The Crusaders - The Vocal Album

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:57
Size: 135.0 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals, Crossover jazz
Year: 1987/2012
Art: Front

[7:31] 1. Street Life
[5:24] 2. This Old World's Too Funky For Me
[5:42] 3. Better Not Look Down
[3:55] 4. Inherit The Wind
[4:10] 5. Hold On (I Feel Our Love Is Changing)
[4:31] 6. Help (I Need Somebody)
[6:24] 7. Soul Shadows
[4:47] 8. The Way It Goes
[5:01] 9. I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today
[4:12] 10. (No Matter How High I Get) I'll Still Be Looking Up To You
[7:16] 11. Burnin' Up The Carnival

Track 1 taken from 'Street Life' album by The Crusaders; Tracks 2 & 9 taken from 'Standing Tall' album by The Crusaders; Track 3 taken from 'Royal Jam' album by The Crusaders; Track 4 taken from 'Inherit The Wind' album by Wilton Felder; Track 5 taken from 'Midnight Believer' album by B.B. King; Track 6 taken from 'Private Dancer' by Tina Turner; Track 7 taken from 'Rhapsody & Blues' by The Crusaders; Track 8 taken from 'The Good And The Bad Times' by The Crusaders; Track 10 taken from 'Secrets' by Wilton Felder; Track 11 taken from 'Voices In The Rain' by Joe Sample.

Funny, we can't remember this many singers turning up on the Crusaders' albums, but look a little closer at the liner. For this 1987 compilation -- designed, perhaps, to fill the gap between albums by a group that no longer was a full-time act -- MCA reached for records by B.B. King, Tina Turner, Joe Sample and Wilton Felder that various Crusaders played on, as well as the band's output from Street Life through The Good and Bad Times. B.B. takes the prize for his fabulous, humorously funky, live-in-London turn on "Better Not Look Down" -- he plays guitar so sparingly, and every note is right in the pocket -- but Joe Cocker comes close, riding on a classic bumpy Crusaders groove on "This Old World's Too Funky for Me." Of course, Randy Crawford's career-making "Street Life" leads off the set, and Tina Turner (in a lugubrious dissection of the Beatles' "Help"), Bobby Womack, Alltrinna Grayson, Bill Withers, Flora Purim and Josie James also contribute with various degrees of effectiveness. Despite a few weak moments, the album works amazingly well, partly as an alternative highlights collection and partly as a sober reminder to the remaining Crusaders and their fans as to how essential drummer Stix Hooper was to their sound. ~Ruchard S.Ginell

The Vocal Album

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Flora Purim - Open Your Eyes You Can Fly

Styles: Latin Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:21
Size: 85,7 MB
Art: Front + Back

(4:29)  1. Open Your Eyes You Can Fly
(5:09)  2. Time's Lie
(4:44)  3. Sometime Ago
(4:08)  4. San Francisco River
(6:11)  5. Andei (I Walked)
(4:19)  6. Ina's Song (Trip to Bahia) / Transition
(2:29)  7. Conversation
(5:49)  8. Medley: White Wing (aka Asa Branca)

As an original member of Chick Corea's group Return to Forever, Purim subsequently drew praise as a solo act. Recording for the jazz label Milestone since 1973, Purim's sensual and strong voice was singular enough to withstand the pitfalls that hampered the work of many Latin jazz fusion artists. Open Your Eyes You Can Fly represents a commercial breakthrough, and has the artist again supplemented by adventurous players and top-notch songwriting. The best of the three Chick Corea tracks is the title song. With it's emotive and stinging guitar solo from David Amaro, it features Purim at her most accessible and charming. 

