★Mr. Bongo
Embalo
** 2021 Stock ** Master jazz pianist Tenorio Jr. aka Francisco Tenório Júnior only recorded this one album, 'Embalo', originally released on RGE in 1964. Rumour has it that he was arrested and thrown in jail (and possibly even murdered) while on tour with Toquinho and Vinicius de Moraes in Argentina in 1976. He has not been seen since... Soon after the disappearance of Tenorio Jr. filmmaker Rogerio Lima produced a short film entitled "Balada para Tenorio," which chronicles the disappearance with…
Flor Lilás
As long - time fans of this sublime four-track compacto 7" by the illustrious Brazilian duo Luli Lucinha e O Bando, we have floated the idea of reissuing this beauty for several years now. So finally, the time feels right to release this beloved gem back into the world. Originally issued on Som Livre Records in Brazil in 1972, this rarity has long been lost to only but the most hardened Brazilian record collectors and those lucky few who own an original copy. The four genre-defying compositions …
Beautiful Bamboo-Flute
** In process of stocking ** Seminal Japanese jazz album from 1971. Journeys through jazz fusion, soul and big band moods. Impossible to obtain in its original format, these days. Hozan Yamamoto was recognised as a "living national treasure" by the Japanese government in 2002. This highly sought-after album from the Japanese wood flute player is more upbeat and swinging than some of his other records. The big band he recorded this album with (Sharps & Flats) played a big part in the genesis of t…
Belladonna
Official half-speed mastered re-issue of British trumpeter and bandleader Ian Carr's iconic jazz-fusion-rock hybrid ‘Belladonna’ from 1972 Originally released on the Vertigo label, complete with collectable ‘swirl' record centre design, this sought-after jazz-rock-fusion rarity features some of the cream of the UK jazz musicians of the 70’s. Comprised from groups such as Nucleus, Brian Auger's band, Soft Machine, Stan Tracy group, the players included Brian Smith (tenor and soprano saxophones, a…
Ennui / Abandoned
Kit Sebastian are back with a special stand-alone 7” release that presents an appetising taster of what is to follow from their much-anticipated sophomore album. After losing themselves in the magic of the French countryside to record, the band have delivered two gems that we initially thought were a soupçon of the said new album. In fact, though recorded during the same sessions, they felt these tracks were best served up as an aperitif to the album.
Francis Lai, Vladimir Cosma, Fikret Kızıl…
Beat Bop
**Limited edition** Much about ‘Beat Bop’ is shrouded in mystery. Who really produced it? Why was Jean-Michel Basquiat relegated from rapper on the track to drawing the cover and labels? What are they actually rapping about for most of the ten-minute length? These questions, however, are all part of the enigma and rich legend surrounding a song that is an undisputed piece of true hip-hop genius. The combination of graffiti artist Rammellzee and rapper K-Rob is a potent one, with each MC adoptin…
Jazz Rock
They say you can't judge a book by its cover, and going by 'Jazz Rock’, nor a record by its title. Though entering into jazz territory and featuring some distorted guitar, 'Jazz Rock' is more a beautiful marriage of funky breakbeat drumming and spiritual jazz instrumentation, combined with traditional Min'yō music performed on the koto and shakuhachi.
Originally released in 1973, the record sounds simultaneously vintage and contemporary. It is akin to something Madlib might dream up whilst lost …
Satwa
Written, recorded and released just as Brazil’s military dictatorship reached the climax of its long black arc, the one and only album by Satwa is a divinely subtle protest, often cited as Brazil’s first independent record. Formed after the return of Lula Côrtes and Lailson from their respective foreign excursions – the ‘Satwa’ project lasted only a year, perhaps due to their differing stripes. Lailson was from the verdant former Dutch colony of Pernambuco, while Côrtes hailed from the wild badl…
Mantra Moderne
Mantra Moderne is a stunning, contemporary masterpiece that fuses Anatolian Psychedelia, Brazilian Tropicalia, 60’s European pop and American jazz. A must for fans of Khruangbin, Portishead, Arthur Verocai, Goat, Caetano Veloso, Tom Zé, Os Mutantes, Cortex and co. The duo is formed of Kit Martin, who lives between London and France and plays all instruments on the album, and Merve Erdem, vocalist and multi-disciplinary artist from Istanbul, now based in London. This is their debut album. The alb…
Attica Blues / Quiet Dawn
Previously Japan-only 7” featuring two tracks originally released on Archie Shepp's 1972 classic soul-jazz LP, Attica Blues. A powerful mix of psychedelic soul and jazz that retains Shepp’s political sentiment of his earlier works. Attica Blues is a huge funk-soul composition, referring to a mass shooting of inmates at Attica Prison. Henry Hull's vocal sits on top of bass, layered percussion, wah-wah guitars, plus large horn and string sections to create a massive sound. The big band, almost sou…
The Gospel According To Zeus
When one thinks of Motown Records, heavy guitar riffs and psychedelic rock is not the first thing that comes to mind. Perhaps that's why Power of Zeus's 'The Gospel According to Zeus', the debut rock release by Motown subsidiary Rare Earth Records and the Detroit band's first and only full-length album, has achieved mythological status in the years since its release in 1970. Marked by the virtuoso guitar work of Joe Periano, Power of Zeus created an album that merges the high-concept songwriting…
Bamboo
Fantastic high quality Mr Bongo reissue of Japanese Jazz holy grail. Japanese bamboo flute genius Minoru Muroka's holy grail masterpiece -- a unique mixture of traditional Japanese folk and heavy hip-hoppy jazz as played by DJ Shadow and Egon! Combining japanese instruments itaiko, shamishen and koto with conventional drums and synths.
