Brazilian drummer and producer Charles Gavin, who I’ve become aware of through his role in selecting titles for the Som Livre Masters series, has written a book, called 300 Discos Importantes da Música Brasileira. I wonder if it’s available in English?
Here’s a pictorial list of the 25 albums he chose for Som Livre Masters:
There are many names on the list I recognise, from some, like Marcos Valle, Walter Wanderley and Tim Maia, that I both know and I’m to varying degrees familiar with, to others I’ve heard of, but don’t really know, like Novod Baianos and Brazilian Octopus, to those that are totally new to me, like Os Brazoes, Sidney Miller, and Alceu Valença.
Most of the albums are artist lead. But there are some others, like Vila Sesamo, the Brazilian version of Sesame Street, which is, I believe, a Marcos Valle project (and I think I have it, in mp3 format), and – completely new to me – Sitio do Picapau Amarelo, which appears to be another children’s TV thing, and about which I currently know absolutely nothing.
There’s stuff by names I’ve heard a lot, in relation to Brazilian music, like Tom Zé, but have yet to explore, to stuff I’m quite familiar with, but only in limited ways, such as the collaborative works of Vinicius de Moraes and Toquinho, who appear on this list with Marilia Medalha, a name that’s entirely new to me.
So, lots to be explored!
And to finish, here’s the list in text form:
1. Sambas - Don Junior, Seu Conjunto
2. Bossa Nova, Nova Bossa - Manfredo Fest e Seu Conjunto
3. Bossa Jazz Trio - Bossa Jazz Trio
4. Sansa Trio - Sansa Trio
5. Os Brazões - Os Brazões
6. Em Som Maior - Sambrasa Trio
7. Sambossa 5
8. Quarteto Bossamba - Walter Wanderley
9. Reencontro com Sambalanço Trio - Sambalanço Trio
10. Som 3 - Som 3
11. Conjunto, a Voz do Morro - Os Sambistas
12. Decisão - Zombo Trio + Metais
13. Brazilian Octopus - Brazilian Octopus
14. Com Dizia O Poeta - Vinicius de Moraes, Marilia Medalha, Toquinho
15. E Deixa o Relógio Andar - Osmar Milito
16. Rosinha de Valença - Rosinha de Valença
17. Molhado de Suor - Alceu Valença
18. Vila Sésamo - Marcos Valle?
19. Vamos pro Mundo - Novos Baianos
20. GersonConrad e Zezé Motta
21. Sítio do Picapau Amarelo
22. Tim Maia - Tim Maia
23. Vontade De Rever Você - Marcos Valle
24. Nave Maria - Tom Zé
25. Línguas de Fogo - Sidney Miller