Showing posts with label João Gilberto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label João Gilberto. Show all posts

Saturday, January 14, 2023

João Gilberto - The Best Hits

Styles: Brazilian Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:49
Size: 81,8 MB
Art: Front

(1:50) 1. A Primeira Vez
(1:15) 2. Bim Bom
(1:17) 3. Bolinha De Papel
(2:03) 4. Brigas Nunca Mais
(1:59) 5. Chega De Saudade
(2:00) 6. Corcovado
(1:55) 7. Desafinado
(1:50) 8. Discussão
(1:27) 9. Doralice
(1:55) 10. É Luxo Só
(2:14) 11. Hó-bá-lá-lá
(1:54) 12. Outra Vez
(1:51) 13. Presente De Natal
(2:03) 14. Rosa Morena
(2:19) 15. Samba Da Minha Terra
(1:37) 16. Samba De Uma Nota Só
(1:46) 17. Se É Tarde Me Perdoa
(1:47) 18. Só Em Teus Braços
(1:36) 19. Um Abraço No Bonfá

Born João Gilberto do Prado Pereira de Oliveira on June 10, 1931, in the town of Juázeiro in the northeastern state of Bahia, Brazil. His father was a wealthy merchant who insisted that all of his seven children receive an education. Gilberto defied his father's wishes however, devoting himself to music after receiving a guitar from his godfather at the age of 14.

By the age of 18, Gilberto had moved to Salvador, the capital of Bahia, where he sought to earn a living as a radio performer. While never finding major success as a solo artist on radio, he gained the attention of a member of the vocal group Garotos da Lua (Boys from the Moon), who performed regularly on Radio Tupi in Rio de Janeiro, and he was invited to join the group. Gilberto moved to Rio to replace the group's vocalist, Jonas Silva, whose subdued style displeased the group's artistic director. Ironically, Gilberto would later popularize a whisper-like vocal method highly reminiscent of Silva. Gilberto lasted only one year with Garotos da Lua. After showing up late or altogether missing several performances, the group fired him.

In 1955, Luis Telles, the leader of the traditional singing group Quitandinha Serenaders, with whom Gilberto had performed for a time, convinced Gilberto to move to Porto Alegre. From there, Gilberto moved to Diamantina, where he lived with his older sister, and her husband. There, Gilberto played music constantly, often practicing in the bathroom where the acoustics were best. It was in this environment that Gilberto developed his signature singing style, a quiet sound absent of vibrato that allowed him to most accurately set the tempo of his vocals to the rhythm of his guitar. In finessing his style, a variation on the traditional Brazilian samba, Gilberto incorporated the influences of several musical genres, both from Brazil and America.

Gilberto returned to Rio in 1956, where he renewed his acquaintance with musician and composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. In 1958, Gilberto recorded Jobim's composition "Chega de Saudade." Although Gilberto's intense demands in the studio significantly prolonged the recording session, the song was released on the Odeon label as a single along with "Bim-Bom" on July 10 of that year. While the record was not an immediate hit, it eventually gained widespread popularity and established bossa nova, which in English means "new wave," as an exciting new musical form. Gilberto released three albums in the bossa nova style over the next three years in his home country: “Chega de Saudade,” “O Amor, o Sorriso e a Flor,” (Love, Smile, and the Flower); and “João Gilberto,” all on Odeon. He exhibited the same exacting standards for his live performances as for his studio recordings, refusing to play in clubs where audiences talked while he was on stage.

American jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd discovered the music of Gilberto, Jobim and other bossa nova artists during a goodwill jazz tour of Latin America sponsored by the U.S. State Department. Byrd introduced the musical form to American jazz saxophonist Stan Getz, and the two recorded a top-selling bossa nova album together, “Jazz Samba.” The album spent 70 weeks on the American pop charts and hit number one. Gilberto moved to the United States in 1962, and in 1964, he and Getz recorded “Getz/Gilberto,” which featured the Jobim-penned bossa nova classic, "The Girl from Ipanema," sung by Gilberto's then-wife Astrud Gilberto. Both the album and the song earned Grammy Awards that year. Gilberto remained in the U.S. until 1980, with the exception of a two-year stay in Mexico. During his time in the U.S. and Mexico, he released only a handful of LPs, including the live album “Getz/Gilberto II,” (1966) “Joao Gilberto en México,” (1970) “João Gilberto,” (1973) “The Best of Two Worlds,” (1976) and “Amoroso.” (1977).

Gilberto returned to Brazil, where he came to be known as O Mito (the legend) and released several more albums, including “João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Olieira,” (1980) “Brasil,” with Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Maria Bethânia (1981) “Live in Montreux,” (1987) “Joao,” (1991) “Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar,” (I Know I'm Going to Love You, 1995) and “Joao Voz e Violao.” (2000).

