Red Hot - Nova Bossa [EAC FLAC]

This album is a survey of the landmarks and impressive range of Brazilian pop music from the bossa nova through the tropicalismo eras. It was compiled as a companion to another album: Red Hot + Rio, a contemporary pop album paying tribute to this same body of music and many of the same songs.

In the hope that Red Hot + Rio would ignite interest in Brazilian music within the X-Generation, Verve simultaneously released a historical survey with similar cover art, similar noise interludes between tracks, and occasionally, the same tunes (do not be confused!). Although some of the same old stuff reissued a thousand times before is here (the Stan Getz/João Gilberto "The Girl from Ipanema," and the Stan Getz/Charlie Byrd "Desafinado" et al), Verve also went through the trouble to unearth some unusual items. Among the prizes on Nova Bossa: Red Hot on Verve are a bizarre track by organist Walter Wanderley called "Bicho Do Mato," Edu Lobo's marvelous high-energy original version of his "Upa, Neguinho," and Sergio Mendes' folk-like back-to-the-roots treatment of "After Sunrise." Commendably, half of the CD is devoted to songs by composers other than Antonio Carlos Jobim -- worthy figures like Lobo, Jorge Ben, Baden Powell, João Gilberto, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. Not all bases are adequately covered, however, there is no tropicalismo beyond its late-'60s infancy and there is nothing from a giant like Milton Nascimento. Still, this is one of those rare collections that will appeal to the newcomer and the connoisseur.