About this item

This one takes us back! We originally reissued Waltel Branco's 'Meu
Balanço' in 1995, it was one of the frst releases to come out on Mr Bongo
It is a much-requested title with original copies becoming ever more-scarce and the price tag increasingly rising, so it feels ftting to present this stunning record once again for all to enjoy. Waltel Branco was born in Paranaguá, Brazil in 1929 and died in Rio de Janeiro in 2018. During his triumphant career he accumulated an impressive musical portfolio. A true maestro who from the 1950s onwards appeared on productions as a guitarist, writer, conductor, composer, and arranger. He worked with some of the greats of Brazilian music including Elis Regina, Dom Um Romao, Bossa Três, Marcos Valle and Tony Bizarro to name just a few. 'Meu Balanço' was originally released on CBS Records Brazil in 1975. It is Brazilian big band, orchestrated jazz-funk at its finest. Echoing the library and film productions created in Europe and the USA at the time, it also displays the hallmarks of Waltel's heritage with distinct threads of Brazilian favour running throughout. The musicians on the record include under- the- radar players that were the backbone of the Brazilian music industry in the 1970s including Luizão Maia on bass, Edmundo Maciel on trombone and Paulinho Braga on drums. The album firts between jazz-funk, cinematic library excursions, breaks and beats, easy- listening, and 70s cop show instrumentals. It is a breezy ride into Waltel's world, wonderfully nostalgic and of another time and place, yet snippets of the production echo the beats of contemporary hip-hop iconic artists such as Madlib, knxwledge and The Alchemist. Brazilian jazz-funk at its finest from an iconic composer.

TRACK LISTING

1. Luar Do Sertão
2. Sonho No Céu
3. Meu Balanco
4. Lady Samba
5. Apenas Um Coração Solitário
6. Jael
7. Walking
8. Satiricon
9. Carmen
10. Meiguice
11. Petit Fils
12. Zoraia