Gilberto continues to perform, but only on occasion. He appeared at the JVC Jazz Festival at New York's Carnegie Hall in 1998 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first bossa nova single, and embarked on a U.S. tour in 2003.He remains an enigmatic figure, but his introduction, and contribution to Brazilian influenced jazz, cannot be denied. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/joao-gilberto

The Best Hits

Thursday, January 13, 2022

Antonio Carlos Jobim - Verve Jazz Masters 13

Styles: Vocal, Bossa Nova
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:34
Size: 131,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:17) 1. Corcovado (Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars)
(2:39) 2. Vivo Sonhando (Dreamer)
(3:40) 3. So Danco Samba
(2:47) 4. Desafinado (Off Key)
(3:35) 5. Aguas De Marco (Waters Of March)
(5:29) 6. O Grande Amor
(2:53) 7. Agua De Beber
(3:15) 8. Chovendo Na Roseiro (Double Rainbow)
(6:55) 9. O Morro Nao Tem Vez
(2:12) 10. Fascinating Rhythm
(2:57) 11. Insensatez (How Insensitive)
(3:11) 12. Inutil Paisagem (Useless Landscape)
(3:25) 13. O Morro não tem Vez
(2:06) 14. Por Toda Minha Vida
(2:43) 15. Triste
(4:23) 16. Borzeguim

Antonio Carlos Jobim's entry in the exhaustive VERVE JAZZ MASTERS set of historical reissues is one of the best single-disc Jobim anthologies available. It's not got much in the way of historical range, since it stops in the mid-'60s, just before Jobim left Verve for Reprise and then A&M. However, since Jobim's Verve years were, in the minds of many, his career highpoint, VERVE JAZZ MASTERS 13 distills the best of his most artistically and commercially successful period. Nearly all of Jobim's greatest songs are here in their definitive versions, and the whole is sequenced thoughtfully, so that the disc has a logical and delightful flow. This is magnificent stuff, as well as being the birth of bossa nova. https://www.allmusic.com/album/verve-jazz-masters-13-mw0000112351

Personnel: Antonio Carlos Jobim - Vocal, Guitar, Piano; Stan Getz - Tenor Saxophone; Joao Gilberto - Guitar, Vocal; Tommy Williams - Bass; Luiz Bonfa Bass; George Duvivier Bass; Paulo Ferreira Drums; Paulo Braga Drums; Paulo Jobim Guitar, Vocal, Producer

Verve Jazz Masters 13

Monday, July 12, 2021

Joao Y Astrud Gilberto With Antonio Carlos Jobim & Stan Getz - Samba E Bossa Nova

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:47
Size: 118.6 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Brazilian jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[6:26] 1. Garota De Ipanema
[5:25] 2. Corcovado
[2:21] 3. O Pato
[3:17] 4. Samba De Uma Nota So
[3:05] 5. Samba De Minha Terra
[4:00] 6. Meditaçao
[4:19] 7. It Might As Well Be Spring
[2:51] 8. Um Abraço No Bonfa
[2:03] 9. Bim Bom
[2:43] 10. A Felicidade Adieu Tristesse
[1:58] 11. The Telephone Song
[4:23] 12. Only Trust Your Heart
[3:22] 13. Eu E Voce
[4:04] 14. Rosa Moreno
[1:24] 15. Doralice

I was on a luckless search looking for a review of this album when a friend called and asked what I was doing. So I told him and asked him if he knew where somebody might have written a relevant review of this album. He said there was only one word I needed to write - WOW!

Samba E Bossa Nova

Sunday, July 11, 2021

Various - Antonio Carlos Jobim & Friends (3 Parts)

Brazilian songwriter and vocalist Antonio Carlos Jobim (1927–1994) was one of the creators of the subtle, whispery, jazz-influenced popular song style known as bossa nova. He has been widely acclaimed as one of Brazil's greatest and most innovative musicians of the twentieth century.

Jobim's place in the annals of popular music was secured by a single hit song, "The Girl from Ipanema" (1964), which he co-wrote with lyricist Vinícius de Moraes. His creative contributions to jazz, however, went much deeper; many of his songs became jazz standards, and, in the words of Richard S. Ginell of the All Music Guide , "Every other set" performed in jazz clubs "seems to contain at least one bossa nova." Jobim was sometimes called the George Gershwin of Brazil, not so much because of any musical or lyric similarity Jobim's songs tended to have oblique, often poetic lyrics quite unlike the clever romantic rhymes of George Gershwin's brother Ira but because his music became the bedrock for the work of jazz musicians for decades after its creation.

Album: Antonio Carlos Jobim & Friends (Part 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:22
Size: 133.6 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Brazilian jazz
Year: 2015

[2:40] 1. Antônio Carlos Jobim - The Girl From Ipanema
[2:28] 2. Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Agua De Beber
[5:15] 3. Dizzy Gillespie - One Note Samba
[3:36] 4. João Gilberto - Só Danço Samba
[4:17] 5. Antônio Carlos Jobim - Corcovado
[2:48] 6. Astrud Gilberto - How Insensitive
[4:13] 7. Stan Getz - Chega De Saudade (No More Blues)
[3:31] 8. Elis Regina - Águas De Março
[2:15] 9. Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Wave
[2:27] 10. Caetano Veloso - Meditação
[4:55] 11. Gal Costa - A Felicidade
[4:26] 12. Antônio Carlos Jobim - Captain Bacardi
[2:40] 13. Astrud Gilberto - Dindi
[4:41] 14. Stan Getz - O Grande Amor
[3:09] 15. Elis Regina - Inútil Paisagem
[2:40] 16. Walter Wanderley - Song Of The Jet
[2:13] 17. Ella Fitzgerald - Desafinado

Album: Antonio Carlos Jobim & Friends (Part 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:35
Size: 152.4 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Brazilian jazz
Year: 2015

[4:44] 1. Wes Montgomery - O Morro Nao Tem Vez
[2:10] 2. Astrud Gilberto - Amor Em Paz
[3:50] 3. Antônio Carlos Jobim - Brasil Nativo
[5:03] 4. Antônio Carlos Jobim - Para Machuchar Meu Coracao
[6:21] 5. Herbie Hancock - Ela E Carioca
[3:09] 6. Elis Regina - Retrato Em Branco E Preto
[5:48] 7. Ella Fitzgerald - Jazz Samba
[2:45] 8. Astrud Gilberto - Felicidade
[2:51] 9. João Gilberto - Vivo Sohando
[5:27] 10. Joe Henderson - Dreamer
[2:06] 11. Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Triste
[2:32] 12. Astrud Gilberto - Eu E Voco
[2:39] 13. Elis Regina - Bonita
[5:18] 14. Joe Henderson - Portrait In Black And White
[4:34] 15. João Gilberto - Este Seu Olhar
[1:44] 16. Elis Regina - O Que Tinha De Ser
[5:26] 17. Antônio Carlos Jobim - Ana Luiza