The remake of "Sometime Ago" has one of Corea's more accessible melodies, as Purim turns in one of her more sweet and fulfilling vocals. The melodic and soothing "San Francisco River" has the artist writing solely with frequent Corea collaborator Neville Potter on the evocative track. Despite the great work here, Open Your Eyes You Can Fly, lacks consistency. But with the great talents assembled and great voice, it's easy to overlook that fact. Hermeto Pascoal's "Andei (I Walked)" has a great synthesizer solo from George Duke and a flute solo from Pascoal. "Ina's Song (Trip to Bahia)" features Purim singing in Portuguese, starting off slow but then enlivened by her passion filled vocalizations. Produced by jazz producer Orrin Keepnews, this features the artist more lucid and joyful than some of her other work. For the reason it is recommended. ~ Jason Elias  http://www.allmusic.com/album/open-your-eyes-you-can-fly-mw0000263439

Personnel: Flora Purim (vocals); Hermeto Pascoal (flute, electric piano, harpsichord, percussion, background vocals); George Duke (electric piano, Arp & Moog synthesizers, background vocals); David Amaro (acoustic, electric & 12-string guitars); Egberto Gismonti (acoustic guitar); Alphonso Johnson (acoustic & electric basses); Ron Carter (acoustic bass).

Open Your Eyes You Can Fly

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Flora Purim - If You Will

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:52
Size: 100,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:11) 1. If You Will
(5:27) 2. This Is Me
(6:30) 3. 500 Miles High
(3:22) 4. A Flor Da Vida
(4:55) 5. Newspaper Girl
(4:36) 6. Dandara
(4:26) 7. Zahuroo
(5:36) 8. Dois + Dois = Tres
(4:44) 9. Lucidez

Everyone loves a great comeback, and, after a lengthy hiatus, Flora Purim obliges with If You Will, the Brazilian's first studio album since Flora's Song (Narada, 2005). Released to coincide with her 80th birthday, If You Will is a somewhat nostalgic celebration that polishes a few old gems from a recording career that began under military dictatorship with the groundbreaking Brazilian jazz album é M.P.M. (1964, RCA). The production values are excellent, as are the performances from Purim and the trusted collaborators with whom she surrounds herself.

Airto Moreira's dancing percussion opens "If You Will," an uplifting tune originally penned by George Duke, and sung here by Flora's daughter, Diana Purim. Short-and-sweet solos from keyboardist Mika Mutti and electric bassist Fábio Hess come and go, but the album as whole is less about individual virtuosity and more about the collective vibe, with half a dozen percussionists and almost twice as many backing vocalists creating rich rhythmic layers and melodic textures. Mother and daughter share vocal duties on "This Is Me," a soaring, percussion-fueled slice of Brazilian jazz with call-and-response, a fine keyboard solo from Bryan Velasco and an utterly infectious vocal motif that proves impossible to shake.

The leader takes centre stage on Chick Corea's "500 Miles High," from Return to Forever's Light As A Feather (Polydor, 1973). Purim's pipes are still in remarkably good shape, her delivery of Neville Potter's lyrics as soulful and bright as it was half a century ago. Moreira's distinctive non-syllabic vocals bookend Jose Neto's breezy "Newspaper Girl." The guitarist's tasteful solo adds colorful splashes to this tune of loping rhythmic gate and sunny melodic contours. Another long-term collaborator of the leader, notably in the group Fourth World, Neto shines on Nuno Mindelis's Pino Daniele-esque blues "Dois +Dois = Tres," though it is Flora Purim who is in the driving seat.

The elegant bossa-jazz "Dandara," named for the 17th century Afro-Brazilian warrior who fought against slavery, is a family affair. Poet Judith de Souza wrote the lyrics, which grandson Felipe Machado put to music. His grandfather, singer-songwriter Filó Machado, who has worked with Michel Legrand, Jon Hendricks and Hermeto Pascoal, arranged the track, also adding acoustic guitar and backing vocals alongside Vitor Pinheiro. Flora Purim rolls back the years to makes it her own. Claudia Villela's catchy pop-samba "Zahuroo" features the leader on wordless vocals, with sizzling percussion from Celso Alberto and Moreira.

