Breezy Brazil

Baden Powell : ATE-EU
taken from the album "Images On Guitar" on MPS (1971)

Airto Moreira : Papo Furado (Jive Talking)
taken from the album "Seeds On The Ground" on Buddah (1971)

Today I had to take out my fan for the first time this year (it must have been 85 degrees, and you know someone as broke as me dosen't have AC). I pulled out these tunes to help lower the temp too. It worked. Brazilian musicians have truly mastered the art of capturing a warm slow wind. Vocal harmonies like a shady grove and swing enough to gently move the leaves.

First off is a beauty from Baden Powell, a bit of a musical prodigy who came up in the Rio music scene of the 50's and 60's during the beginnings of bossa nova. On the A side of this record is the 9 minute dancefloor pleaser "Blues A Volonte" (which was compiled on Gilles Peterson's "Brazilica" album), but I was immediately drawn to ATE-EU. After playing it five times in a row I realized where I recognized it from... remember this dope EP? I think it was 88 Keys who produced the track which samples this song (sped up to 45rpm- thus the delayed recognition time). But I used to bump that back in 2000.

Then we have Airto's gorgeous Papo Furado track which turns the fan speed up to three (or four if your 99 cent store fan goes that high). This one was written by one of the illest looking cats ever to bless musical outness- I'm speaking of course about Hermeto Pascoal. You also hear bass from a pre-cheesy Ron Carter. When I listen to this one I picture riding in a droptop on a sunny roadtrip or at least sticking my head out the car window on the freeway and opening my mouth so it catches the wind and puffs out like Dizzy Gillespie's. Ok, maybe my cheeks don't get that big, but still you get the idea. It's windy. I'm also diggin' on the new Celso Fonseca album, equally breezy, but that'll have to wait for another post...

Check out this MP3 site too: Stapisi.com