Album: Antonio Carlos Jobim & Friends (Part 3)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:12
Size: 147.0 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Brazilian jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[6:36] 1. Joe Henderson - Boto
[3:29] 2. Antônio Carlos Jobim - Luiza
[3:59] 3. Antônio Carlos Jobim - Remember
[5:03] 4. Gal Costa - Se Todos Fossem Iguais A Voce
[3:18] 5. Antônio Carlos Jobim - Chansong
[8:46] 6. Lee Ritenour - Stone Flower
[2:19] 7. Antônio Carlos Jobim - Mojave
[6:39] 8. Stan Getz - Once Again (Outra Vez)
[3:09] 9. Elis Regina - Chovendo Na Roseira
[2:07] 10. Nelson Riddle - Por Toda Minha Vida
[2:27] 11. Astrud Gilberto - She's A Carioca
[2:17] 12. Astrud Gilberto - Water To Drink
[3:44] 13. Antônio Carlos Jobim - Looks Like December
[3:16] 14. Antônio Carlos Jobim - Nuvens Douradas (Golden Clouds)
[3:11] 15. Joe Henderson - Happy Madness
[3:44] 16. Antônio Carlos Jobim - Anos Dourados


Monday, July 8, 2019

João Gilberto - By Your Side

Styles: Bossa Nova, Latin Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:40
Size: 171,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:26)  1. Insensatez
(1:57)  2. é Luxo Só
(2:02)  3. Chega De Saudade
(3:23)  4. One Note Samba
(2:32)  5. O Barquinho
(2:23)  6. Maria Ninguém
(2:23)  7. O Amor Em Paz
(1:58)  8. Desafinado
(2:37)  9. Manhã De Carnaval
(2:06) 10. Brigas Nunca Mais
(2:17) 11. Hó Bá Lá Lá
(2:00) 12. Morena Boca De Ouro
(2:25) 13. O Nosso Amor
(1:21) 14. Lobo Bobo
(2:22) 15. Samba De Minha Terra
(1:35) 16. Aos Pés Da Cruz
(2:00) 17. O Pato
(1:47) 18. Saudade Fez Um Samba
(1:58) 19. Corcovado
(1:39) 20. Samba De Uma Nota Só
(2:17) 21. Saudade Da Bahia
(1:54) 22. Amor Certinho
(2:53) 23. A Felicidade
(1:49) 24. Só Em Teus Braços
(1:45) 25. Se é Tarde Me Perdoa
(1:47) 26. Meditação
(2:51) 27. Coisa Mais Linda
(2:32) 28. Vocé E Eu
(2:14) 29. Este Seu Olhar
(1:51) 30. Discussão
(1:17) 31. Bim Bom
(2:06) 32. Rosa Morena
(1:38) 33. Um Abraço No Bonfá
(1:28) 34. Doralice
(1:53) 35. A Primeira Vez

When talking about bossa nova, perhaps the signature pop music sound of Brazil, frequently the first name to come to one's lips is that of Antonio Carlos Jobim. With songs like "The Girl From Ipanema" and "Desafindo," Jobim pretty much set the standard for the creation of the bossa nova in the mid-'50s. However, as is often the case, others come along and take the genre in a new direction, reinventing through radical reinterpretation, be it lyrically, rhythmically, or in live performance, making the music theirs. And if Jobim gets credit for laying the foundation of bossa nova, then the genre was brilliantly reimagined (and, arguably, defined) by the singer/songwriter and guitarist João Gilberto. In his native country he is called O Mito (The Legend), a deserving nickname, for since he began recording in late '50s Gilberto, with his signature soft, near-whispering croon, set a standard few have equaled.  Born in 1931 in Juazeiro in the northeastern state of Brazil known as Bahia, Gilberto seemed obsessed with music almost from the moment he emerged from the womb. His grandfather bought him his first guitar at age 14 (much to the dismay of João's father). Within a year, the result of near constant practicing, he was the leader of a band made up of school friends. During this time Gilberto was absorbing the rhythmic subtlety of the Brazilian pop songs of the day, while also taking in the rich sounds of swing jazz (Duke Ellington and Tommy Dorsey), as well as the light opera singing of Jeanette MacDonald. At 18, Gilberto gave up on his small town life and headed to Bahia's largest city, Salvador, to get a foothold in the music industry performing on live radio shows. Although he was given the opportunity to sing, instant stardom was not in the offing, but his brief appearances on the radio brought him to the attention of Antonio Maria, who wanted Gilberto to become the lead singer for the popular radio band Garotos da Lua (Boys From the Moon) and move to Rio de Janeiro.  Gilberto stayed in the band only a year. 

