(Club Brasil/Goya)

A1: Guida De Palma – Casa Forte (3.49)
A2: Finn Peters – Aldeia de Ogum (6.06)
B1: Finn Peters – Feminina (4.51)
B2: Mariana Feo – Take It Easy My Brother Charles (2.45)

This latest 12” from London-based latin nu-jazz / broken-beat label Club Brasil (now in its fifth year of operation) is particularly interesting in that it features three different artists from the label’s roster reinterpreting Brazilian lounge classics by the likes of Edu Lobo and Jorge Ben. Sadly, not being the biggest afficionado of Brazilian music, these names didn’t really ring any particular bells to me (being a philistine, Deodato and Gilberto Gil are about as far as I get). Most importantly however, it didn’t stop me from getting into the classy loungey Brazilian vibes on offer here – DJ Nik Weston (responsible for this vinyl sampler selection) has definitely trawled through Club Brasil’s extensive backcatalogue and come up with four gems here.

On the A-side of this 12”, Brazilian vocalist Guida De Palma (known for her vocal appearances with Da Lata and Kyoto Jazz Massive, as well as her own outfit Jazzinho) throws in a sultry chanteuse intro that curves around clavinet keyboards and flutes before launching suddenly into breakneck samba, furious percussion rolls and spiraling keyboards providing a rhythmic bed for De Palma’s acrobatic vocals. Finn Peters’ ‘Aldeia de Ogum’ drops the pace slightly for an airy instrumental cruise that’s underpinned by lithe samba percussion, elastic bass guitar, jazzy piano fills and flecks of gentle acoustic guitar bathed in twisting flute melodies, while his second offering here ‘Feminina’ underpins some jazzy piano melodies with a shuffling samba beat whilst layering various flutes through the mix, turning the lounge vibes up slightly, resulting in a more downtempo nocturnal moment that glistens with feathery latin guitar.

On the flip, Mariana Feo’s ‘Take It Easy My Brother Charles’ takes things in a vocal-led band arrangement direction that calls to mind Bebel Gilberto, with Feo’s teasing Brazilian vocal glides effortlessly against a backing of swinging latin rhythms, lazy piano and rich brass – apparently, it’s originally taken from a release titled ‘The Ipanema Set’, which seems a more than appropriate title for this saucy blend of slightly retro vocals and big band vibes.

An excellent 12” vinyl sampler from Club Brasil, with four tropical-tinged offerings that are guaranteed to have listeners pining for the beaches of Rio – in my opinion, Finn Peters’ ‘Aldeia de Ogum’ is the standout track here, but the quality is solid all the way through and fans of the likes of Bebel Gilberto and Airto Moreira really can’t go wrong. Recommended.