$39.00
“One of the finest Brazilian jazz funk fusion albums ever recorded; thoroughly deserving of its cult status. First official reissue outside of Brazil. Cesar Camargo Mariano is a celebrated Brazilian jazz pianist, composer and producer, born in Sao Paulo in the 1940’s. He has played and worked with the likes of Elis Regina (to whom he was married at one point), Som Tres and Sambalanco Trio and still plays very regularly today.
‘Sao Paulo Brasil’ saw Mariano and co. step deep into jazz funk/fusion territory – and nail it. Tight, tough drum grooves, intricate arrangements, layers of synthesisers, percussion and FX transport and tell a story from the first beat. Official Mr Bongo reissue. Licensed from Sony Music.” – Mr Bongo
Item description:
Artist: |
Ceasar Mariano & Cia. |
Title: |
Sao Paulo . Brasil |
Label: |
Mr Bongo |
Format: |
Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue |
Pressing: |
UK |
Release Date: |
This reissue: 29th November 2018 | Original: 1977 |
Genre: |
Jazz, Funk / Soul |
Style: |
Jazz-Funk, Fusion |
Catalog No: |
MRBLP183 |
Condition: |
New |
$39.00
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 the album’s groove. Forming in 1951, they helped to make jazz popular in Japan after World War II. Yamamoto's flute lines weave over the heavy brass sound and groove, creating an MPS label blending of funky jazz and Japanese vibes. The closest comparison would be Dorothy Ashby's grooviest albums for Chess / Cadet – substituting Yamamoto’s flute for the harp. - Mr Bongo
Label: Mr Bongo – MRBLP214 |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Gatefold |
Country: UK |
Released: 27 Sep 2019 |
Genre: Jazz, Funk / Soul, Folk, World, & Country |
Style: Jazz-Funk, Big Band, Soul-Jazz, Smooth Jazz |
$48.00
Mr Bongo
Tadao Sawai, Kazue Sawai, Takeshi Inomata, Norio Maeda, Hozan Yamamoto – Jazz Rock
$48.00
Originally released in 1973, the record sounds simultaneously vintage and contemporary. It is akin to something Madlib might dream up whilst lost in Japan collaborating with Min'yō players at a recording session. The record features some amazing shakuhachi (bamboo flute) playing by Hozan Yamamoto, which gives the music a haunting, dreamlike atmosphere. You can almost visualise the long grass blowing in the wind, and hear the bamboo rustling in the distance on a long hot summer’s day. Takeshi Inomata, Tadao Sawai and Kazue Sawai anchor the session. Takeshi’s exceptionally funky-drum work will almost certainly get some producers dusting off and firing up their MPC's. Whilst Kazue and Tadao work their magic on the koto (a traditional string instrument).
Though certainly not an ambient record, 'Jazz-Rock' has the same meditative, other-worldly quality that invites you to sit back, listen and be transported somewhere else. Unfortunately, until now the 'Jazz Rock' album is a scarcity that commanded a high price-tag only for the most hardened of record collectors. So it is pleasure to make it accessible to all, and we hope you dig this lost, obscure future-classic as much as we do. – Mr Bongo
Label: Mr Bongo – MRBLP-204 |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo, Gatefold |
Country: UK |
Released: 17 Jul 2020 |
Genre: Jazz, Folk, World, & Country |
Style: Min'yō, Jazz-Rock |
$39.00
There is something simultaneously both brand-new and retro about 'All News Is Good News’ - the debut album from Melbourne's instrumental soul group Surprise Chef. It sounds like something dreamt up by lo-fi cousins of David Axelrod and Janko Nilovic, with dramatic Library-music-esque cinematic arrangements echoing both light and dark, delving into moments of dissonance and positivity. There is a meticulous education of 1970’s soul on display that touches on the legacies of the great composer / producers, yet at the same time, this is a truly contemporary record that could have only been made now.