He was fired after the rest of the group could take no more of his lackadaisical attitude. Gilberto was frequently late for rehearsals and performances, and in a move reminiscent of American pop star Sly Stone, would occasionally not show up at all. After his dismissal from the group Gilberto lived a seminomadic life. For years he had no fixed address, drifting from friend to friend and acquaintance to acquaintance, living off their kindness and rarely if ever contributing to the household expenses. Evidently Gilberto was such charming company that his emotional carelessness and fiscal apathy were never an issue that or he had extremely patient and generous friends. It was during this underachieving bohemian period that Gilberto kept an extremely low profile. Instead of using his time with Garotos da Luna as a springboard for other recording and performing possibilities, he became apathetic, constantly smoking large quantities of marijuana, playing the odd club gig, and refusing work he considered beneath him (this included gigs at clubs where people talked during the performance). Although gifted with considerable talent as a singer and guitar player, it seemed as though Gilberto would fail to attain the success and notoriety he deserved if only due to apathy that verged on lethargy. After nearly a decade of aimlessness Gilberto joined forces with singer Luis Telles, who encouraged Gilberto to leave Rio for a semibucolic life in the city of Pôrto Alegre. Telles, who functioned as a combination public relations guru and sugar daddy, made sure the demanding Gilberto wanted for nothing and would concentrate on his music. It turned out to be a successful, if expensive strategy. Within a few months Gilberto (who at this point had given up his prodigious marijuana consumption and was now partaking in nothing stronger than fruit juice) was the toast of Pôrto Alegre, the musician everyone wanted to see. It was also during this extended apprenticeship that Gilberto perfected his unique vocal style and guitar playing. So breathy and nasally it is almost defies description, in many ways he uses all the things one is taught not to do as a singer and has made them into an instantly recognizable style. Not even established crooners such as Bing Crosby and Perry Como sang more quietly or with less vibrato. 

This, along with his rhythmically idiosyncratic approach to playing the guitar  an intensely syncopated plucking of the strings that flowed with his singing  made for some exhilarating music, and by the time of his first record, Chega de Saudade (1959), Gilberto became widely known as the man who made bossa nova what it is.  True to form, however, Gilberto took the road less traveled, and after the success of his debut record and the two follow-up releases, he left Brazil to settle in the United States, where he lived until 1980. During this period he recorded some amazing records, working with saxophonist Stan Getz and recording music by older Brazilian songwriters such as Dorival Caymmi and Ary Barroso. 

He returned to Brazil in the early '80s and since then has worked with virtually every big name in Brazilian pop, including Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania, Gal Costa, and Chico Buarque. He never saw record sales like the aforementioned performers, but all of them regard him as a profound influence on their work. True to his image as enigmatic and eccentric, Gilberto lives a semireclusive lifestyle secure in the knowledge that, decades ago, he changed the course of Brazilian culture by making the bossa nova his music, as well as the music of Brazil. ~ John Dougan https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jo%C3%A3o-gilberto-mn0000785283/biography

R.I.P.
Born: June 10, 1931 - Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil.
Died:  July 6, 2019 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

By Your Side

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Sérgio Mendes, João Gilberto - Tristeza De Nos Dois (Remastered)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:39
Size: 118.3 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[2:15] 1. Sérgio Mendes - Tristeza De Nos Dois
[1:58] 2. João Gilberto - Corcovado
[1:27] 3. Sérgio Mendes - Dora Lice
[1:47] 4. João Gilberto - Se È Tarde Me Perdoa
[3:05] 5. Sérgio Mendes - Love For Sale
[1:38] 6. João Gilberto - Samba De Uma Nota Só
[2:44] 7. Sérgio Mendes - Disa
[1:51] 8. João Gilberto - Outra Vez
[2:32] 9. Sérgio Mendes - Oba-La-La
[1:49] 10. João Gilberto - Discussão
[2:47] 11. Sérgio Mendes - On Green Dolphin Street
[1:37] 12. João Gilberto - Um Abraço No Bonfá
[2:05] 13. Sérgio Mendes - Tema Sem Palavras
[1:51] 14. João Gilberto - Amor Certinho
[2:48] 15. Sérgio Mendes - Satin Doll
[1:47] 16. João Gilberto - Só Em Teus Braços
[2:55] 17. Sérgio Mendes - Olhou Para Mim
[1:45] 18. João Gilberto - Meditação
[2:51] 19. Sérgio Mendes - Nica's Dream
[2:01] 20. João Gilberto - O Pato
[2:28] 21. Sérgio Mendes - Outra Vez
[1:23] 22. João Gilberto - Trêvo De 4 Folhas
[2:36] 23. Sérgio Mendes - What Is This Thing Called Love
[1:29] 24. Sérgio Mendes - Diagonal

For most of the second half of the '60s, Sergio Mendes was the top-selling Brazilian artist in the United States, charting huge hit singles and LPs that regularly made the Top Five. His records with his group, Brasil '66, regularly straddled the domestic pop and international markets in America, getting played heavily on AM radio stations, both rock and easy listening, and he gave his label, A&M, something to offer light jazz listeners beyond the work of the company's co-founder, Herb Alpert. During this period, he also became an international music star and one of the most popular musicians in South America.

Born in 1931 in Juazeiro in the northeastern state of Brazil known as Bahia, João Gilberto seemed obsessed with music almost from the moment he emerged from the womb. His grandfather bought him his first guitar at age 14 (much to the dismay of João's father). Within a year, the result of near constant practicing, he was the leader of a band made up of school friends. During this time Gilberto was absorbing the rhythmic subtlety of the Brazilian pop songs of the day, while also taking in the rich sounds of swing jazz (Duke Ellington and Tommy Dorsey), as well as the light opera singing of Jeanette MacDonald. At 18, Gilberto gave up on his small town life and headed to Bahia's largest city, Salvador, to get a foothold in the music industry performing on live radio shows.

