Tres Selecções Brasileiras

Sometimes I find myself in a mood, and there is a sound that accompanies it. Other times, it's the sound itself that dictates the mood or deepens it. Enjoy these three selections, old classics captured for the masses, to put you in a state or bring you out of one.

The vintage styles here are pretty bold -- some might say gaudy -- but these must be two of the most relaxed singers in this genre, regardless of wardrobe issues!

The dog barking in the background is so sweet, and the last line gets a little cheeky smile out of Caetano Veloso, when Chico sings, "And I'm just a woman."

Here Almeida's right hand is superiorly fast and smooth; it all blurs together as he introduces Antonio Carlos Jobim's famous "Samba de Uma Nota Só".

And the crowd shows some appreciation after some nice solos and a fine fade away.

Finally, a legendary take from the willow-voiced João Gilberto proves why the world became so infatuated with bossa nova in the 1960's.

A scat to rival even Ella Fitzgerald! Another Brasilian band, Novos Baianos, does another rendition with a solid scat and an even bouncier tempo. Bem bom!