Formed at the end of 2017, Surprise Chef have grown within the fertile, creative, and supportive Melbourne music scene. Whilst the band is comprised of four core members, the album features friends and family as guest instrumentalists on flute, saxophone, vibraphone, congas, and assorted percussion; all adeptly recorded by engineer Henry Jenkins from the band Karate Boogaloo. The warm-raw-authenticity of the album was captured in the recordings live to tape over a handful of sessions in the band’s home studio in Melbourne’s inner-northern suburb of Coburg. As band member Lachlan Stuckey explains “All of the music we record is tracked live to tape, simply because so many of the records we love most were made that way". – Mr Bongo
Label: Mr Bongo – MRBLP202 |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Reissue |
Country: UK |
Released: 10 Jul 2020 |
Genre: Funk / Soul |
Style: Funk |
$39.00
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 adopting a persona - hustler and B-Boy respectively - that they maintain against an unusual swirling backdrop that must be one of the best instrumentals ever committed to wax.
The original Tartown Record pressing was limited to 500 copies, a mere test pressing in the eyes of the assembled artists, with scarcity further driven by Basquiat’s rising rep in the art world. Those few hundred copies – and a subsequent re-release on Profile Records (the same label where K-Rob played out the rest of his brief career) – punched well above their weight in terms of lasting influence.
Consider the early vocal tones of the Beastie Boys (who also sampled the track), or the huge part it played in the sound of Cypress Hill and B-Real. His voice is almost homage to Rammellzee’s on ‘Beat Bop’, while they also lifted the chorus of ‘Shoot ‘Em Up’ and even a sample of ‘Cypress Hill’ from the track too. It’s unsurprising – this is a multi-layered, complex song that reveals a little more of itself each time you play it but remains damn funky.
This reissue boasts the vocal and instrumental versions in full, as well as both the full cover and label artwork from the original Tartown Release. – Mr Bongo
Label: Mr Bongo – MRB12046 |
Format: Vinyl, 12", 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Limited Edition, Reissue |
Country: US |
Released: 20 Nov 2020 |
Genre: Hip Hop |
$39.00
1967 album from the legendary Brazilian singer, composer & producer, Marcos Valle. Arranged by Eumir Deodato. Superior high-quality audio reproduction - mastered from original tapes. - Linear Notes | Mr Bongo
Label: Mr Bongo – MRBLP215, Odeon – MRBLP215 |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue |
Country: UK |
Released: 14 Feb 2020 |
Genre: Latin |
Style: Bossanova, Samba |
$39.00
Official Mr Bongo Reissue | Highlife & straight up funky Musiq
Extremely hard-to-obtain LP from the Ghanaian master composer, producer and musician. Originally released in 1982 by the WEA International label and then again in Germany in 1985 by Ambolley himself; this is one of his finest albums in our opinion.
’Ambolley’ fuses Highlife, disco and boogie sonics perfectly and features the anthemic club cut, ‘Highlife’, that we have spinning for a while – always does the job! - Mr Bongo
Label: Mr Bongo – MRBLP205 |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue |
Country: UK |
Released: 2019 |
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul, Folk, World, & Country |
Style: African, Boogie, Calypso, Disco, Funk, Highlife |
$39.00
"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’ form. Recorded during what was arguably his most creative period.
David Byrne found the record in Rio in the late 90’s and included several songs on his Tom Ze collection for Luaka Bop a few years later. At that time Tom was not recording or touring much; playing low-key shows in Sao Paulo and contemplating a move back to Irará to work at a service station owned by one of his cousins. Byrne’s project helped to reignite his career and he hasn’t looked back since." - Mr Bongo
Item description:
Artist: |
Tom Zé |
Title: |
Estudando O Samba |
Label: |
Mr Bongo
|
Format: |
Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue |
Country: |
UK
|
Release Date: |
Original: 1975 | This Reissue: 2019
|
Genre: |
|
Style: |
|
Catalog No: |
MRBLP190 |
Condition: |
New |
$39.00
Seminal funk-rock album originally released on Rare Earth in 1970. Featuring the monster breakbeat on 'The Sorcerer Of Isis’. Formed in Detroit in 1968, Power of Zeus became the first rock band to be signed by Motown subsidiary label, Rare Earth. The group drew inspiration from British hard rock and heavy metal giants like Cream, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin when they created this well-produced, seminal post-hard rock album.
After ‘The Gospel According to Zeus’, the group never made another album and the band slipped into obscurity, until it was discovered by the hip hop diggers. The break from "Sorcerer Of Isis" has been one of the most sampled in hip-hop music, including KRS-One, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Cyprus Hill, Tribe Called Quest and Eminem to name a few.