Tristeza De Nos Dois (Remastered) mc
Tristeza De Nos Dois (Remastered) zippy

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Antonio Carlos Jobim - Wave: the Antonio Carlos Jobim Songbook

Styles: Vocal, Brazilian Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:32
Size: 146,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:52)  1. Wave
(5:50)  2. So Danço Samba (Jazz Samba)
(3:14)  3. Happy Madness
(3:12)  4. Chovendo Na Roseira
(5:53)  5. Desafinado
(2:48)  6. A Felicidade
(4:46)  7. O Grande Amor
(4:03)  8. Insensatez
(4:48)  9. Amor Em Paz (Once I Loved)
(4:16) 10. Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars)
(5:20) 11. Triste
(2:31) 12. The Boy from Ipanema
(5:18) 13. Samba de Uma Nota Só (One Note Samba)
(5:26) 14. Vivo Sonhando
(3:08) 15. Wave

The sequel to the popular The Girl from Ipanema anthology basically reshuffles the deck, duplicating nine of the earlier CD's songs and adding six new ones, using mostly the same performers with a few additions. The new wrinkle is that the artists perform different tunes, a game that one imagines could be continued indefinitely on future issues. Among the highlights: Ella Fitzgerald has a marvelous time bouncing to the rhythms of "So Danço Samba," Wes Montgomery  the consummate musician scores again with a lovely "Amor Em Paz," and Oscar Peterson is a surreal speed demon on "Triste." Lowlight: Sarah Vaughan's awkwardly mannered "The Boy from Ipanema." Again, there is plenty of Stan Getz along with his tenor sax successor in matters Jobim, Joe Henderson plus Astrud and João Gilberto, Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Charlie Byrd, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, and Jobim himself. As a jazz buff's introduction to Jobim, either Songbook will do, but Verve's The Man from Ipanema triple album is the best, most comprehensively idiomatic choice overall. ~ Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/album/wave-the-antonio-carlos-jobim-songbook-mw0000648316     

Personnel includes: Antonio Carlos Jobim (vocals, piano, guitar); Cesar Camargo Mariano (piano, electric piano); Joao Gilberto (vocals, guitar); Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Elis Regina, Astrud Gilberto (vocals); Stan Getz, Joe Henderson (tenor saxophone); Dizzy Gillespie, Donald Byrd (trumpet); Romeo Penque (flute, piccolo, clarinet, oboe, English horn); Danny Bank (flute, alto flute); Phil Woods (clarinet); Toots Thielemans (harmonica); Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Oscar Peterson, Lalo Schifrin, Eliane Elias (piano); Pat Metheny, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Byrd, Oscar Castro-Neves (guitar); Ron Carter, George Duvivier, Sam Jones (bass); Grady Tate, Paulo Braga (drums); Candido Camero (conga); Milton Banana (percussion); Gil Evan's Orchestra, Frank Foster's Orchestra.

Wave: the Antonio Carlos Jobim Songbook

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Herbie Mann & Joao Gilberto - Recorded In Rio De Janeiro

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:23
Size: 71.9 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, Bossa Nova
Year: 1965/2005
Art: Front

[2:35] 1. Amor Em Paz (Love In Peace)
[1:56] 2. Desafinado
[1:17] 3. Bolinha De Papel
[3:03] 4. Insensatez
[2:22] 5. Maria Ninguém
[2:29] 6. O Barquinho
[2:19] 7. Samba De Minha Terra
[2:01] 8. Rosa Morena
[4:27] 9. Consolation
[3:20] 10. One Note Samba
[1:11] 11. Bim Bom
[4:18] 12. Deve Ser Amor

Nice, more light than emphatic Afro-Latin and jazz mixture by flutist Herbie Mann and composer/vocalist Joao Gilberto from 1977. The two make an effective team, with Gilberto's sometimes sentimental, sometimes impressionistic works effectively supported by Mann's lithe flute solos. ~Ron Wynn

Recorded In Rio De Janeiro

Saturday, April 15, 2017

João Gilberto - Brasil

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:12
Size: 64.6 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz
Year: 1981/2006
Art: Front

[6:34] 1. Aquarela Do Brasil
[5:18] 2. Disse Alguem (All Of Me)
[5:12] 3. Bahia Com H
[4:49] 4. No Tabuliero Baiana
[4:56] 5. Milagre
[1:20] 6. Cordiero De Nana

Bass – Jim Hughart; Cello – Anne Goodman, Rober Lebon; Drums – Joe Correro; Flute – Bud Shank, Eddie Cainf, Glen Garrett, Harry Klu; Harp – Stella Castellucci; Keyboards – Clare Fischer; Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa; Performer – Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia; Synthesizer – Michael Boddicker, Milcho Leviev; Viola – David Schwartz, Helaine Wittenberg, Marilyn Baker; Violin – Bonnie Douglas, Harry Bluestone, Isabelle Daskoff, Israel Baker, Jerry Reisler, John Wittenberg, Joe Goodman, Nathan Ross, Paul Shure, Bob Dubow, Bob Lipsett; Violin, Concertmaster – Gerald Vinci; Vocals, Guitar – João Gilberto.

I'll just make this a brief review. I've been a professional musician for 35 years. In the 1970's when I discovered this album, I was traveling all over the country with a show. I would play this LP constantly; I never got tired of it. Until I heard this, I had always thought of "Brasil" as a raucous, lounge or marching-band sort of tune. Then I heard these artists perform it, and I finally realized what a marvelous song it really was. There must be 100's of recorded version of it, but you'll never find a more beautiful, sophisticated version than this. Of course, the rest of the album is equally good. Great tunes, great singing, and as an added treat, the brilliant orchestrations of the great Claus Oegerman.

