BANDA BLACK RIO Vinyl & CDs

Review: Brazilian heavyweights Seu Jorge, Marcio Local, Elza Soares and Cesar Camargo Mariano all make up the legendary Banda Black Rio band. This was their much anticipate comeback album originally put out in 2001. Far Out have now secured reissue rights and serve up a special edition with two tracks that have never previously been on vinyl. They are 'Irere (feat. Gilberto Gil)' and 'Aos Pes Do Redentor (feat. Caetano Veloso)' and they sit with silky jazz-soul gems like 'Louis Lane' and contemporary samba jams like 'Samba Nova' with some exquisite guitar playing.

Review: For the latest release on their on-point Brasil 45s sub-label, Mr Bongo takes a trip back to 1977, and the early days of legendary fusion outfit Banda Black Rio. Both the cuts here are taken from the band's brilliant debut album, Maria Fumaca, and see them fusing Brasilian samba and jazz sounds with the righteous, dancefloor-friendly grooves of funk and disco. "Maria Fumaca" itself is a deliciously sunny and sweaty affair, with punchy horns, eyes-closed guitar solos and jazz-funk electic piano lines rising above a carnival-ready samba-funk groove. The U.S funk influence comes to the fore more on flipside "Mr Funky Samba", which sounds like Azymuth jamming with members of the T.K Disco, Philadelphia International and Salsoul house bands. Yep, it's that good.