Cherry Red's Él imprint is home to some of the most diverse reissues and compilations. This single-disc collection is a case in point, focusing as it does on liberal samplings from some of Brazil's most important guitar stylists. The most obvious and popular guitar giants from Brazil are
Luiz Bonfá and
Baden Powell; each man was a master technician and brilliant composer. That said, while some of the tracks chosen for this set are well known globally, others are more curious -- though equally satisfying ones. The six pieces by
Bonfa include "Marajo" and "Island of Trinidade," while "Insônia," "Fluido de Saudade," and "Prelúdio ao Coração" are among the nine whopping tracks by
Powell.
João Gilberto and
Carlos Barbosa-Lima have one each, while
Laurindo Almeida has three, including his gorgeous reading of
Ravel's "Pavane Pour une Infante Défunte" (Pavane for a Dead Princess).
Dilermando Reis also has three, including his signature "Na Baixa do Sapateiro" (In the Shoemaker's Hollow), and nylon-string maestro
Garoto closes the set with five, including the mysterious "Inspiração." This is not a definitive volume of Brazilian guitar styles, but it is a pleasing one. ~ Thom Jurek