I have listened to this record for years on trips to the mountains, the sea; everywhere. It always gives me a placid, serene feeling. Decades later, the music still gives me chills. I cannot recommend this record enough, and I truly hope that someone else will enjoy it half as much as I have over the years. ~BJNick

Brasil

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

João Gilberto - Collection

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:38
Size: 136.5 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Brazilian jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[4:12] 1. Desafinado
[2:09] 2. Bim Bom
[4:33] 3. Corcovado
[5:04] 4. Para Machuchar Meu Coração (To Hurt My Heart)
[3:36] 5. So Danço Samba
[2:51] 6. Um Abraço No Bonfá
[2:43] 7. Doralice
[5:49] 8. Only Trust Your Heart
[4:03] 9. Meditation (Meditação)
[2:16] 10. O Pato (The Duck)
[5:37] 11. Ligia
[6:01] 12. Pra Que Discutir Com Madam
[3:08] 13. Samba De Monha Terra
[2:52] 14. Vivo Sonhando (Dreamer)
[4:37] 15. Wave

Bossa nova, that most personal and international of Brazilian musical forms, has been blessed with numerous gifted composers. By far the greatest was Antonio Carlos (Tom) Jobim. Alone or in partnership with poet Vinicius de Moraes, fellow composer Newton Mendonça, and other illustrious collaborators, Jobim created some of the most famous and enduring bossa nova standards, such as “Garota de Ipanema,” “Desafinado,” and “Corcovado.”

Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, the seminal bossa nova songwriting team, met in 1956, but the songs they turned out at the time were not particularly innovative. For two years, Jobim/de Moraes tunes sounded like traditional samba-canção (samba-song, a slower and more lyrical version of samba). Nobody got particularly excited over them. Then a certain young singer and guitarist came out of nowhere to give these songs a new vocal interpretation and a new beat. The year was 1958, and the new beat was soon known throughout the world as bossa nova. That singer and guitarist was João Gilberto. His seductive vocals caressed the ear as well as the soul, while his guitar set an insouciant swinging rhythm going. The voice pulled in one direction, the beat in another. The combination was mesmerizing and highly addictive, refreshing and modern. It opened a new page in the history of popular music. Yet it all began at the most traditional roots.

Collection

Friday, August 26, 2016

João Gilberto - The Warm World Of Joao Gilberto

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:15
Size: 179.2 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova
Year: 1963/2012
Art: Front

[2:02] 1. Chega De Saudade
[1:14] 2. Bim Bom 2
[2:16] 3. Hô-Bá-Lá-Lá
[1:58] 4. Desafinado
[2:05] 5. Brigas, Nunca Mais
[1:59] 6. Morena Boca De Ouro
[2:22] 7. Maria Ninguem
[1:20] 8. Lobo Lobo
[1:33] 9. Aos Pés Da (Santa) Cruz
[1:56] 10. É Luxo Só
[1:48] 11. Saudade Fez Um Samba
[2:05] 12. Rosa Morena
[2:33] 13. Manha De Carnaval
[3:06] 14. Batuques De Samba Bahia Pegou Licuri Varanda Boa
[1:47] 15. Só Em Teus Braços [only In Your Arms]
[1:44] 16. Se É Tarde Me Perdoa
[1:45] 17. Meditation (Meditação)
[1:57] 18. Corcovado
[1:48] 19. Discussão
[1:52] 20. Amor Cetinho
[1:37] 21. Um Abraço No Bonfá [a Hug For Bonfá]
[1:26] 22. Doralice
[1:38] 23. One Note Samba
[1:58] 24. O Pato
[1:50] 25. Outra Vez
[1:24] 26. Trévo De Quatro Fõlhas
[1:18] 27. Bolinha De Papel
[2:22] 28. Samba De Minha Terra
[2:17] 29. Saudade Da Bahia
[1:49] 30. Trenzinho (Trem De Ferro)
[1:52] 31. Presente De Natal
[2:30] 32. O Barquinho
[2:24] 33. Insensatez
[2:22] 34. O Amor Em Paz
[2:50] 35. Coisa Mais Linda
[2:30] 36. Você E Eu
[1:51] 37. A Primeira Vez
[2:14] 38. Este Seu Olhar
[2:36] 39. Este Seu Olhar

3 original albums + extra tracks in just 1 CD. The most comprehensive compilation of his first recordings, including 20-page booklet with original art work, album liner notes and all the lyrics, presented in a nice Digipack format. Without question, these are the songs who started the Bossa Nova craze worldwide. Tracks #1-12 from "Chega de Saudade" (12" LP), Brasil, Odeon 3073 (1959), USA issue "The Warm World of João Gilberto" Atlantic 8076 (1963). Tracks #13-14 from "João Gilberto" (7" EP, 33rpm), Brasil, Odeon 7BD-1034 (1959), (7" EP, 45rpm) - Brasil, Odeon BWB 1092 (1959). Tracks #15-26 from "O amor, o sorriso e a flor" (12" LP), Brasil, Odeon 3151 (1960), USA issue "Brazil's Brilliant João Gilberto" Capitol T-10280 (1962). Tracks #27-38 from "João Gilberto" (12" LP),Brasil, Odeon 3202 ,USA issue "The Boss of the Bossa Nova" Atlantic 8070 (1962). Track #39 Not issued in the original album

In summer 1958, João Gilberto -an unknown 28 year-old Brazilian guitarist and singer from Bahia- made his recording debut as a singer with two songs "Chega de Saudade" and "Bim Bom." With a new rhythmic feeling, batida, and rich harmonies he laid the basis of the modern Brazilian samba, now known as Bossa Nova. Underpinned by his insouciantly swinging guitar, Joãos seductive, vibratoless vocals caressed both ear and soul in a mesmerizing, highly addictive combination, refreshing and modern. Chega de Saudade was a hit, launching Gilbertos career and the bossa nova craze. Soon, singers and guitarists were trying to imitate him and composers were all on a Desafinado (the second Gilbertos hit) and Chega de Saudade kick. The longawaited renewal of the Brazilian samba was now a fact. Antonio Carlos Jobim said: Gilberto appeared as a light, as a big star in the firmament, in the heavens. He became a focus, because he was pulling the guitar in one way and singing the other way, which created a third thing that was profound. Yes, the guy who brought the Bossa Nova beat to the world was João Gilberto.

