric guitar and fat drums. Enjoy...

1) Pout-Pourri: I'm A Man - Looky, Looky
2) Teletema
3) Spinning Wheel
4) Chi Non Lavora Non Fa l'Amore
5) Pout-Pourri: Superstar - I've Been Hurt - My Pledge Of Love
6) Pout-Pourri: Smile A Little Smile For Me - Yester-Me Yester-You Yesterday - Everybody's Takin'
7) Hey Jude
8) Midnight Cowboy
9) Sugar Sugar
10) Pout-Pourri: Maquiagem - Take It Easy My Brother Charles - Pena Verde - Cara A Cara

O Grupo

O Grupo - O Grupo Odeon MOFB-3533 (1968)

Here's the rare debut album by O Grupo featuring a young Jayme Além of 'Jayme & Nair' fame. Truly gorgeous harmonising by this vocal quartet and a beautiful listen all the way through.

Stellar production talent in the form of Antonio Adolfo, Nelsinho & Ugo Marotta lend this recording some real class.

1) Alegria De Carnaval
2) Januaria
3) Passa Por Mim
4) Pelas Ruas Do Recife
5) Rosa Branca
6) O Bonde
7) Sa Marina
8) Eu E A Brisa
9) Morrer De Amor
10) Travessia
11) Diane
12) Maria, Carnaval E Cinzas