The shuffling acoustic ballad, "Lucidez," co-written by Diana Purim, Krishna Booker and Fabio Nascimento, closes the album on an introspective note. With percussion assuming a more subtle role, Flora Purim's warm vocals are to the fore, framed by Nascimento's acoustic strumming and Todd S. Simon's painterly touches on flugelhorn. Whether If You Will marks a late-career renaissance or a joyous swansong for Flora Purim remains to be seen. Regardless, it is a fine testament to a unique figure in contemporary Brazilian music.
~Ian Pattersonhttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/if-you-will-flora-purim-strut-records__722

Personnel: Flora Purim: voice / vocals.

Additional Instrumentation: Airto Moreira: percussion, drums (9), vocals (5, 7); Diana Purim: vocals (1-2, 4), backing vocals (4); Mikka Mutti: keyboards (1, 9); Fábio Hess: bass (1); Léo Costa: drums (1-2); Grecco Buratto: guitar, backing vocals (2); Bryan Velasco: piano, keyboards (2); Andre de Santanna: bass (2); Alberto Lopes: percussion (2); Gibi dos Santos: percussion (2); Krishna Booker: percussion (2, 9), backing vocals (9); Caro Pierotto: backing vocals (2); Maria Joana: backing vocals (2); Emina Shimanuki: (2); Kana Shimunaki: backing vocals (2); Mari Nobre: backing vocals (2); Niura Band: backing vocals (2); Davi Sartori: electric piano (3); Thiago Duarte: bass (3); Endrigo Bettega: drums (3-4); Stéphane San Juan: drums (4); José Neto: guitar (5, 7-8); Frank Martin: keyboards (5); Gary Brown: bass (5); Celso Alberti: drums (5, 8), percussion (7); Café da Silva: bata (5); Filó Machado: acoustic guitar, backing vocals (6); Vitor Pinheiro: backing vocals (6); Claudia Villela: vocals (7); Marcio Lomiramda: keyboards (8); Stéphane San Juan: drums (8); Fabio Nascimento: acoustic guitar (9); Todd M. Simon: flugelhorn (9); Léo Nobre: bass (9); Filipe Castro: percussion (9).

If You Will

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Duke Pearson - I Don't Care Who Knows It

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:00
Size: 138,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:11)  1. I Don't Care Who Knows It
(7:40)  2. Bloos
(6:38)  3. A Beautiful Friendship
(5:53)  4. Horn In
(6:38)  5. Canto Ossanha
(6:33)  6. Xibaba - Remastered
(6:58)  7. I Don't Know
(5:22)  8. O Amor En Paz (Once I Loved)
(1:59)  9. Upa Neguinho
(5:47) 10. Captain Bicardi
(3:17) 11. Theme From Rosemary's Baby

The sessions that comprise I Don't Care Who Knows It date from 1969 and 1970 (with one stray track from a 1968 session with Bobby Hutcherson), when Duke Pearson was experimenting with Latin jazz, soul-jazz, and funk; they are also the second-to-last dates the pianist ever recorded for Blue Note. Working with a fairly large group that included bassist Ron Carter, drummer Mickey Roker, saxophonists Jerry Dodgion, Frank Foster, Lew Tabackin, trumpeter Burt Collins, trombonist Kenny Rupp, and occasionally vocalist Andy Bey, Pearson plays the electric piano throughout the majority of the album. As expected, the music swings with an understated funk, with the band alternating between standard hard-bop and mellow, soulful grooves. On the whole, I Don't Care Who Knows It is fairly uneven the sessions don't set well together, but work well as individual sets. Nevertheless, there is enough good material here to make it worthwhile for soul-jazz, Latin-jazz and, especially, Pearson aficionados. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/i-dont-care-who-knows-it-mw0000181100