Half-speed mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios, London. Transferred from 2 x 1/4" analog reels at 192kHz/24-bit. – Mr Bongo
Label: Rare Earth – RS516, Mr Bongo – MRBLP187 |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Half Speed Mastered |
Country: UK |
Released: 13 Apr 2019 |
Genre: Rock |
Style: Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Classic Rock |
$45.00
The official Mr Bongo reissue!
A1. Eu Hoje Acordei Com A Luz Do Sol 2:50 / A2. Salamandras 4:44 / A3. Preludio Em Si Bemol Menor 1:50 / A4. Viver 3:15 / A5. Só 3:53 / A6. Sem Nome 3:35 // B1. Primitivo 5:40 / B2. Irracional 3:12 / B3. Papa-Mama 4:27 / B4. Imagem 3:12 / B5. Yélris 1:35
Brazilian arranger and composer Hareton Salvanini was born in Bauru and grew up in Campinas. S.P 73 is his first LP – he worked tirelessly with his right man and brother, Ayrton, was a theatre director. The 'Hareton + Meta' EP was written and recorded for one of Ayrton’s productions – Hareton wrote the music, Ayrton the lyrics – which was given out at performances. – Mr Bongo
Label: Mr Bongo – MRBLP137 |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Gatefold |
Country: UK |
Released: 2016 |
Genre: Jazz, Latin, Funk / Soul, Folk, World, & Country |
Style: MPB |
$39.00
The 1977 album from legendary Brazilian artist, Tim Maia. A fusion of soul, boogie, disco and MPB, featuring ‘E Necessario’.
Maia released over 30 albums during his extensive and well-publicised career, touching on funk, bossa nova, disco, MPB, rock, soul and jazz. He was a driving force behind the introduction of soul, funk and disco from the USA into Brazilian music styles and was hugely influential in the 'Black Rio' movement in Brazil in the early ’70's.
This, his 1977 album, that epitomises that fusion of sounds and styles. ‘E Necessario’ has been a favourite of ours for many years; included on our Brazilian Beats Brooklyn compilation and released as part of our Brazil 45’s series. – Mr Bongo
Label: Mr Bongo – MRBLP178 |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue |
Country: UK |
Released: 26 Oct 2018 |
Genre: Latin, Funk / Soul |
Style: Soul, Disco, Boogie, MPB |
$45.00
Daylight Savings is the second full-length album by Melbourne's cinematic soul journeymen Surprise Chef. Recorded over a weekend in Surprise Chef's DIY analogue studio (dubbed The College Of Knowledge), Daylight Savings expands on the dramatic 1970s cinematic soul sound established on their acclaimed first album, 2019's All News Is Good News. Created in Spring 2019, just as the jasmine bush in the backyard of the College Of Knowledge was coming to full bloom, Daylight Savings is filled with the optimism and hope that comes with the impending long, warm evenings after a dreary Melbourne winter. - Bandcamp
Label: Mr Bongo – MRBLP208 |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album |
Country: UK & Europe |
Released: 15 Oct 2020 |
Genre: Funk / Soul |
Style: Funk |
$39.00
Célia Regina Cruz 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. Célia was a Brazilian vocalist who worked frequently with master arranger-composer Arthur Verocai in her early years and many other heavyweights over the course of her extensive career.
This, her second self-titled LP from 1972, features an all-star line up including Arthur Verocai, Erasmo Carlos, Roberto Carlos, Marcos Valle, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Nonato Buzar and Vinicius de Moraes amongst others.
Célia’s version of ‘Na Boca do Sol’ – taken from this album – is arguably her most well-known and well-loved song. An incredible take on Verocai’s original, featuring waling fuzz guitars, strings, piano, horns and drums.
Needless to say clean, original versions of this record now change hands for silly money! We are very proud to be able to reissue it officially, at long last.
Official Mr Bongo reissue. Replica original gatefold artwork. Licensed from Warner Music. - Mr Bongo
Label: Mr Bongo – MRBLP188 |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue |
Country: UK |
Released: 2019 |
Genre: Latin |
Style: MPB |
$45.00
Visions was almost entirely performed and recorded in one take during an intense studio session. The record is a partly-composed, partly-improvised suite of free-flowing music intended to be enjoyed as a complete body of work. Tavares plays piano and guitar, Whitty the saxophone and flute, and the duo are joined by Julian Anderson-Bowes on bass and Matthew Chalmers on drums.
