Mario Castro & Samba S.A Mario Castro & Samba S.A LP Vinyl

The Brazilian composer, pianist and producer, Mßrio Castro Neves and his group, Samba S. A.'s self-titled album from 1967 is oozing with class. It possesses that archetypal 60's bossa nova, jazz, samba sound. We'd place it up there with Sergio Mendes at his finest, Tambo Trio or Milton Banana. It's a breezy ride that touches on easy listening at times, but it holds it together with a cool swagger. The album has long been a favourite with DJs and collectors over the years, with songs selected for compilations by Gilles Peterson and Nicola Conte. One of the centrepieces of the album, 'Candombl?', has been sampled by Cut Chemist on his track 'Povo de Santo'. The song 'Na±a' is punchy and light with dancefloor-jazz appeal. The gloriously catchy 'Vem Balan?ar' is a brilliant bossa shuffler. A superb listen throughout, the album sticks to a framework but delivers in spades.

1. Candomblé 2. Yearning Lovers 3. Nanã 4. De Brincadeira 5. Bye Bye Blackbird 6. E Nada Mais 7. Keep Talking 8. Vem Balançar 9. Once More 10. Morte de Um Deus de Sal 11. TÁ Por Fora 12. Corcovado 13.