The Warm World Of João Gilberto

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

João Gilberto - João

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:58
Size: 114.4 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Latin jaz
Year: 1991
Art: Front

[4:07] 1. I Really Samba
[4:11] 2. Go On
[3:50] 3. Little Rose
[5:00] 4. Malaga
[3:41] 5. Woman
[5:11] 6. My Heart And I
[2:38] 7. You Do Something To Me
[3:52] 8. Unhappy Remark
[4:14] 9. Ave Maria On The Hill
[5:01] 10. Sampa
[3:05] 11. Smiled At Me
[5:02] 12. I Wish You Love

Recent but classic jazz-bossa is played by one of its defining spirits. Vocally, Gilberto is in fine muttering form, communicating intensely with somebody in his breast pocket, and his guitar is as delicate as ever. This recording expresses the close links of bossa nova and jazz. Joao has Clare Fisher arranging and on some cuts playing keyboards, along with one of those saccharin string-sections even the most avant-garde Brazilians love. ~John Storm Roberts

João

Friday, December 25, 2015

João Gilberto - Corcovado...And Other Hits

Styles: Brazilian Jazz, Bossa Nova
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:59
Size: 143,9 MB
Art: Front

(1:57)  1. Corcovado
(2:30)  2. Oba-La-La
(6:09)  3. Samba de urna Nota Só
(5:46)  4. Desafinado
(1:42)  5. Se E Tarde Me Perdoa
(2:26)  6. Outra Vez
(6:34)  7. Baia
(1:14)  8. Bim Bom
(3:31)  9. Samba Dees Days
(2:27) 10. 0 Barquinho
(2:53) 11. Olhou para Mim
(3:39) 12. É Luxo Só
(1:50) 13. Amor Certinho
(2:43) 14. Disa
(4:39) 15. Samba Triste
(1:57) 16. Morena Boca de Ouro
(2:14) 17. Tristeza de nos Dois
(2:05) 18. Tema Sem Palavras
(2:03) 19. Rosa Morena
(2:29) 20. 0 Pato

When talking about bossa nova, perhaps the signature pop music sound of Brazil, frequently the first name to come to one's lips is that of Antonio Carlos Jobim. With songs like "The Girl From Ipanema" and "Desafindo," Jobim pretty much set the standard for the creation of the bossa nova in the mid-'50s. However, as is often the case, others come along and take the genre in a new direction, reinventing through radical reinterpretation, be it lyrically, rhythmically, or in live performance, making the music theirs. And if Jobim gets credit for laying the foundation of bossa nova, then the genre was brilliantly reimagined (and, arguably, defined) by the singer/songwriter and guitarist João Gilberto. In his native country he is called O Mito (The Legend), a deserving nickname, for since he began recording in late '50s Gilberto, with his signature soft, near-whispering croon, set a standard few have equaled. Born in 1931 in Juazeiro in the northeastern state of Brazil known as Bahia, Gilberto seemed obsessed with music almost from the moment he emerged from the womb. His grandfather bought him his first guitar at age 14 (much to the dismay of João's father). Within a year, the result of near constant practicing, he was the leader of a band made up of school friends. During this time Gilberto was absorbing the rhythmic subtlety of the Brazilian pop songs of the day, while also taking in the rich sounds of swing jazz (Duke Ellington and Tommy Dorsey), as well as the light opera singing of Jeanette MacDonald. 

At 18, Gilberto gave up on his small town life and headed to Bahia's largest city, Salvador, to get a foothold in the music industry performing on live radio shows. Although he was given the opportunity to sing, instant stardom was not in the offing, but his brief appearances on the radio brought him to the attention of Antonio Maria, who wanted Gilberto to become the lead singer for the popular radio band Garotos da Lua (Boys From the Moon) and move to Rio de Janeiro.
Gilberto stayed in the band only a year. He was fired after the rest of the group could take no more of his lackadaisical attitude. Gilberto was frequently late for rehearsals and performances, and in a move reminiscent of American pop star Sly Stone, would occasionally not show up at all. 

After his dismissal from the group Gilberto lived a seminomadic life. For years he had no fixed address, drifting from friend to friend and acquaintance to acquaintance, living off their kindness and rarely if ever contributing to the household expenses. Evidently Gilberto was such charming company that his emotional carelessness and fiscal apathy were never an issue -- that or he had extremely patient and generous friends. It was during this underachieving bohemian period that Gilberto kept an extremely low profile. Instead of using his time with Garotos da Luna as a springboard for other recording and performing possibilities, he became apathetic, constantly smoking large quantities of marijuana, playing the odd club gig, and refusing work he considered beneath him (this included gigs at clubs where people talked during the performance). Although gifted with considerable talent as a singer and guitar player, it seemed as though Gilberto would fail to attain the success and notoriety he deserved if only due to apathy that verged on lethargy. After nearly a decade of aimlessness Gilberto joined forces with singer Luis Telles, who encouraged Gilberto to leave Rio for a semibucolic life in the city of Pôrto Alegre. Telles, who functioned as a combination public relations guru and sugar daddy, made sure the demanding Gilberto wanted for nothing and would concentrate on his music.