Matthew Tavares and Leland Whitty are Grammy-winning artists and achieved international acclaim with BADBADNOTGOOD; Tavares was one of the band’s founders before amicably departing in 2019, whilst Whitty remains an active member. Beyond BADBAD, the pair’s credits include music with Kendrick Lamar, Little Simz, Kali Uchis and Kaytranada, plus Tavares' 2018 debut solo album Déjàvu and production work for Travis Scott, Justin Bieber, Post Malone, Camilla Cabello and others. - Mr Bongo
Label: Mr Bongo – MRBLP206 |
Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, Album |
Country: USA & Europe |
Released: 2020 |
Genre: Jazz |
$39.00
Super-funky business from Nigerian-born multi-instrumentalist, Peter King; fuses funk, jazz and highlife vibrations. ‘Omo Lewa’ follows his ‘Miliki Sound’ album, also available on Mr Bongo. Recorded in London, originally released in 1976 by Orbitone, this is one of his finest records.
Released November 8, 2019 Licensed from Clinton Roberts.
Official Mr Bongo reissue. – Mr Bongo
Label: Mr Bongo – MRBLP102 |
Format: Vinyl, LP |
Country: UK |
Released: 2016 |
Genre: Jazz, Funk / Soul |
Style: Highlife, Jazz-Funk, Afrobeat |
$39.00
First official reissue of hidden-gem album by Lagos-based bandleader Shina Williams. Shina Williams ‘Agboju Logun’ was a ground-breaking fusion of afrobeat, electronics, boogie and disco. First released on Phonodisk in 1979 as part of the ‘African Dances’ album, then in 1984 as an alternative version on Rough Trade’s Earthwork off-shoot, it has gone on to attain cult-like status.
So it remains a bit of a mystery how so little has been documented about the follow-up. Shina’s self-titled album was originally released on Help Records in 1980. It differs from the upfront afro-disco-funk of ‘African Dances’ as it diverts into deeper, hypnotic, afro-beat territory. Though listed as a six-track album, each side (composing of 3 tracks) is built-upon one continuous groove with call and response female & male vocals and instrumental solos coming and going as each side progresses. The results are raw, hypnotic, locked-in grooves, which sit perfectly on forward-thinking contemporary dancefloors. – Light In The Attic
Label: World Circuit – WCV091 |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album |
Country: UK & Europe |
Released: 2015 |
Genre: Funk / Soul, Folk, World, & Country |
Style: African |
$39.00
'Extremely hard-to-find Ghanaian LP from legendary musician Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, originally released in 1980. Tough Highlife, funk and boogie moods with added synthesizer! Ambolley is still actively touring today, keeping these vibes alive – he will be touring Europe throughout 2019.' This is the third Gyedu Blay Ambolley LP that we have reissued on Mr Bongo, following on from his seminal ‘Ambolley’ and ‘Simigwa’ recordings.' - Mr Bongo
Label: Mr Bongo – MRBLP199 |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue |
Country: UK & Europe |
Released: 2019 |
Genre: Funk / Soul, Folk, World, & Country |
Style: African, Highlife, Afrobeat, Funk |
$39.00
Tough, mid-tempo Ghanaian funk & Highlife grooves from Ebo Taylor Junior, son of the mighty Ebo Taylor. Originally released in 1978; now extremely difficult and expensive to find in its original form. Today Ebo Taylor Jnr plays keys in his fathers band that continues to tour when he is able to. – Light In The Attic
Label: Mr Bongo – MRBLP210 |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue |
Country: UK |
Released: 06 Sep 2019 |
Genre: Reggae, Funk / Soul, Children's, Folk, World, & Country |
Style: Afrobeat, Funk, Highlife, Rocksteady, African |
$39.00
London “tropical punk” band The Skints have been making some waves the past few months with their most recent release Swimming Lessons. I can’t help but be thoroughly impressed with this album from start to finish. With its outstanding use of musical flavors such as reggae, soul, dubstep, punk, ragga, and rap, it all ties together effortlessly. In fact, so effortlessly that one doesn’t really quite realize that all these genres are being integrated into one soundscape experience. Swimming Lessons is a beautifully crafted project that puts together dark, thoughtful lyricism with intricate use of musicianship. It is a fusion of musical genres that displays political yet personal messages.
