All of the music featured here on this new Soul Jazz Records collection was created by Brazilian artists in the USA in the1970s.

In the early 1970s North American jazz musicians were eager to work with upcoming Brazilian musicians. Miles Davis invited Airto Moreira to join his new electric band, Dom Um Romao (part of Srgio Mendes legendary Brazil 66 in the 1960s) joined the fusion group Weather Report, Flora Purim and Airto both became a part of Chick Coreasnew project Light As AFeather, Wayne Shorter collaborated with Milton Nascimento, George Duke recorded Brazilian Love Affair, and soon.

With all the attention placed on them from these important jazz artists, North America became the new musical playground for a large number of these Brazilian artists Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Srgio Mendes, Luiz Bonf, Eumir Deodato, Joo Donato and many others.

Most of these musicians had already experienced success through the earlier popularity of bossa nova in the 1960s, either at home in Brazil or in the USA. But by the end of the 1960s many Brazilian artists had left their own country, as the military dictatorship became progressively more authoritarian and repressive. In the USA, through their critically acclaimed work for Miles Davis, Weather Report, Light As AFeather etc., all of these artists were now given reign to explore new musical terrains away from the restrictions of both a musical genre and a state censor back in Brazil.

This collection brings together some of these finest works and comes complete with extensive notes that explains the path these musicians took from Brazil to the USA and shows the political and musical links between Brazil and the USA that created the conditions for this unique fusion of these two distinct cultures, North American Jazz and Brazilian music, that occurred in the1970s.

Tracklisting

1. Airto Samba De Flora
2. Duke Pearson and Flora Purim Sandalia Dela
3. Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 Batucada (The Beat)
4. Deodato Skyscrapers
5. Milton Nascimento Catavento
6. Airto Tombo in 7/4
7. Luiz Bonf Bahia Soul
8. Dom Um Romao Braun-Blek-Blu
9. Moacir Santos Kathy
10. Joo Donato Almas Irms
11. Sivuca Ain’t No Sunshine
12. Milton Nascimento Rio Vermelho
13. Tamba 4 Consolation (Consolao)
14. Flora Purim Moon Dreams
15. Dom Um Romao Escravos de Jo
16. Airto Andei (I Walked)