Arthur Verocai - Arthur Verocai (2024 Mr Bongo Reissue Vinyl LP Gatefold)

Arthur Verocai - Arthur Verocai | Vinyl LP - 2024 Mr Bongo Reissue (MRBLP133PN)

• Arthur Verocai's 1972 debut on Continental Records, recorded at Studio Somil in Rio de Janeiro, produced and arranged entirely by Verocai himself; a 29-minute orchestral fusion of samba, bossa nova, jazz, soul and funk that sold almost nothing on release and now commands around $2,000 for an original copy
• Sampled by MF Doom, Ludacris, Action Bronson, Little Brother and others; 9th Wonder's production for Ludacris drew from "Na Boca Do Sol" — one of several tracks that seeded the album's rediscovery through hip-hop in the early 2000s
  
• Reissued from the original Continental master tapes, transferred under Arthur Verocai's supervision; replica gatefold artwork

When Arthur Verocai released his debut album on Continental Records in 1972, it sold almost nothing. The label withdrew it quickly, and Verocai spent the following decades arranging jingles and writing for television rather than recording as a leader. By the time the album was rediscovered — first through hip-hop producers in the early 2000s and then through a CD reissue on Luv N' Haight in 2003 — the original vinyl had become one of the most sought-after Brazilian records of the era. Madlib is quoted as saying: "I could listen to the album everyday for the rest of my life."

Verocai had arranged for Jorge Ben, Gal Costa, Ivan Lins, Elis Regina and others before making this album; the self-titled record is where that accumulated skill turned entirely inward. He produced, arranged, conducted and played guitar across all ten tracks, drawing on a large cast of Rio session musicians including Oberdan Magalhães on saxophone and flute, Paulo Moura on soprano saxophone, Pedro dos Santos on percussion, and a string and brass section that gives the record much of its orchestral weight. Vocalists include Célia on "Seriado" and a young Toninho Horta, then early in a career that would make him one of Brazil's most important guitarist-composers.

"Caboclo" opens with a breakbeat groove and strings simultaneously; "Pelas Sombras" is denser and more cinematic, with Oberdan's flute over a deep low end; "Seriado" and "Na Boca Do Sol" carry the rhythm-section weight that made the record a target for sample-based producers. "Dedicada A Ela" (A5) is the sole track with an external lyric credit, written by Paulinho Tapajós.

This 2024 pressing (MRBLP133PN) is taken from the original Continental master tapes, transferred under Verocai's supervision, in a replica gatefold sleeve.