After 20 years, Rainer Trüby fishes deep in Brazilian/Latin tinged music and makes us more than glücklich (happy) for a new edition of Glücklich, Compost’s classic and mega-selling series.
It only took a little over 20 years since the last instalment but a classic and much-loved compilation series is “de volta” in a very big way. And a two-decade break means that when you come back, you’d better come back strong, but of course this is Rainer Truby we’re talking about here and trust me, he’s got a serious bag of Brazilian and Brazilian-flavoured goodies for all good boys and girls! Some of them were buried on obscure CDs ignored by vinyl collectors, several have escaped being compiled until now and all of them (to use one of the most tired clichés always used by reviewers and liner note writers about albums like this) will make your summers very pleasant and happy indeed. “Adericó” is yet another miraculous tune from the pen of the great and somewhat mysterious José Prates, the man responsible for the 1958 Tam…Tam…Brasil LP that set off such a frenzy in the vinyl- collector world a few years ago. Later based in Europe, primarily Germany, Prates continued producing Brazil-themed stage shows filled with incredible songs, and this one from 1979, released on an LP entitled Festa Brasileira and credited to the “Matheus Combo,” is one of the very best. German keyboardist Christian Knobel only released one LP, 1982’s Chakrawakam, but it’s a really good one highlighted by the extended jazz-samba workout “Sambomambo.”
“Hallo Höppel ” is a funky-scat highlight of Wütrio’s sought-after self-titled second LP from 1987 which sits beautifully here among the rest of this comp. The full album has recently been reissued and is well worth checking out. “Brother Samba” by the Midnight Gigolos seems to magically materialise out of a beachside fever dream, all sexy, sinuous and insinuating. Please pass me a cool and tasty drink! And get one for yourself so we can drink a toast to the memory of the great Marcia Maria, who following a sought-after LP in her native Brasil in 1978 moved to Paris where she became a mainstay on the local scene for decades. “Brasil Nativo ” (by Danilo Caymmi and Paulo César Pinheiro) is the brilliant title track of her third LP and second made as a resident of France.
Debbie Cameron (born in Miami of Bahamian parentage and a Danish resident much of her adult life) and Richard Boone (ex-Basie trombonist and singer who also moved to Copenhagen) made a classic under-the-radar soul-jazz duo album in Denmark in 1978 (Brief Encounter) that was produced by Kenny Drew and Sahib Shihab and from which the cult hit “Stop Fooling’ Yourself” is taken. Sweden’s A Bossa Elétrica belongs to that particularly European tradition of bands formed by local musicians and/or DJs that are steeped in vintage Brazilian MPB but that also belong to the modern dance/club/remix culture, and usually feature a female Brazilian vocalist.
Their percussive, Portuguese-translated 2011 take on the Roy Ayers mega-classic (“Sob A Luz Do Sol”) has made the rounds in the clubs for years and seemed like it had been waiting for a new instalment of Glücklich! Guillermo Reuter’s “Mr. Jenkins’ ‘ is an exclusive to this album provided by Mr. Reuter himself from a 1974 one-man-band home-studio experiment that finds him ably exploring the rhythmic mysteries of samba. The very “vintage” hissiness stems from the fact that he forgot to apply Dolby noise reduction when making the transfer to cassette.
Despite this the recording has weathered the decades shockingly well. Something else that has aged exceptionally well is legendary French bassist and notorious Brazilophile Jean-Marc Jafet’s 1985 Dolores album. For some reason, however, listeners familiar with the original LP who failed to pick up the CD reissue in 1999 missed one of the album’s absolute best tracks, the amazing “Offering,” which was inexplicably left off the original release. Thankfully, this incredible track finally makes its vinyl debut here.
But the very special treats don’t stop there…not by a long shot! Jon Lucien’s highly sought-after one- off collaboration with the legendary team of Robson Jorge and Lincoln Olivetti, originally only released on a 1983 Brazil-only 7″, is finally now more widely accessible and on an LP for the first time ever. Slinky, soulful and seductive, it genuinely captures everything great about Lucien and the Olivetti/Jorge duo that fans of both acts revere so much, and being able to include it here is a real coup that deserves a round of applause. More applause still is in order for the inclusion of a secret gem heretofore known to…hardly anyone at all, a situation which is now set to change drastically. Grupo Ébano’s self-titled 1997 CD is one of those miracles that make the listener believe in miracles if nothing else. For what we have here is an exquisitely-arranged gospel/Christian album with intricate and extremely sophisticated vocal arrangements and songwriting. These five Afro-Brazilian ladies’ material and arrangements are provided by a talented musician named Gil Miranda and the album is firmly in the musical tradition set forth by the likes of Quarteto Em Cy. If “Pé No Chão” doesn’t make you feel happy to be alive perhaps you should start planning your funeral. First time on vinyl!
Sonzeira, one of any number of projects Gilles Peterson has been responsible for over the years, has only released one album so far (legendary and younger Brazilian artists tackling international DJ favourites) but the sessions proved so productive and inspiring that a double CD of outtakes and remixes later emerged. Two versions of “The Mystery Of Man” are on that but this fantastic remix by Truccy is not and more than deserves to be included on the embarrassment of riches that is this long- awaited and rather thrilling new instalment of Glücklich. Enjoy! – GREG CAZ – Studio 151 – NYC
The cover features a car, emblematic of this release – the VW Volkswagen SP2 manufactured in Brazil between 1972 and 1976.
Stream and purchase ‘Glücklich VI’ HERE
Press release courtesy of Only Good Stuff