It turned out to be a successful, if expensive strategy. Within a few months Gilberto (who at this point had given up his prodigious marijuana consumption and was now partaking in nothing stronger than fruit juice) was the toast of Pôrto Alegre, the musician everyone wanted to see. It was also during this extended apprenticeship that Gilberto perfected his unique vocal style and guitar playing. So breathy and nasally it is almost defies description, in many ways he uses all the things one is taught not to do as a singer and has made them into an instantly recognizable style. Not even established crooners such as Bing Crosby and Perry Como sang more quietly or with less vibrato. This, along with his rhythmically idiosyncratic approach to playing the guitar an intensely syncopated plucking of the strings that flowed with his singing made for some exhilarating music, and by the time of his first record, Chega de Saudade (1959), Gilberto became widely known as the man who made bossa nova what it is.

True to form, however, Gilberto took the road less traveled, and after the success of his debut record and the two follow-up releases, he left Brazil to settle in the United States, where he lived until 1980. During this period he recorded some amazing records, working with saxophonist Stan Getz and recording music by older Brazilian songwriters such as Dorival Caymmi and Ary Barroso. He returned to Brazil in the early '80s and since then has worked with virtually every big name in Brazilian pop, including Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania, Gal Costa, and Chico Buarque. He never saw record sales like the aforementioned performers, but all of them regard him as a profound influence on their work. True to his image as enigmatic and eccentric, Gilberto lives a semireclusive lifestyle secure in the knowledge that, decades ago, he changed the course of Brazilian culture by making the bossa nova his music, as well as the music of Brazil. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jo%C3%A3o-gilberto-mn0000785283/biography

Corcovado...And Other Hits

Monday, December 21, 2015

João Gilberto - Amoroso

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:14
Size: 101.3 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz, Bossa Nova
Year: 1977/1993/2007
Art: Front

[4:04] 1. 's Wonderful
[6:26] 2. Estaté
[3:38] 3. Tin Tin Por Tin Tin
[8:45] 4. Besame Mucho
[4:40] 5. Wave
[6:12] 6. Caminhos Cruzados
[4:10] 7. Triste
[6:16] 8. Zingaro

Two of the influential João Gilberto's LPs (Amoroso and Brasil) are combined on this single CD. The former session is pretty definitive with Gilberto interpreting four of Antonio Carlos Jobim's compositions (including "Wave" and "Triste") and four other songs (highlighted by "Besame Mucho," "Estate," and an odd 31-bar rendition of "'S Wonderful"). The strings (arranged by Claus Ogerman) are unnecessary but Gilberto proves to be in prime form. The later album also has its moments of interest (including a Brazilian version of "All of Me") and finds Gilberto backed by Johnny Mandel arrangements and assisted by singers Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Maria Bethania. Overall there is not much variety throughout this gently swinging program but these are a pair of Gilberto's better post-1970 recordings. ~Scott Yanow

Amoroso

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Stan Getz - Best Of Two Worlds

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:49
Size: 98.0 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1976/1999/2013
Art: Front

[3:31] 1. Double Rainbow
[4:40] 2. Aguas De Marco
[5:20] 3. Ligia
[5:02] 4. Falsa Balana
[4:01] 5. Retrato Em Branco E Preto
[4:36] 6. Izaura
[3:54] 7. Eu Vim Da Bahia
[3:23] 8. Joao Marcello
[5:14] 9. E Preciso Perdoar
[3:03] 10. Just One Of Those Things

This 1976 album by the late saxophonist Stan Getz is a reunion of sorts with Joao Gilberto, the great Brazilian guitarist and singer, and the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim (or Tom Jobim), along with the stylish and nonintrusive arrangements of Oscar Carlos Neves. The trio changed the world in the early 1960s with its Getz/Gilberto albums. With Neves, they almost did it again, but with all of the crap falling down around them in the musical climate of the mid-'70s -- fusion, disco, overblown rock, and the serious decline of jazz -- this disc was criminally overlooked at the time. Joining these four men in their realization of modern bossa and samba are drummers Billy Hart and Grady Tate, percussionists Airto, Ray Armando, and Ruben Bassini, bassist Steve Swallow, pianist Albert Dailey, and Heliosoa Buarque de Hollanda singing the English vocals as a fill-in for Astrud Gilberto -- who was not invited to join this session and would have declined if she were. The most beautiful thing about this recording is that Jobim -- whose song forms had reached such a degree of sophistication that he was untouchable -- chose to write all of his lyrics in English (songwriter Gene Lees also wrote many in English). This is something that did not come naturally or effortlessly to Jobim, but sounds as if it did. Jobim's poetry on tracks such as "Waters of March," accompanied by Getz's lushly romantic saxophones and Gilberto's crooning nylon-string guitar, are so sensuous they radiate heat and humidity. Elsewhere, on the Lees/Jobim co-write "Double Rainbow," Gilberto's singing carries the soft bossa into the middle of American jazz phraseology and builds a bridge so airy and flexible it can never be undone. There is also a barn-burning samba in "Falsa Bahiana," which slips and shimmies along the 6/8 line and sweeps itself up in couplets in the solos. In all, this is as fine a bossa album as Getz ever recorded, standing among his finest works, and without a doubt equals his earlier collaborations with Jobim and Gilberto. ~Thom Jurek

Best Of Two Worlds