Personnel:  Duke Pearson - piano, electric piano, arranger; Burt Collins - trumpet (tracks 1-6 & 8); Kenny Rupp - trombone (tracks 1-5); Jerry Dodgion - flute, alto flute, alto saxophone (tracks 1-8, 10 & 11); Al Gibbons - flute (tracks 6 & 8); Lew Tabackin - tenor saxophone, flute (tracks 1-5, 7 & 10); Frank Foster - tenor saxophone, alto clarinet (tracks 1-5); Bobby Hutcherson - vibes (tracks 6-8, 10 & 11); Sam Brown (track 11), Ralph Towner (tracks 7 & 10) - acoustic guitar; Dorio Ferreira - guitar, percussion (track 9); Al Gafa (tracks 6-8 & 10), Wally Richardson (tracks 7 & 10) - guitar; Bob Cranshaw - bass (tracks 6-8, 10 & 11); Ron Carter - bass (tracks 1-5); Bebeto Jose Souza - bass (track 9); Mickey Roker - drums (tracks 1-8, 10 & 11), percussion (track 9); Airto Moreira - percussion, vocals (track 5-8, & 10), drums (track 9); Stella Mars - vocals (track 8); Andy Bey - vocals (track 1); Flora Purim - vocals (track 9)

I Don't Care Who Knows It

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Flora Purim - The Flight

Styles: Vocal

Year: 1994

File: MP3@224K/s

Time: 55:55

Size: 90,4 MB

Art: Front

(4:13)  1. Aviao (Airplane)

(3:25)  2. Perfume De Cebola (Fragrance Of Onion)

(6:03)  3. My Song For You

(5:16)  4. Maca (Apple)

(3:39)  5. Branco E Preto (White And Black)

(4:27)  6. Meu Mestre Coracao (Tutor Heart)

(5:36)  7. Rainha Da Noite (Queen Of The Night)

(5:16)  8. Tarde (Late Afteroon)

(4:47)  9. Radio Experienca (Radio Experience)

(3:52) 10. Dois Irmaos (Two Brothers)

(5:22) 11. Dona Olympia (Mrs Olympia)

(3:54) 12. Finale

Influenced by both traditional Brazilian singers and the improvisations of American jazz divas like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, Flora Purim was one of the most adventurous singers of the 1970s. After meeting and marrying her husband, percussionist Airto Moreira, in their native Brazil, Purim moved with him to the U.S. in the late '60s. Though she worked with Stan Getz and pianist Duke Pearson before the decade ended, it wasn't until joining Chick Corea, Joe Farrell, Stanley Clarke, and Moreira in the original Return to Forever in 1972 that she became well known in the States. Purim showed considerable promise on Forever classics like "500 Miles High" and "Light As a Feather" and lived up to it when she went solo with 1973's Butterfly Dreams. Ranging from superb to passably decent, Purim's Milestone dates of the mid- to late '70s kept her quite visible in the jazz world. Purim's work grew erratic and uneven in the 1980s, and she wasn't recording as often (though she did provide one album for Virgin and three with Moreira for Concord's Crossover label). Purim didn't record very often in the early to mid-'90s either, but she continued to be highly regarded in Brazilian jazz circles. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/artist/flora-purim-mn0000184637/biography

The Flight

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Flora Purim - That's What She Said

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 35:24

Size: 81.0 MB

Styles: Fusion, Latin jazz

Year: 1978/2001

Art: Front

[4:31] 1. Look Into His Eyes

[4:31] 2. Juicy

[5:07] 3. Hidden Within

[3:29] 4. You On My Mind

[5:02] 5. What Can I Say

[4:44] 6. Love's The Way I Feel 'bout Cha

[3:52] 7. That's What She Said

[4:04] 8. You Are My Heart

Accompanied By/With – Airto, Alphonso Johnson, Byron Miller, Ernie Watts, George Bohanon, George Duke, Jay Graydon, Leon Ndugu Chancler, Oscar Brashear. Recorded (mostly in 1976) at Paramount Recording Studios, Holywood.

