Brazil — All Formats  

Killer work by Astrud Gilberto – very different than her Verve sides of the 60s! The album was produced by Astrud, arranged by Deodato – and has that wonderful warm full jazz feel of her classic album on CTI, but also a bit more like some of the funky work of Jorge Ben at the time – choppy at the bottom, with a sound that's a bit samba, and a bit funky at times. Mike Longo and Deodato play keyboards on the session, giving it an electric groove that works perfectly with Astrud's soaring vocals – and the whole album really holds together wonderfully! There's a nice bit of funk on the cut "Take it Easy My Brother Charlie" – and other tracks include "Zigy Zigy Za", "Baiao", "Gingele", "Bridges", and "Where Have You Been?".

An expanded version of this classic – with 5 more bonus tracks, 4 of which were arranged by Ennio Morricone! The core album is incredible 70s work from the lovely Astrud Gilberto – a rare effort for the CTI label that has her teaming up with arranger Eumir Deodato and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine – all in a groove that's totally different than most of her earlier work! Astrud's breathy vocals are still wonderfully intact – but they're given a more spacious approach in the arrangements – strings mixes with rolling basslines, soaring keyboards, and stone cold tenor from Stanley – in a groove that's simply wonderful, and which takes off in a whole new direction than before! Other players include Airto, Sivuca, Hubert Laws, and Dom Um Romao – and tracks include classic versions of "Ponteio", "Vera Cruz", and "Zazueira" that are all some of the most grooving takes on the tunes ever – plus "Historia De Amor", "Where There's A Heartache", "Brazilian Tapestry", and "Wanting Things". Bonus tracks include "If Not For You", "Acercendome A Ti", "Argomenti", "En Tu Piel", and "Un Donna Che Ti Ama".

One of the darkest albums ever recorded by Astrud Gilberto – her 60s last session for Verve Records, and a batch of beautifully moody tunes throughout! Arrangements are by Albert Gorgoni, who'd handled Gilberto's previous September 69 album – but the style here is a bit mellower, a bit sadder – touched with more adult themes of love, life, and loss – and very much in keeping with Astrud's tear-stained image on the cover! There's a sound here that almost mixes Gilberto's earlier bossa with the more baroque modes of Scott Walker at the end of the 60s – and as with Scott Walker's classic solo sets, the album shows a side of Astrud's talents that we never would have expected a few years earlier! Titles include "Wailing Of The Willow", "Where's The Love", "Wee Small Hours", "If", "Without Him", "Trains & Boats & Planes", "The Sea Is My Soil", and "Didn't We?".

One of Astrud Gilberto's greatest albums of the 60s – a classic session produced for Verve by Creed Taylor, and featuring sweet gentle arrangements from Marty Paich, co-arranged with Antonio Carlos Jobim, who also plays guitar on the session next to the piano of Joao Donato! That's a mouthful of heavy-hitters, we know – but the result is a totally great session that has Astrud's light and gentle vocals drifting over some of the most magical bossa backings you'll ever hear. The whole thing's great, stuffed with bossa classics done in English – and titles include "Once I Loved", "Aqua De Beber", "O Morro", "Dindi", "Dreamer", and "Photograph".

A rare 80s set from Astrud Gilberto – cut at a time when she was hardly doing any new recording at all! As you'll guess from the title, the album has Gilberto teaming up with German groovemaker James Last – who handles all the orchestrations for the record, and shows a surprising sensitivity towards Astrud's bossa styles in his music. Last can sometimes be a bit over the top, but he's quite subtle here – leaving lots of room for Gilberto's sweetly sensitive vocals, and the music of her core combo, which features Romero Lubambo on guitar and Dudu Da Fonseca on percussion. Paulo Jobim guests on vocals and guitar on a few tracks – and titles include "Aqua De Beber", "Champagne & Caviar", "Samba Do Soho", and "Saci".

A pair of bossa classics – back to back on a single CD! The first Jazz Samba set is one of those records that no home should be without – not only a pivotal album in the growth of bossa nova in the 60s – but a set that also really helped set the career of tenorist Stan Getz on fire! The real credit here might almost go to guitarist Charlie Byrd – as Byrd was a big early proponent of bossa nova rhythms, and had already been experimenting with them on his records of the time – yet also gets a key extra "umph" here in the presence of Stan's tenor – a bold, rich, soulful sound that really helps give the music a lot of direction – in ways that still resonate strongly all these many years later! Getz is completely sublime – a master of tone and timing throughout – and perfectly fit to these tunes. Rhythms are mostly from Byrd's trio, augmented with some extra percussion – and titles include the classic "Desafinado", plus "E Luxo So", "Samba Dees Days", "Samba Triste", "O Pato", "Samba De Uma Nota So", and "Baia". Jazz Samba Encore is hardly an "encore" of the first Stan Getz Jazz Samba album – as this set's got a slightly different feel, and lots of great elements that make it really unique! This time around, Brazilian musician Luiz Bonfa is on guitar – already a skilled proponent of the bossa by the time of the record, and arguably one of the few who really got it going back home in Rio. Stan's tenor sounds wonderful – as carefully and soufully blown as on the first set, but also with some new colors and tones too. Bonfa's wife Maria Toledo sings a bit on the record – hinting at Stan's work to come with Astrud Gilberto (this album was cut right before the Getz/Gilberto collaboration) – and the record also features added work on piano and guitar from the great Antonio Carlos Jobim – more than enough proof that the album's got a pure bossa pedigree! Titles include "Menina Flor", "Ebony Samba", "Saudade Vem Correndo", "Sambalero", "Samba De Duas Notas", and "Mania De Maria".

