Blue Brazil - Blue Note In A Latin Groove (Blue Note - 2004)

Blue Brazil - Blue Note In A Latin Groove

Blue Brazil gathers seventeen rare Brazilian songs released in the 60's and 70's on EMI-Odeon Brazil. All the songs are in a jazzy/samba/bossa note but some of them are very danceable. This is particularly the case of Homenagem A Mongo, a Cesar Mariano written tribute to Latin percussionist Mongo Santanisuis performed by Som Tres and which starts with a storming breakbeat. This is the only track on this compilation that makes it deserve its title Blue Note In A Latin Groove. Marketing guys at Blue Note probably found it clever to call it that way to appeal to both Brazilian music and Latin music lovers. The last ones will be dispointed but the first ones will get definitely a run for their money. This is always an exquisite pleasure to find Joyce's best song ever, Aldeia De Ogum, among other gems.

Letta Mbulu - Naturally (Fantasy - 1973)

Letta Mbulu - Naturally

Naturally is the kind of album that can change your life forever and goes directly to your desert island playlist. Benefiting from the help of Cannonball and Nat Adderley, Letta Mbulu mixes perfectly well deep soul with her south african jazzy roots. This is just amazing that this album didn't enjoy any success when it was released and staid ignored for so long. I consequently give all the respect due to BGP for bringing back this pure moment of magic from the vaults.

Sunnyview - Fresh Beats (Hi & Fly Records - 2007)

Sunnyview - Fresh Beats

Sunnyview is born on the ashes of Miami TK Records at the begining of the 80's. TK founder Henry Stone associated with Moris Levy to reissue TK catalogue and explore the possibilities of a new musical trend of synthetic music, electro funk. Exploring all the possibilities of keyboards and drum machines, electro funk can be divided in numerous schools, all represented on this compilation. From hip hop to freestyle, from funk to minimalist instrumentals, from Pretty Tony to Newcleus, all the subgenres and its underground heroes are here represented. Hi & Fly is a reissue label with pretty bad reputation. If all its compilations are excellent, there no editorial work to create liner notes, tracklisting is erratic and I'm not sure if they paid artists their due share of royalties. Anyway, with Fresh Beats it's breakdancing time again and it will make you start crazy move like the windmill, the back-spin, a couple of freezes and the thomas.