Toward the close of her Milestone years, Flora Purim teamed up with producer/keyboardist George Duke -- and the imprint of Duke, then entering his funkified "Dukey Stick" period, is heavy enough to dominate the record. Very often, Duke uses his then rhythm section of bassist Byron Miller (alternating with Alphonso Johnson) and drummer Ndugu Chandler to give the grooves a definite '70s funk feel -- and percussionist Airto adapts his talents seamlessly to this way of life. Duke's electronic keyboard arsenal is all over the record, occasionally going gonzo on the Moog synthesizer, draping a then-still-fashionable ARP string synthesizer over the landscape, comping on the Rhodes electric piano or Yamaha electric grand. Joe Henderson turns up with a funk-bop tenor solo on the Brazilian/funk groove on "What Can I Say?" (what could he say?), part of a first-call L.A. studio horn section that includes trumpet Oscar Brashear, trombonist George Bohanon, and Ernie Watts on flute. And where does all of this instrumental activity leave Purim? Floating on top of the mix as usual, whether in a wordless vocalise, agile scatting with Duke's lead synth on the title track, or heavily accented English, sometimes in multiple overdubs. Nevertheless, the Brazilian feeling is not quite cancelled out by Duke's busy production hand -- and this Western Hemispheric amalgam would soon pave the way for groups like Azymuth. ~Richard S. Ginnell

That's What She Said

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Flora Purim - Stories To Tell

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:59
Size: 91.6 MB
Styles: Fusion, Latin jazz
Year: 1974
Art: Front

[3:40] 1. Stories To Tell
[5:52] 2. Search For Peace
[3:53] 3. Casa Forte
[2:44] 4. Insensatez
[3:14] 5. Mountain Train
[4:03] 6. To Say Goodbye
[5:38] 7. Silver Sword
[4:10] 8. Vera Cruz (Empty Faces)
[6:41] 9. O Cantador I Just Want To Be Here

Though her recordings for Chick Corea's Return to Forever provide a better introduction to her vocal talents, Stories to Tell is an excellent outing by Flora Purim and friends. Assisted by a cast of jazz/fusion all-stars led by husband Airto Moreira, Purim shows off the wide range of her abilities: from wordless vocal soaring to songs with lyrics in English and Portuguese, from uptempo percussion-driven workouts to beautiful ballads. In addition to Airto, the assembled cast includes bassists Miroslav Vitous and Ron Carter, keyboard wunderkind George Duke, guitarists Earl Klugh and Oscar Castro-Neves, and trombonist Raul de Souza. Also, Carlos Santana turns in one of his patented sizzling guitar solos on "Silver Sword." With material from Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vitous, Milton Nascimento, McCoy Tyner, and Purim herself, this is an album worth savoring. ~Jim Newsom

Stories To Tell

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Duke Pearson - How Insensitive

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:29
Size: 79,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. Stella By Starlight
(2:44)  2. Clara
(3:25)  3. Give Me Your Love
(3:54)  4. Cristo Redentor
(2:55)  5. Little Song
(2:15)  6. How Insensitive
(3:31)  7. Sandalia Dela
(4:37)  8. My Love Waits
(3:30)  9. Tears
(2:51) 10. Lamento

Like most Blue Note artists, Duke Pearson moved toward commercial-oriented soul-jazz in the late '60s. At least, How Insensitive was supposed to be commercial. Pearson simplified his original compositions, chose standards like "Stella By Starlight," and covered contemporary pop songs like Jobim's "Lamento." He also assembled a large band with rock instrumentation like electric guitars, bass, electric pianos, and drum kits. Most importantly, he hired the New York Group Singers' Big Band a group of singers that are arranged like a horn section (males are the trombones, females are alto saxes, etc.) to sing on each song. The vocalists may be technically gifted in particular, Andy Bey has a rich voice but their presence on these arrangements is quite bizarre, especially since they take center stage. 

Each song on How Insensitive boasts extravagant, layered arrangements that flirt with schmaltz, but the voicings and attack are so unusual, the result is a weird variation on easy listening. There is little opportunity for Pearson to showcase his tasteful playing through improvisation, yet the arrangements are so off-kilter, the music never quite works as background music. In other words, it's a very interesting failure and one of the strangest by-products of Blue Note's late-'60s commercialization. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/album/how-insensitive-mw0000463221

Personnel:  Duke Pearson - piano, electric piano, arranger;  Al Gafa - guitar (tracks 1-6 & 8);  Dorio Ferreira - guitar, percussion (tracks 7, 9 & 10);  Bob Cranshaw - bass (tracks 1-6 & 8);  Bebeto Jose Souza - bass (tracks 7, 9 & 10);  Mickey Roker – drums;  Airto Moreira – percussion;  Andy Bey - lead vocals (track 2), vocals (1, 3-6 & 8);  Flora Purim - lead vocals (tracks 7, 9 & 10);  The New York Group Singers' Big Band - vocals (tracks 1-6 & 8);  Jack Manno - conductor

