Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti

It’s hard to find an exact parallel in the West for Brazilian keyboardist/arranger Lincoln Olivetti and guitarist Robson Jorge. What if Quincy Jones and George Benson (or else George Duke and Nile Rodgers) were session cats, dedicated to making the most bewildering boogie and exuberant funk imaginable? Starting in the mid-1970s, the two teamed up and Brazilian MPB was never the same. They produced hits for the likes of Tim Maia, Marcos Valle, Sandra Sa, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Roberto Carlos, and so many more.

This 1982 album served as calling card for their services, showcasing how they could infuse such artists with a sophisticated smoothness akin to American disco and R&B of the early ’80s. The scatted harmonizing vocals on “Jorgeia Corisco” and “Fá Sustenido” feel like placeholders rather than actual hooks (to be filled in by their clients) but it doesn’t dampen the energy, corkscrewing grooves, or catchiness one iota. And who needs any words for the feelgood chant of “Aleluia”? Olivetti’s keys and Jorge’s guitar are as tightly wound as a double helix, but they still find plenty of room for sunburst horns, astonishing charts, and finger-licking percussion. All killer, it’s a party starter no matter the country you’re in.