Tamba 4 - California Soul (2020)
Artist: Tamba 4
Title: California Soul
Year Of Release: 2020
Label: A&M
Genre: Bossa Nova, MPB
Quality: FLAC (tracks)
Total Time: 31 min
Total Size: 174 MB
WebSite: Album Preview
This lost album, recorded in 1969 and finally released in 2019, finds Tamba 4 in the lite funk/jazz mode that was typical of many A&M/CTi records. The title track features horn arrangements by Johnny Pate, but the remainder were penned by the group's keyboardist, Luiz Eça. The album appears to lack the keyboard energy of their earlier releases, but Eça sticks to a Rhodes stage piano for this set, where his playing is slightly subdued. Side 1 features vocals on all tracks, where Side 2 is instrumental. The only tunes ever released from this album were the title track and "Na Onda do Berimbau" (as "Berimbau") on a 45 RPM single. Covers here include the title track, The Doors' "Light My Fire," "Hey Girl," and the Milton Nascimento tune "Travessia (Bridges)".Title: California Soul
Year Of Release: 2020
Label: A&M
Genre: Bossa Nova, MPB
Quality: FLAC (tracks)
Total Time: 31 min
Total Size: 174 MB
WebSite: Album Preview
This is one of those albums where I am split on a rating. It IS a fun record to listen to, and captures the mood of the era for this type of music. On that, I give it four stars. But as a Tamba Trio/Luiz Eça record, it is nowhere near as energetic or inventive as those earlier recordings. The group, reconfigured as Tamba 4 for their A&M/CTi albums, started off on a great footing with the experimental We And The Sea, but the sleepy (and sonically muffled) Samba Blim kind of found them in a musical (or one might argue, commercial) rut that continued with this album, trying to pander to easy listening tastes.
But as I said, this one is fun if you can look past their roots and give it a chance. It was released on LP in late November 2019, and reissued digitally in July 2020.
Tracklist:
1.01 - Tamba 4 - California Soul (3:03)
1.02 - Tamba 4 - Travessia (Bridges) (3:09)
1.03 - Tamba 4 - Na Onda Do Berimbau (2:16)
1.04 - Tamba 4 - Light My Fire (3:33)
1.05 - Tamba 4 - Hey Girl (3:29)
1.06 - Tamba 4 - Você E Eu (2:29)
1.07 - Tamba 4 - Miss Balanco (2:10)
1.08 - Tamba 4 - Guitar By Moonlight (3:13)
1.09 - Tamba 4 - Value Of Love (2:52)
1.10 - Tamba 4 - Sambinha (2:45)
1.11 - Tamba 4 - Here, There & Everywhere (2:59)