Moments like “Learning to Swim” dive us into a delightful reggae and punk experience. It is the perfect start to Swimming Lessons as it introduces all the beautiful experiences we will hear for the remainder of this 14-track journey. “Gets on Top” is sure to be a crowd favorite with its infectious use of rap and island flair. We get into a different kind of territory when we hear instant classics such as “What Did I Learn Today?” and “The Island,” where some of the island muse takes a back seat to advance the punk aesthetic. This isn’t a bad thing, as it serves as a pleasant pallet cleanser, showing that the band is capable of producing a really great rock record. Overall, this album is a huge success in more ways than one. Its combination of tropical, rock, and rap genres keeps the record interesting which delivers a melodic, rhythmic adventure force to be contended with. –Spill Magazine
Label: Mr Bongo – MRBLP212 |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Blue |
Country: UK |
Released: 10 May 2019 |
Genre: Reggae |
Style: Ska |
$39.00
"Originally released by RGE in 1970 in Brazil, ‘É Ferro Na Boneca!’ features 13-songs composed by Luiz Galvão and Moraes Moreira. This record shows the roots of the group, moving through psychedelics, edgey pop, rock and Tropicália.
After writing ‘É Ferro Na Boneca!’ their music began to move towards MPB due to the influence of João Gilberto, who began working with the group. In 1972 they released their incredible ‘Acabou Chorare’ LP, which came top of Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of 100 Greatest Brazilian Records (published in 2007)." - Mr Bongo
Label: Mr Bongo – MRBLP196 |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue |
Country: US |
Released: 28 Jun 2019 |
Genre: Rock, Latin, Funk / Soul, Folk, World, & Country |
Style: Psychedelic |
$39.00
Classic Brazilian album from master drummer, Ronald Mesquita, originally released in 1972. Featuring songs by Jorge Ben, Antonio Carlos-Jobim, Gilberto Gil, Edu Lobo and others.
Mesquita is probably most well-known for playing with Luis Carlos Vinhas and his ‘Bossa Tres’ outfit, along with his own group, ‘Ronie E A Central Do Brasil’, that he formed after his return from the US in the early 1970’s. He also played on several songs on Tenorio Jr.’s ‘Embalo’ album that we recently reissued. - Mr Bongo
Label: Mr Bongo – MRBLP192, Barclay – 920.398 |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue |
Country: UK |
Released: 2019 |
Genre: Latin, Funk / Soul |
Style: Bossanova |
$39.00
Hard-to-obtain, vintage highlife from three true giants of the sound; Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas & Uhuru Yenzu. Originally released in 1982. In 'Hitsville Re-Visited', the mighty trio add a dose of uptempo funk into traditional highlife grooves. The legendary Ebo Taylor was involved in many funk and highlife records to emerge from Ghana in the 70's and 80's. He worked with bands such as Apagya Show Band, C.K. Mann as well as Pat Thomas, on this, and several other records. – Mr Bongo | Bandcamp
Label: Mr Bongo – MRBLP177 |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue |
Country: UK & Europe |
Released: 2019 |
Genre: Folk, World, & Country |
Style: African, Highlife |
$39.00
“Record collectors, producers and crate diggers like a good creation myth, and Skull Snaps’ self-titled ‘debut’ had it all. A mysterious funk trio, who recorded one album under a curious name, housed it in a sleeve that looked more like a proto-metal album, and released it through a label (GSF Records) that folded shortly afterwards? Everything pointed towards the Skull Snaps album as a single totemic object, packaged in a way that predicted its own disinterment almost twenty-five years later.
For those who sampled it, myth maintenance was advantageous, both for their reputations and for their consciences. Likewise, an unsanctioned 1995 reissue on Charley Records removed the credits from the inner sleeve to further sever the record from its context - or perhaps because the label couldn’t quite face using the names of artists they had no intention of paying. Either way, owning the record was a right of passage, as Amir Abdullah once wrote: “If you don't have Skull Snaps in your collection, your collection is weak."” - Mr Bongo
Item description:
Artist: |
Skull Snaps |
Title: |
Skull Snaps |
Label: |
Mr Bongo |
Format: |
Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
Pressing: |
UK |
Release Date: |
This reissue: 12th October 2018 | Original: 1973 |
Genre: |
Funk / Soul |
Style: |
Soul, Funk |
Catalog No: |
MRBLP184, GFS-S-1011 |
Condition: |
New |