7. Elis ReginaElis & Tom

I don’t think it’s well known in Britain and America, but in Brazil and Portugal this record is massive. Elis Regina was a música popular brasileira artist – Brazilian pop music, basically – and Antônio Carlos Jobim is one of the great bossa nova figures. Elis had this massive hit, then she said to the label, okay, one thing I really want to do is record the songs of Antônio Carlos Jobim. So then they did this album together, and it’s just phenomenal. I love the contrast of their voices. Neither of them are really perfect-sounding, but they both have really rich voices that work together. I also love that the first song is this real hit, then on the same album there’s amazing orchestral music. 

In the 50s, 60s and 70s, Brazilian music was incredible. Rich arrangements, beautiful songs, poets writing all the lyrics, really sophisticated. I probably got into it about five years ago. Finding something new is always good. You realise you haven’t completely ossified and decided all your opinions and tastes.