The Swinger From Rio: Favourites

Sergio Mendes and his group Brasil '66 created some of the best jet set pop ever heard. He is one of Brazil's most international musicans with a successful career that has spanned over five decades.

This compilation tries to cover the breadth of Mendes' reach and contributions. Primarily the works stem from four major albums with Brasil '66, including the massive hits "Mas Que Nada," "Chove Chuva," Tom Jobim's "One Note Samba," etc. Also from this period, though, are some interesting covers, from Cole Porter to Burt Bacharach and the Beatles. As a special treat beyond what the average greatest-hits album would include, a few tracks from much more recently in Mendes' career are presented. A cover of a hit for Djavan is here, as is a more recent Caetano Veloso number. The music has been preserved well, with productions cleaned up a bit for the release. Mendes is likely already on the shelves of Brazilian music fans, but this album may have a few nice additions even for them. Those who haven't heard "the Swinger from Rio" should find this album a worthwhile introduction as well.