I got this book quite some time ago. And I’ve leafed through it several times. I’ve never read it all the way through. But tonight I read a number of sections of the text, and spent longer than I’ve ever done before, perusing the images.
I have to confess that on my first viewing of this book I was rather disappointed. Looking at it now, I can still see why that is. But I also appreciate it better for what it is.
I’ve grouped some of my images together, out of sequence with how they appear in the book. These Tamba Trio covers, for example, are spreads out across the whole book. But I like gathering them together!
I guess I was kind of hoping for something akin to the Blue Note cover art books, or similar collections of jazz record covers. But Blue Note was a rather singular affair, and sets the bench very high, in terms of art, design, photography and typography. And that’s before you even get to the fabulous music!
* Turns out the answer is no. I have this:
I’m not as taken as the folk behind this book (who include famed DJ and jazz/Brazilian music buff Gilles Peterson) may be, with, for example, Cesar Villela, a designer who contributes a little essay to this book.
A number of Villela’s album cover designs are featured herein. But I don’t think I’ve included any of his stuff amongst the snaps I present here? Unlike some reviewers of this book, who love Villela’s work, it doesn’t do much for me.
It’s interesting, to me, that certain artists – The Tamba Trio and Milton Banana, for example – crop up repeatedly, and have consistently groovy covers. And I love their music! Whereas other artists, such as Joyce, whilst included here twice – and I really love her music – yet I don’t like the covers enough to want to include them.
Most of the names of musicians I am familiar with. But a few I’m not. The names of the designers and record label folk are more less all new to me. And it’s interesting to read about this side of music production in this period. The book, incidentally (as the cover subtitle say), deals just with the sixties.
This was a time when Brazil came out of a quite liberal progressive era, only to wind up under a less open-minded military dictatorship for a number of years.
The next few covers, I’ve grouped together because these are the few albums featured in this book that I have. And for continuity’s sake, I start/continue with Edison; fab cover, okay music. Edison Machado and Milton Banana are both very highly regarded a Brazilian Drummer’s.
Banana – what a name! – is credited with inventing or defining the bossa nova drum rhythm (now a universal phenomenon), via his playing on Joao Gilberto’s early recordings. And of the two, Machado and Banana – based on what I know of their work this far – I’m more of a banana man!
Most of the music in this book that I have in my collection is in CD format. Only the Joao Gilberto one is vinyl. The Marcos Valle album above, I got as a Japanese import, via the US (dustygroove.com). Very expensive! At the time that was the only way to get some of this stuff. Since then, at least with Valle, a lot of stuff has seen wider re-issuing.
Quarteto Novo were absolutely amazing. As is this album. The only one they made. With Hermeto Pascoal (flute, etc) and Airto Moreira (drums/percussion), plus Theo de Barros (bass/guitar), and Heraldo do Monte (guitar).
I’ve got several Milton Banana albums on CD, including Balançado. I don’t have the two further up this post, or the one below. Or rather, I don’t have albums with these covers. I rather suspect I may have some of the music. But packaged differently.
I have some Nara Leao. But not the above. It’s quite bold, having only her image, and no typography or info’ whatsoever. A rare thing in any market.
Several of the next discs are striking album covers from Brazilian artists I’m not familiar with. Mind, I might have heard them, if they appear on any of the several Braz/Latin compilations I have a fair few of.
The above is the one of the very few record cover that occurs both in this book and in Charles Gavin’s 25 picks for The Som Livre 50th Anniversary reissue series. Whilst it’s bold and colourful, and I chose to include it here, it’s not a favourite. It’s fun, but rather dated.
Several Os Catedraticos/Eumir Deadato releases feature in this book. But this is only one I’ve snapped. Again, like the Decisão one, it’s striking – I like the pencil depressing the piano-key motif – but not a favourite.
All in all? A good book. Well worth having if you’re passionate about music of this era from Brazil. Which I certainly am. Not quite as groovy as I’d anticipated. With numerous albums, or covers, I might’ve expected to see not appearing. And some choices – quite a few – that just don’t align with my tastes.
But very good nevertheless. I’ll have to read the rest of the text next!
To finish, a couple of covers I’d expected to find here, but didn’t:
