There’s No Better Time Of Year To Celebrate Brazilian Jazz
The Brazilian Harvest Music Showcase ’25 gathers up the best of Brazil’s musical creativity. Handpicked songs destined for your personal playlist!
Presented by AccuRadio
Brazilian Harvest Music Showcase ’25
Earth tones and golden hues are nature’s way to brightly move those of us on this side of the equator from summer to winter. Happily, we have the warmth of Bossa Nova and Brazilian jazz to help us along the way.
This edition of The Brazilian Harvest Music Showcase is a special one. Ten years ago, Connect Brazil’s first video music showcase made its Autumnal debut by bringing Brazilian music fans a cornucopia of 2015’s top tunes.
This year, Brazilian music’s crowded field has yielded its own bumper crop of great music. Everything from Samba to Urban Bossa. From Iceland to Rio.
We keep growing, too. This summer, we debuted Connect Brazil’s Music Charts. Explore them here and listen to the music on our 15 streaming channels and on our live streaming station at Connect Brazil.
Yep, we sure know how to pick ‘em! After all, it’s harvest time!
There’s a lot to enjoy with this Showcase. You’re welcome to share it with your friends. Then, reach out to these musicians on their socials to say “thank you”!
Scott Adams, Midday Host
The Sounds of Brazil’s streaming station at Connect Brazil
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- Watch for December’s Best Of Brazilian Music Showcase ’25!
Brazilian Harvest Music Showcase ’25
Michael Ross | ‘Agua De Beber’ from the EP The Tribute
Leave it to Chicago’s Michael Ross to revisit a storied evergreen from the Antonio Carlos Jobim songbook. And do it in such a way that it is sure to bring a smile. Just as he did with 2023’s chart-topping ‘Secret Entrance To Your Heart‘, Ross’s rendition of ‘Agua De Beber’ (Water To Drink) is an inspired reinvention.
The unique arrangement pulls you into the moment, then sweeps you into the chorus; it’s like hearing this Jobim standard for the first time.
‘Agua De Beber’ opens Michael Ross’s The Tribute EP, which sets an aquatic tone by including a smooth jazz reworking of Joe Sample’s ‘A Rainy Day In Monterey’. Interestingly, both songs have strong American jazz connections with Brazil.
- You’ll find the complete story, along with Michael’s surprising (and legendary) inspiration for ‘Agua De Beber’ here.
Michael Ross
Buy it here: Amazon Music | Linktree
Listen free: XODO | New Music: Brazil | Bossa Nova Love Affair | Our Streaming Station
Laufey | ‘Lover Girl’
Are you a regular listener to our live streaming station and the 14 channels we program here in Chicago? Maybe you’ve already picked up on this carefully worded idea: Bossa Nova is once again trending towards pop music, just like it did in the ’60s.
Leading the way – and riding the charts – is Laufey, the 26-year-old jazz singer from Iceland who won last year’s Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. Laufey loves Bossa Nova (she lists Astrud Gilberto as an influence), and she regularly puts a BN spin on a previously released Gen Z hit. Like 2024’s ‘From The Start‘, which made the Best of Brazilian Music Showcase.
That’s the case with ‘Lover Girl’, whose storyline hints that Bossa Nova was the intended destination all along: I’m in a reckless fever. Love-struck girl, I’d tease her. Thought I’d never be her, quite the job you’ve done on me, sir.
These days, we could all use a relaxing Bossa Nova love song. So go ahead, push ‘play’!
Laufey
Buy Lover Girl here: Amazon Music
Listen free: Cafe Copacabana | New Music: Brazil | Bossa Nova Love Affair | Sunday Brazilian Brunch | Our Streaming Station | Women of Brazilian Song
Gilberto Gil with Marisa Monte | ‘A Paz’
Harvest time! A bit of poetic license reminds us that farming and prepping for a live performance can actually have a lot in common. The seed is planted. Nurtured and cultivated. Hopefully, the results will be bountiful. Especially when expectations are high.
That was the case when 17,000 fans crowded into Rio de Janeiro’s Farmasi Arena for the opening night of Gilberto Gil’s farewell concert tour. Fans were overjoyed as Gil opened up his songbook for six decades of musical memories.
Ten, fifteen, then twenty songs were met with rapturous applause. But it was at the end of the 22nd song that the evening blossomed into something truly spectacular.
That’s when Marisa Monte joined Gil on stage to sing one of Brazil’s most inspiring and beautifully serene songs, ‘A Paz’ (Peace).
Read our story on that night: It brings you into the middle of it all!
Gilberto Gil
Marisa Monte
Buy ‘A Paz’ here: Amazon
Listen free on: Bossa Nova Love Affair | Preciso Brazilian | New Music: Brazil | XODÓ! The Rhythm Of Life | Our Streaming Station
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Brazilian Harvest Music Showcase ’25
Eddie Daniels | ‘Vera Cruz’ from To Milton, With Love
It’s risky business, taking on the responsibility of reimagining a landmark album. First, there are the inevitable comparisons. Next is finding an original voice that critics will recognize as worthy. And finally, will fans embrace its creative endeavor?
Risky.
Eddie Daniels’s To Milton, With Love is his instrumental tribute to Milton Nascimento’s 1969 recording, Courage. Daniels’s mastery of clarinet, flute, and saxophone checks that second box.
This is Daniels’s third tribute album dedicated to Brazil’s greatest songwriters, following 2018’s Heart of Brazil (honoring Egberto Gismonte) and 2020’s Night Kisses (honoring Ivan Lins). All three are produced by George Klabin and released on his Resonance Records label.
Recorded in Portuguese and English, and featuring keyboardists Herbie Hancock and Deodato, Courage challenged Brazilian pop by steering it towards American jazz.
- But there’s so much more to this album to enjoy. Let’s take you into the studio for the Producer’s Review of To Milton, With Love here.
Eddie Daniels
Buy ‘To Milton With Love’ here: Amazon
Listen free: Brazilian Jazz | The Milton Nascimento Channel | Brazilian Jazz Instrumentals | XODO | Our Streaming Station
Antonio Adolfo | ‘Vassourinhas’ from Carnaval – The Songs Were So Beautiful
For most of the world, Bossa Nova is Brazil’s musical trademark. But the ebb and flow of Brazilian emotion moves to the rhythm of Carnaval in its many forms. Well known for his thematic albums, Brazilian jazz pianist Antonio Adolfo presents a curated collection of timeless classics that truly reflect the magnificence of Carnaval’s rich musical tradition.
These nine songs cover 80 years of Carnaval’s cultural expression. From 1909’s ‘Vassourinhas’ (a frevo da rua that reflects Carnaval in the Brazilian Northeast) to 1984’s ‘Vai Passar’ (A Carnaval samba; Chico Buarque’s powerfully confident protest song in the waning days of Brazil’s dictatorship).
There’s eloquence in 1948’s ‘É Com Esse Que Eu Vou’, which went on to become one of Elis Regina’s greatest recordings. ‘A Lua É Dos Namorados’, finds Adolfo’s ensemble joyfully resurrecting the swinging carefree style that Angela Maria brought to the original recording in 1960.
A book could be written about Carnaval – The Songs Were So Beautiful. Many of Adolfo’s albums rightfully focus on his brilliance as an arranger. But here, it’s the songs that capture the spotlight. A lasting legacy for generations to appreciate.
Antonio Adolfo
Buy it here: Amazon Music | Antonio Adolfo Music
Listen free: Brazilian Jazz | Brazilian Jazz Instrumentals | New Music: Brazil | Our Streaming Station
SalDoce & Jorge Vercillo | ‘Bem Ou Mal’ from SalDoce
Meet SalDoce, the newly formed Rio trio that is quickly gaining attention with its distinctive sound: a breezy combination of pop and MPB. Fronted by vocalists Brenda Luce, Fernanda Francis, and Marianna Eis, SalDoce’s style quickly captured Brazilian ears with the release of the group’s debut EP in June, followed by their self-titled album a few weeks ago.
SalDoce came to our attention when they were tapped by Eric Benét to sing on his 2025 hit ‘Too Soon’.
During its heyday, MPB was magnificent! Today’s Brazilian pop stars are charting their own course. Will SalDoce rise to the top? A pinch of salt and a dash of sweet might be a winning recipe.
SalDoce
Buy it here: Amazon
Listen free: XODO | New Music: Brazil | Women Of Brazilian Song | Our Streaming Station
Enjoying The Brazilian Harvest Music Showcase? Let us know!
Connect Brazil Recommends:
Brazilian Harvest Music Showcase ’25
Steve & Lori Rose Adorno | ‘Sergio’s Samba’ from Espirito: A Brazilian Music Fantasy
“We were in Italy, listening to Connect Brazil’s streaming station, and we thought, ‘Let’s record a Brazilian album!’” That’s Steve and Lori Rose Adorno from earlier this year, sharing their excitement for Espirito. Here’s a buoyant and energetic collection of 11 songs that uniquely embrace a concept that other recordings often fail to acknowledge: The musical joy that comes with being a fan!
