Opening, like a blossom, with the dreamy, meditative ‘Introducao Ao Poema Dos Olhos Da Amada’ (A Poem on the Eyes of Lovers) as composed with his friend, the poet and diplomat Vinicius De Moraes, the late great Brazilian classical guitarist Baden Powell de Aquino sets the tone for an album that rightly became a classic. The son of a distinguished violinist and a grandfather who conducted Brazil's first black orchestra, Powell came of age in the 1960s, as the bossa nova wave rolled over Rio. But while Powell inevitably incorporated bossa into an oeuvre marked by masterful unaccompanied solos and an ultra-rhythmic right hand, he moved effortlessly through samba, jazz and musica popular brasileira as well. A fan of Monk, he was deeply influenced by be-bop. Recorded while Powell was living in France, and arguably at the zenith of his career, Solitude on Guitar is a beautiful, poetical album delivered with remarkable sensitivity; his version of ‘The Shadow of Your Smile’ is worth the price alone. Each chord sounds clean, lovingly plucked. Tracks sound almost orchestral. Timeless, then: if you haven't got it, get it.