The historic meeting of Stan Getz and Brazilian guitarist Joao Gilberto, with the surprisingly popular inclusion of Joao's then-wife Astrud. The record created a sound that was copied endlessly, and which catapulted Astrud to unbelievable fame worldwide – even though she was only included in the session at the last minute, because Joao couldn't sing in English! Includes the classic recording of "Girl From Ipanema", plus loads of other bossa classics like "Desafinado", "Cocovado", "O Grande Amor", and "Vivo Sonhando". Getz is impeccable, as he is on most of his bossa recordings, and Joao gives some of the best performances of his career.

A very different record than the first collaboration between Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto – but that's also one of the things that makes it great! The album's more of a split LP than a shared one – as side one features a live performance from the great mid 60s Stan Getz quartet that featured Gary Burton on vibes – a wonderfully cool combo that was very under-documented on record, and which makes a key appearance here. The combination of Burton's vibes and Stan's tenor is pure genius – a sound that's got all the subtle hues and cool colors of the Getz bossa recordings, but which is quite different overall. Stan's tone is amazing on these tunes – and titles include "Here's That Rainy Day", "Tonight I Shall Sleep With A Smile On My Face", "Grandfather's Waltz", and "Stan's Blues". Side two features Joao Gilberto without Stan – playing in a very groovy trio that's more straight bossa than most of his other US recordings – cool small combo grooving that's totally great! The lineup features Gilberto on guitar and vocals, Keeter Betts on bass, and Helcio Milito on drums – all working in a sweetly grooving mode on titles that include "Samba De Minha Terra", "Meditation", "Bim Bom", "Rosa Moreno", and "O Pato". CD also features 5 bonus tracks with vocals from Astrud Gilberto – "It Might As Well Be Spring", "Only Trust Your Heart", "Corcovado", "Garota De Ipanema", and "Eu E Voce" – all from the Getz Au Go Go album.

A lost bossa classic from Wanda De Sah – aka Wanda Sa, the wife of Edu Lobo, and a singer who worked with Sergio Mendes in his pre-Brasil 66 days! The album's got a wonderfully laidback feel – languid, yet jazzy, with the feel of some of Astrud Gilberto's best work on Verve, yet with vocals that are possibly better – thanks to Wanda's pedigree in Brazilian pop. Recordings were done in California, not Rio – and arrangements are handled by the great Jack Marshall – who's got a strong ear for keeping things interesting with a mix of strings, Latin rhythms, and Capitol pop shadings. Titles include "Aqua De Beber", "Ho Ba La La", "Sweet Happy Life", "The Dreamer", and a great version of "Aruanda".

Bossa Nova singers from both sides of the equator – in a groovy collection of work recorded both in Brazil and the US! The set's a wonderfully done exploration of the true range of bossa talents in the 60s – and it features both stars from the Brazilian scene, plus other artists who managed to cross over to US audiences, and got a chance to record for labels like Verve and A&M – all presented without cliche, and without too many over-heard bossa standards – a really fresh set overall, and very much up to the high level we expect from the Jazzclub series! Titles include "Oba La La" by Jorge Ben, "Berimbau" by Nara Leao, "Mas Que Nada" by Luiz Henrique, "So Tinha De Ser Com Voce" by Elis Regina, "Fim De Noite" by Chico Feitosa, "Samba Da Pergunta" by Marcia, "Agua De Beber" by Quarteto Em Cy & Tamba Trio, "O Barquinho" by Lucio Alves, "Bim Bom" by Astrud Gilberto, "Bloco Do Eu Sozinho" by Joyce, "Reza" by Elis Regina & Tamba Trio, "The Face I Love" by Marcos Valle, and "Voce" by Dick Farney & Norma Bengell.

A lost bossa classic from Wanda De Sah – aka Wanda Sa, the wife of Edu Lobo, and a singer who worked with Sergio Mendes in his pre-Brasil 66 days! The album's got a wonderfully laidback feel – languid, yet jazzy, with the feel of some of Astrud Gilberto's best work on Verve, yet with vocals that are possibly better – thanks to Wanda's pedigree in Brazilian pop. Recordings were done in California, not Rio – and arrangements are handled by the great Jack Marshall – who's got a strong ear for keeping things interesting with a mix of strings, Latin rhythms, and Capitol pop shadings. Titles include "Aqua De Beber", "Ho Ba La La", "Sweet Happy Life", "The Dreamer", and a great version of "Aruanda".