How Insensitive

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Flora Purim - Nothing Will Be As It Was... Tomorrow

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:53
Size: 86.7 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, Fusion
Year: 1977/2005
Art: Front

[5:38] 1. You Love Me Only
[5:01] 2. Nothing Will Be As It Was (Nada Sera Como Antes)
[6:18] 3. I'm Coming For Your Love
[3:34] 4. Angels
[6:30] 5. Corre Niña
[5:18] 6. Bridges
[4:07] 7. Fairy Tale Song
[1:23] 8. Angels (Reprise)

Bass – Byron Miller; Brass – George Bohanon, Oscar Brashear; Drums, Tom Tom [Roto Toms] – Ndugu (Leon Chancler); Handclaps – Dennis Moody, Eryke McClinton*, Gregory Walker; Harp – Dorothy Ashby; Reeds – Ernie Watts, Fred Jackson.

This is Purim's first album for Warner Bros. after spending 1973-1976 with Milestone. While Purim's last dates with Milestone began to reflect a more commercial jazz sound, the style came to fruition by the time of this 1977 album. Drummer Leon "Ndugu" Chancler is listed as producer, and George Duke is also here, under his alias of Dawili Gonga. Given that fact, this effort sounds like a Duke production job, and like one of his late-'70s classic albums. Patrice Rushen's meditative "You Love Me Only" strikes the delicate balance between Purim's singular phrasing and persona and more streamlined production values. Earth Wind and Fire members Al McKay and Phillip Bailey contribute "Angels," and it has the sound of period EWF juxtaposed to Purim's patented and sensual wordless vocalizations. Although the artist adapts to each style, Nothing Will Be As It Was...Tommorow also has her covering the work of Brazilian artist Milton Nascimento, who co-wrote the title. Nascimento's whimsical "Fairy Tale Friend" gets a funkier treatment, as the song's lyrics lose nothing in translation. The album's most poignant track from Nascimento, "Bridges," has a doleful arrangement and a gentle vocal from Purim. Although this effort seemed to get lost in the shuffle, it is well worth seeking out, especially for lovers of late-'70s jazz fusion. ~Jason Elias

Nothing Will Be As It Was... Tomorrow

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Airto Moreira - The Best Of Airto

Styles: Latin Jazz

Year: 1994

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 63:43

Size: 146,3 MB

Art: Front

(6:07)  1. Creek (Arroio)

(8:25)  2. Flora's Song

(5:31)  3. Romance of Death

(4:06)  4. San Francisco River

(6:20)  5. Tombo In 7/4

(7:15)  6. Lydian Riff

(4:28)  7. Stanley's Tune

(5:28)  8. Hot Sand

(6:58)  9. Branches (O Galho da Roseira)

(8:59) 10. Parana

Without a doubt, Airto put a new face on Brazilian music in the wake of the bossa nova movement, bringing back the frantic complexity of the samba translated into his own frenzied yet controlled electronic/multi-percussion idiom. Here we truly have some of the best of his early work in the U.S. as a leader for the CTI label, where Airto proves that he couldn't be suppressed even by the guiding hand of Creed Taylor. The set kicks off with a pair of great, sizzling tracks from the Free album, with Airto feverishly driving bands manned by Chick Corea on electric piano, Keith Jarrett on acoustic piano, and other American all-stars. From there, we move to the Fingers album, which features Airto's own band yet maintains virtually the same level of excitement with a deeper Brazilian streak. The rare Virgin Land, released on the CTI subsidiary Salvation, sports a different cast of characters (notably Stanley Clarke and George Duke) but again is dominated by the ebullient percussionist's propulsive drumming and scatting. Finally, we hear the two Airto tracks from the old jerry-built Deodato/Airto In Concert LP in vastly superior sound, with Airto and Flora Purim whipping up the crowd at New York's Felt Forum with a primal display of wild native vocals and pushing rhythm. Of this music, only the two tracks from Free are otherwise available on CD, so Brazilian jazz addicts ought to be running to the stores for this one. ~ Richard S.Ginell  http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-airto-mw0000110927