For the Adornos, this positivity comes naturally. Steve has three Gold and two Platinum Records as the drummer for G.Q., including ‘Disco Nights’ and ‘Boogie Oogie Oogie’. Singer, producer, and songwriter Lori Rose struck gold with the international R&B dance hit ‘Every Beat Of My Heart’.
This is an album with depth and rhythmic delight. Check out ‘Positano Love’, ‘Starlight, Starbright’, ‘Sad Sad, Sister Sister’, and ‘Ordinary Scene’.
Espirito is dedicated to the memory of Sergio Mendes, with ‘Sergio’s Samba’ taking us front row, center for the unforgettable excitement and energy we’ve all experienced at his shows. Thank you, Steve. Thank you, Lori Rose!
Steve & Lori Rose Adorno
Buy it here: Amazon | YouTube Music | Apple Music | Spotify
Listen free: Brazilian Jazz | Bossa Nova Love Affair | XODÓ! The Rhythm Of Life! | Our Streaming Station
Jeff Kashiwa | ‘Preparando Um Luminoso’ from Luminoso
Jeff Kashiwa may best be known as a member of the Rippingtons and the Sax Pack. But lately, the smooth jazz saxophonist is enjoying a landmark album celebrating the music of Joyce Moreno.
“Jeff Volkman – an old high school friend – contacted me to play on a Brazilian jazz project he had adapted for saxophones and flutes with her compositions. I jumped at the chance. Then, he suggested we make this collaboration into my next CD release. And that’s how Luminoso was born!”
Luminoso is an artistic gift to Joyce Moreno’s considerable and pioneering talent as a female songwriter in Brazil. Kashiwa excels with his interpretations, from ‘Misterios’, ‘Ela’, and ‘Caymmi Visitia Tom’ to ‘Luz Do Chao’, ‘Revendo Amigos’, and ‘Preparando Um Luminoso’. A noteworthy exception is Edu Lobo’s ‘Upa Neguinho’, a stalwart performance favorite of hers.
Jeff Kashiwa
Buy it here: Amazon
Listen free: Brazilian Jazz | Brazilian Jazz Instrumentals | New Music: Brazil | Our Streaming Station
Ricardo Bacelar and Meghan Incorvaia | ‘Love Like This’
Several years ago, Ricardo Bacelar called me from his home near Recife in the northeast of Brazil to tell me about his plans to build a state-of-the-art recording studio that would rival any found in Rio or Sao Paulo. Here’s the first musical evidence that he’s done it.
Keyboardist, producer, and sometime singer Bacelar has brought us one of 2025’s best summer sambas. ‘Love Like This’ has a compelling crossover vibe, thanks to vocalist Meghan Incorvaia.
Bacelar is a familiar name at Connect Brazil. Fans may recall the 2018 release of Live In Rio, recorded at the Blue Note Jazz Club.
We are looking forward to other projects coming from Bacelar’s new studio. ‘Love Like This’ is currently charting in the top ten. Parabens!
Ricardo Bacelar
Buy it here: Amazon
Listen free: Cafe Copacabana | Bossa Nova Love Affair | Sunday Brazilian Brunch | Our Streaming Station
Ana Clara featuring Pericles | ‘Trajetoria’
Early in her career, a Rio de Janeiro listener suggested we get to know the music of a samba singer from Santa Caterina named Ana Clara. We loved what we heard, adding hit after hit to our streaming playlists as she grew in stature and popularity.
Ana Clara began her career as a sertanejo (Country music) singer but went on to find her true voice with Samba. Today, she is considered to be one of its most promising stars. Vocal warmth and her silky smooth style place her in a category all her own.
‘Trajetoria’ is a perfect example. Penned as a ‘rising star’ hit for Péricles at the beginning of his own career in 2012, he revisits the song in duet with Ana Clara for a powerfully compelling story of love.
You don’t need to understand Portuguese to be moved by the lyrics. But here’s the refrain:
You are the rain, you are the wind. And you are my greatest mystery. You don’t understand the feeling; you don’t take me seriously. But you are also the sun that shines in my difficult world. It is you who inspires me.
Ana Clara
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Brazilian Harvest Music Showcase ’25
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