Meicio Askanasy, José Prates, Ivan de Paula TAM…TAM…TAM!.. the vinyl is back!

It was Gilles Peterson who discovered this LP while digging in Rio between the Sonzeira recording sessions. Could he get a copy of his own, there and then? The answer is a resounding “No!” and the word went out to record collectors and dealers world wide. It was the most sought after record of the moment!

“Jesus Christ…still can’t find Jose Prates Tam Tam Tam… @DJNuts and @EdMotta and @FarOutRecs Joe Davis are the only ones who seem to have!”

Obviously, he finally secured a copy and thankfully, it’s been made available for us mere mortals via Jonny Trunk’s Trunk Records. Upon discovering it was out just before Xmas I hit the Trunk web site. It was available. I filled in the form, I was stoked, but by the time I’d retrieved my bank card from my coat pocket they’d sold out! Soul Jazz, Honest Jons, If… they’d all sold out. I didn’t want the CD… I really fancied the vinyl, especially after I’d read the back story to the LP and its reissue on the Trunk Records website.

“This little LP began in 1958. It was part of a global touring show called “Brasiliana” put together by Polish producer Miecio Askanasy. A couple of LPs were made by the cast members, and this is one of them.

“Musically it works on a number of levels – firstly as already mentioned, the solid blueprint of 1960s Brazilian music runs throughout it. For example, if you listen to Track Three Side One “Nana Imborô” you will hear “Mas-Que-Nada”. Secondly, the infectious rhythms, melodies and exotic sounds that emanate from this album are deep, raw and totally engaging.

“This rare reissue comes at a crucial time, when in our connected and information saturated world few important things have escaped attention and reappraisal. Finding anything new and genuinely incredible is a rare feat. This is a prime example of amazing, influential music that until now has remained hidden.

“It is a rare beast. So rare that even Gilles Peterson, a super fan off rare Brazilian music has not got one. So he put out a plea in Record Collector magazine for someone to issue it. It was a fascinating page of information, stating that this LP was a cornerstone of contemporary Brazilian sound. The music was written by a man called José Prates, a man who few people knew about, But whose influences should be studied.

José Prates ao lado de Gino Askanasy, filho de Miécio, durante viagem da Brasiliana

“I read this and immediately got in contact with Ed Motta, a musician and collector in Brazil; he has a copy and I had met him before and talked about records a lot. He sent me a recording of the album (taken using his EMT deck) and we set about getting it ready for issue.

“The music was not in the best condition, the original 1950s vinyl was not pressed too well and has several musical inconsistencies. So, we spent an agonising time trying to reach a suitable balance in sound, trying to maintain the bright and driving original sound, without cleaning it up too much so as to destroy the life of the music. We decide that the vinyl will be pressed with some very slight surface noise – any more cleaning would interfere with the true wax sound. It sounds just like a rare 50s LP. However, as a contrast, the CD is pressed with more digital enhancement.”

And so I decided to wait… what’s a little residual sound and a few crackles compared to warmth of vinyl?

To order online: http://www.trunkrecords.com/