Personnel: Airto Moreira (vocals, drums, percussion); Hugo Fattoruso (vocals, harmonica, keyboards); Ringo Thielman (vocals, bass); Jorge Fattoruso (vocals, drums); Flora Purim (vocals, percussion); Joe Farrell (soprano saxophone, alto & bass flutes); Hubert Laws (flute); George Marge (oboe); Eddie Daniels (clarinet); Jane Taylor (bassoon); Nelson Ayres, Chick Corea (piano, electric piano); George Duke (piano, ARP synthesizer, keyboards); Keith Jarrett (piano); Milco Leviev (keyboards); David Amaro, Jay Berliner, Gabriel Delorme (guitar); Stanley Clarke, Alex Blake, Ron Carter (bass).

The Best Of Airto

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Flora Purim - Flora's Song

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:11
Size: 128.6 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[6:54] 1. Las Olas
[5:03] 2. Less Than Lovers
[4:50] 3. This Is Me
[9:15] 4. Flora's Song
[4:05] 5. É Preciso Perdoar
[6:22] 6. Silvia
[4:42] 7. Forbidden Love
[4:25] 8. Anjo De Mim
[5:54] 9. Lua Cheia
[4:36] 10. Anjo Do Amor

Throughout Flora's Song, the veteran Brazilian singer Flora Purim is heard in prime form. The ten compositions fit her style well; she swings in her own fashion and puts plenty of feeling into her vocals. In addition, there are many fine solos along the way, with the standouts including Harvey Wainapel's flute solo on "Flora's Song" and the steel drums of Andy Narrell on "E Precisa Perdoar" and "Forbidden Love." Whether any of the songs eventually become standards is open to question, but they are welcome additions to Flora Purim's repertoire. This is her most rewarding recording in several years, and she sounds quite happy throughout the excellent set. ~Scott Yanow

Flora's Song

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Walter Wanderley - Moondreams

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 31:08

Size: 71.3 MB

Styles: Easy Listening, Latin jazz

Year: 1969/2006

Art: Front

[4:29] 1. Asa Branca

[2:38] 2. L'amore Dice Ciao

[2:43] 3. Penha

[3:07] 4. One Of The Nicer Things

[2:43] 5. Proton, Electron, Neutron

[3:39] 6. 5 30 Plane

[3:04] 7. Soulful Strut

[2:28] 8. Moondreams

[3:30] 9. Jackie

[2:42] 10. Mirror Of Love

Wanderley's second album during Creed Taylor's A&M residency opens with a bang, a fantastic rendition of the old Northern Brazilian standard "Asa Branca" that evokes the exhilaration of a street carnival. Midway through, the tempo kicks up, the band settles into a two-chord vamp, and the performance lifts into orbit; even the normally mild-mannered Wanderley dances wildly on organ and electric harpsichord.

Nothing else here, even the provocatively titled "Proton, Electron, Neutron," approaches "Asa Branca"'s energy. Yet on the whole, this is a somewhat better album than its predecessor on A&M; the sound is more open and less confined. The selection remains predominantly Brazilian, with an occasional American ringer like "Soulful Strut" and another Jimmy Webb tune, "5:30 Plane." The female voices (one of whom is Flora Purim) return on a few tracks; so do Hubert Laws and Romeo Penque on flutes. Eumir Deodato is in charge of the mauve-colored charts for flutes, trumpets and violas, and Airto Moreira makes an early impression pumping up the percussion section. ~Richard S. Ginell

Bass – George Duvivier, Jose Marino, Richard Davis; Drums – Joao Palma; Flugelhorn – Bernie Glow, Marvin Stamm; Flute – Danny Bank, Hubert Laws, Jerome Richardson, Joe Soldo, Romeo Penque; Organ, Harpsichord [Electric] – Walter Wanderley; Percussion – Airto Moreira, Lulu Ferreira; Trumpet – Bernie Glow; Viola – Archie Levin, David Mankovitz, Emanuel Vardi, Harold Coletta, Harry Zaratzian, Richard Dickler, Theodore Israel, Warren Tekula; Vocals – Flora Purim, Linda November, Stella Stevens, Susan Manchester .

