| Just Take a Listen... |
Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto, Jobim, and others worked together and created a landmark in jazz and bossa nova, but that's not the reason you should listen to it. You should listen to this record because it's a great, beautiful slice of bossa nova. I don't know much about the genre, but genre matters not. This is great jazz, and they don't em' like this any more.
The playing on this record is ace, melancholy, moody, swinging. Joao plays some really good guitar, smooth, lovely, exotic, and melodic, and Getz swings and sings with the saxophone. While the lyrics by Jobim are in a different language, the music is pretty universal, and with Jobim's wife singing in English, you pretty much know what the songs are about. The rhythm section is very relaxing, and very smooth, pretty much what is demanded in an album such as this. This album of Bossa Nova is very different from what most people think when they of South American type of music (the latin stereotype probably defined by Santana).
The album is rather short, but that matters not, as there are no weak or average tracks on here. Even if you don't pay much attention, the album's mood and magic are obvious even if it doesn't require your undivided attention. The tracks that transcend merely good are excellent. The jazz standard, The Girl From Ipanpaneamsfl (AHHH!!!!!. What? I don't want to look it up, you know exactly what track I am talking about), has a great mood, and you can feel what the man is going through, the thing that crossed my mind was "______ look at him you ________! COME ON!" So Danco Samba is the most upbeat song on here, the name says it all. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars and the third track with the long as _____ name, and the second track are more standouts. It also has one of my favorite love songs, Desafindo.
Oh, excuse me if I make a lot of mistakes on naming the songs off the top of my head, because the songs are extremely long and pretty much in a language I don't understand.
This album is just something that demands to be listened to, and that's the only thing that will do it justice, as many words just don't the sound justice. The two bonus tracks are just excuses for listening to two of the songs over again, and that's perfectly fine. While a bit overrated, give it a listen. No, scratch that, get lost in it, well, for me, records aren't merely a casual listen. Great together with Jazz Samba.
8/10 |
4 Rating
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| A Serendipitous Masterpiece |
In history, seemingly all great things are happenstance. One could certainly say the same about this serendipitous recording. A quiet, gentle, beautiful record of 8 songs (and 2 reprises) it created a time capsule of that era that surprisingly stands up to todays standards. A great album to relax to, put it on when you need to seriously unwind without drugs or alcohol. It works amazingly well. |
5 Rating
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| Must have jazz title, but dated |
You can't be a serious jazz fan and not own this album. That's for sure. I bought it expecting more, but it took me back to listening to my parents' records on the dining room floor in front of the console stereo. The sound and style are very dated, which is not necessarily a bad thing. And sure, I was young and carefree in the 60's, but I won't be playing this album much except when I need to practice some "Ipanema" licks before a gig. That is to say, as good as it is, and even though it is a cornerstone of Latin jazz, I won't listen to it very often, at all. |
3 Rating
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