The Swinger From Rio, The Beat of Brazil

As the weather gets colder for many of us, and we sloooowly descend into the gaping maw of the holiest time of the year, and by "holiest" I mean "most irritating", where we begin to feel that with just one more pa-rum-pah-pah-pum it's "over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go with flares bought at Home Depot strapped to our chests..."

Anyway! Our icy and shivering thoughts turn to the beaches of Rio and light summer breezes and scantily clad beauties, what better soundtrack for these blissful reveries than a Brasil '66-less Sergio Mendes, courtesy of It's Coming Out of Your Speaker. It's a 2-for-one deal, the complete "Swinger From Rio" (1966) and "Beat of Brazil" from 1967, all in one easy download. Sergio is joined by Antonio Carlos Jobim on guitar, Hubert Laws flute, Phil Woods alto, Art Farmer trumpet on Swinger From Rio, nice stuff indeed.

Aaah. I think the Carol of the Bells is finally starting to jar loose from my consciousness. Thanks, Sergio.