Moondreams     

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Various - As Time Goes By: In And Out Of The Ordinary Vol 1

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 77:47
Size: 178.1 MB
Styles: Various jazz styles
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:09] 1. Jermaine Landsberger - Hammond Eggs
[5:37] 2. Roberta Ganbarini - On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[4:32] 3. Buster Williams - Something More
[2:47] 4. Flora Purim & Airto Moreira - Escape
[6:08] 5. Lester Brown's Brass Fantasy - For Louis
[7:04] 6. James Blood Ulmer's Blues - Crying
[3:51] 7. Toots Thielemans - Hard To Say Goodbye
[5:15] 8. Woody Shaw - Estaté
[2:31] 9. Viviane De Farias - Na Hora De Paixao
[3:31] 10. Paul Kuhn - Heading South
[5:57] 11. Lynn Arriale - Home
[4:45] 12. Lenny Andrade - Chega De Saudade
[5:20] 13. Billy Cobham - You Know, You Know
[5:24] 14. Max Hacker - Upper Manhattan Medical Group
[5:39] 15. Joachim Kuhn Trio - Angel Dust
[3:01] 16. Larry Coryell - She's Leaving Home
[2:08] 17. Paul Kuhn - As Time Goes By

As Time Goes By: In And Out Of The Ordinary Vol 1

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Airto Moreira & Flora Purim - Live In Berkeley

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 72:30
Size: 166.0 MB
Styles: Fusion, Brazilian jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[11:23] 1. Free (Feat. Helio Alves, Gary Brown)
[20:47] 2. La Fiesta (Feat. Helio Alves, Gary Brown)
[ 6:12] 3. Esquinas (Feat. Widor Santiago, Helio Alves, Gary Brown)
[14:16] 4. Light As A Feather (Feat. Widor Santiago, Helio Alves, Gary Brown)
[ 5:19] 5. Maria, Tres Filhos (Feat. Widor Santiago, Helio Alves, Gary Brown)
[ 7:29] 6. Anos Blue (Feat. Widor Santiago, Helio Alves, Gary Brown)
[ 7:00] 7. Airto's Pandeiro Solo - Improvisation 1

Live in Berkeley, recorded in 1990 in Berkeley, California is a robust and stimulating performance given by Airto Moreira on drums and percussion; Flora Purim on vocals; bassist, Gary Brown; pianist, keyboardist, Helio Alves and tenor and soprano saxophonist, Widor Santiago… [The performance was captured by] San Francisco radio personality, Bud Spangler – himself, a well known jazz musician, but was tucked away, not to be heard again for over twenty years. The recent rediscovery of this exquisite, majestic evening is now available for us to enjoy in these seven carefully selected tracks by Airto and Flora… Today, their music is still alive, fresh and filled with love.

For those who know Flora, an introduction is unnecessary. Her music has interwoven the life fabric of anyone with a passing interest in Latin and American jazz music for over 25 years. Her once-in-a-generation six-octave voice has earned her two Grammy nominations for Best Female Jazz Performance and Downbeat magazines Best Female Singer accolade on four occasions. Her musical partners have included Gil Evans, Stan Getz,

Chick Corea, Dizzy Gillespie and Airto Moreira, with whom she has collaborated on over 30 albums since moving with him from her native Rio to New York in 1967. Her musical genius was inbred thanks to a Russian émigré father who played violin and a mother who was a talented pianist in her own right. Before leaving Brazil to escape the repressive military regime of the time, she had mastered piano and guitar and liberated an exhilarating vocal talent. In New York, she and Airto became central to the period of musical expression and creativity, which produced the first commercially successful Electric Jazz groups of the 70s.

Live In Berkeley

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