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Welcome to my small corner of the web dedicated to Bossa Nova & guitar,
including Joćo Gilberto, Astrud Gilberto, and Antonio Carlos Jobim:
If you have any information that belongs on this page, let me know.
For information on hardcopy books with music, see my books
section.
Astrud Gilberto
Jazz Masters 9
Verve
This collection has assembled some of Astrud's best.
The Legendary
Joćo Gilberto
The Original Bossa Nova Recordings (1958-1961)
World Pacific CDP 7 93891 2
This album has a whopping 38 songs on it, most of which I like. I guess I am partial to the simple, guitar, voice & percussion arrangements. This is a good album if you are a guitar player, because it is not to hard to pick out the chords and play along. My only objection is that a number of the songs have a 50's orchestral background that occasionally gets out of control. I don't really see why it was added to any of the songs; I guess it was just the style of the period.
The Girl
From Ipanema
The Antonio Carlos Jobim Songbook
Verve
This album was released as a tribute to the passing of A. C. Jobim; it is a collection of songs he wrote, performed by various artists. This turns out to be a mixed blessing. I don't really like this stuff when it is performed in another style, too sappily, or with an American accent. I also am not so into Jobim's non-Bossa Nova work. While I like Sara Vaughan, her rendition of Corcovado makes me want to puke. There is a great performance of Meditation by Joćo. In short, the best versions of the Jobim's songs involve one or more of Jobim, Gilberto (either one), and Stan Getz. You might be better off with a handful of their albums.
Stan Getz
The Best of Two Worlds, featuring Joćo Gilberto
Columbia
This album is good except I don't like Miucha too much. So that ruins about half of the tracks for me. At first I thought she was perhaps (North) American, because of her accent. However, according to Susan Green, the female singer is NOT American. She is Miucha, who is the sister of the great Chico Buarque and former wife (after Astrud) of Joao Gilberto. She and Jobim did another great album, entitled "echos of Rio," is is often to be found in cutout bins. Also, it has been suggested to me that most people from Southern Brazil pronounce their R's like gringos, so it makes sense that her accent could sound like North American English, if she is from there (which I don't know). I get a lot of flak for expressing my negative feelings about this album. Maybe I'm trying too hard to compare her to Astrud. Diogo de Almeida Fontana (fontana@netpar.com.br) writes: I'd like to light up some things about Miucha. She was born in Rio de Janeiro, so forget all the things you mention about south brazilian accent. Her complete name is Miucha Buarque de Hollanda(she's really sister of Chico). She knew Joao Gilberto in Paris in the end of 1963. They lived together for seven years in New York and Mexico. THey had a daughter called Bebel Gilberto.
Astrud
Gilberto
Look to the Rainbow
Verve
I hate this album. It is sappy and annoying. There are only 6 good
songs on the CD, 2 of which are on Jazz Masters 9, and 4 of which turn
out to have been added from the album "A Certain Smile, a Certain
Sadness." I have yet to hear this other album in its entirety, but
it is probably a better investment. The best part about those 4 songs is
the organ, thanks to Walter Wanderly's amazing playing. Stan Getz and
Joao Gilberto
Getz/Gilberto
Verve
This is a really solid album with a number of classics (Girl From Ipanema,
Desafinado, Corcovado...) It features Jobim on piano, and has none of the
orchestral junk that litters Legendary. Astrud is on a couple of
tracks (Girl From Ipanema and Corcovado). Girl From Ipanema is interesting
because it has a lot more of Joao singing than on, say, Jazz masters 9.
Thanks to Steve Kaster for providing me with this album.
Antonio Carlos Jobim
The Man From Ipanema (3 disc set)
Verve
JrChop1@aol.com writes: The first
disc features vocals, the second features instrumentals, and the third disc
features notable collaborations. There is a complete biography as well as
informative liner notes featuring interviews by Oscar Castro Neves and Creed
Taylor. Performers include Stan Getz, Astrud & Joao Gilberto, Elis Regina,
Luis Bonfa, Maria Toledo, Ron Carter and more. My personal favorite is Chega
De Saudade(No More Blues)
Also regarding this set, Roberto Landazuri writes: "JrChop1"'s review of this 3-CD set is not quite accurate. The third CD is not
about notable collaborations (though there are some marvelous players on this
disc as well as on the other two). Labeled "Side by Side," disc 3 presents
three versions each of "Desafinado," "The Girl from Ipanema," "Corcovado,"
"Insensatez," and "Vivo Sonhando." Performances range from the early 60s Claus
Ogerman arrangements, to the Stan Getz sessions, to live tracks from a 1994
Carnegie Hall concert that included Pat Metheny among others.
The liner notes, particularly the interviews mentioned by "JrChop1," are
wonderful; they shed light on much of Jobim's music and life, with anecdotes as
well as information on the translation of the lyrics and on the production of
the recordings, by people who were there (Oscar Castro Neves and Creed Taylor).
The packaging of this set should also be mentioned. It's beautiful, very
unusual, but highly impractical. It's got spiral bindings on the left and right
sides, with bright green, blue and pink paper pages (spiral-bound on the left)
and disc sleeves (spiral-bound on the right; I guess they're meant to swing
out), plus plastic endpieces at front & back. There are cut-out design elements
and translucent layers of images on the front pages, and the three disc sleeves
also have cut-out designs. The package is sturdier than I've made it sound, but
it's kind of bothersome to handle, especially when removing or replacing the
discs. Also, the track listings are kind of buried toward the front of the
package, which make for difficult reference while you're listening to the discs.
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