Aguia Nao Come Mosca
Golden-era, 1977, Brazilian jazz-funk-fusion album from the legendary, Azymuth. Lush Rhodes, soaring synths and fusion guitars from Malheiros and Bertrami combine with the inimitable drum grooves from Ivan “Mamao” Conti that create the signature Azymuth sound.The album moves from mellow soulful moods, into screaming disco-jazz-fusion, samba funk, synth boogie and ends with a tough 160bpm Batucada workout. This is actually the first Azymuth album that we have released on Mr Bongo, which came as a…
Estudando O Samba
Incredibly unique concept album from the one and only, Tom Zé. As featured in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Brazilian Albums of all-time list (2007). One of Ze’s finest albums in our opinion, originally released by Continental Brazil in 1976 – a tough one to find at a good price in its original form now. ‘Estudando do Samba’ (or ‘Studying The Samba’) is a post-Tropicalia studio experimentation laiden with layers of hypnotic percussion, effects & samples that deconstructs the ‘samba’ for…
Celia 1970
Beautiful debut album from the incredible, Célia. Conducted & arranged by Arthur Verocai and Rogério Duprat; featuring songs by Lo Borges, Antonio Adolfo and Joyce amongst others. Célia recorded four self-titled albums for Continental between 1971 and 1977, ‘Amor’ in 1982 plus several more before she sadly passed away late in 2017, aged 70. This is her debut album from 1970. Célia was a Brazilian vocalist who worked frequently with master arranger-composer Arthur Verocai in her early years a…
No Sub Reino Dos Metazoários
Another incredibly original album from the Solar/Rozenblit catalogue, this features the fabulous trio of Lula Cortes, Marconi Notaro and Ramalho. With Lula Cortes at the controls, writing, playing and illustrating the album cover. Soon after recording the classic album ‘Satwa’ (MRBLP083), Lula was back in the same Recife studio with his friend, the cult poet and writer Marconi Notaro to lay down another equally magical album. This joyous masterpiece stands musically somewhere between the Lula Co…
Paêbirú
CD Edition. The album is a collaboration between Brazilian artists Lula Côrtes and Zé Ramalho, a wonderfully off-kilter record full of fantastic hooky and strange tunes that range from full-on freakouts to quiet pastoral numbers displaying the entire range of 1970s hippie Brazilian musician culture. Paebiru is an obscure Brazilian psych concept album about the four elements that was lost to time in a warehouse fire in 1974. This led to it becoming a massively sought-after classic, fetching up to…
Let's Start/Bongo Rock
Japanese RSD 2018 release of Akira Ishikawa's awesome cover versions of Fela Kuti's 'Let's Start' and Incredible Bongo Band's 'Bongo Rock'. On 7" vinyl for the first time. Two fantastic funky numbers from this hip Japanese drummer! "Let's
Start" is a tight take on an early tune by Fela – with this cool chanted
vocal in the mix – and "Bongo Rock" is a fantastic update of the
Preston Epps classic, taken into the same funky territory as the version
by Incredible Bongo Band
The Return Of The Incredible Bongo Band
Re-released for the first time since 1974, this is the sequel to the classic 1973 ‘Bongo Rock’, which became a foundation of rap and popular music, up to the present day. Reproduced on heavyweight 180g vinyl and in top-quality Japanese sleeves. The Incredible Bongo Band is a blend of many multi-talented people. Jim Gordon is one of the featured musicians. Ringo Starr has said "Jim is one of the finest drummers in the world". Gordon composed 'Layla' in association with Eric Clapton. King Errisso…
India
Official Mr Bongo reissue, gatefold LP with insert. Replica original artwork. Mastered from original tapes. A post-Tropicalia masterpiece from one of the movements key figures and true legends of Brazilian music, Gal Costa. Features a stellar line up of musicians including Gilberto Gil, Arthur Verocai, Dominguinhos, Rogério Duprat and Tenorio Jr. amongst others. Replica original gatefold including the cover that was banned by the Brazilian military government in 1973 during the brutal dictatorsh…