Anybody can recognize "The Girl From Ipanema", it's a classic. But where did it come from? Where did Bossa Nova spread its roots?
Pianist Tom Jobim is credited for the composition of most of the classic Bossa Nova standards, but is was Joćo Gilberto who took these standards, and interpreted ... Read review
Anybody can recognize "The Girl From Ipanema", it's a classic. But where did it come from? Where did Bossa Nova spread its roots?
Pianist Tom Jobim is credited for the composition of most of the classic Bossa Nova standards, but is was Joćo Gilberto who took these standards, and interpreted on the guitar what we now identify as Bossa Nova. By harmonizing the chords on the guitar with the traditional Brazilian Samba rhythm, ... .../>
Gilberto's guitar playing is virtuous, but what really captures me is his voice. He sings with a "blown" quality as if he is blowing air from his gut, which produces an intimate close-to-the-microphone sound. It's possible to hear his lips smacking dryly during the pronounciation of certain words, and he has an excellent vocal amplitude, using mostly low-pitched but well chosen notes.
Anybody can recognize "The Girl From Ipanema", it's a classic. But where did it come from? Where did Bossa Nova spread its roots?
Pianist Tom Jobim is credited for the composition of most of the classic Bossa Nova standards, but is was Joćo Gilberto who took these standards, and interpreted on the guitar what we now identify as Bossa Nova. By harmonizing the chords on the guitar with the traditional Brazilian Samba rhythm, Gilberto evolved Jobims' compositions and popularized the style.
Gilberto's guitar playing is virtuous, but what really captures me is his voice. He sings with a "blown" quality as if he is blowing air from his gut, which produces an intimate close-to-the-microphone sound. It's possible to hear his lips smacking dryly during the pronounciation of certain words, and he has an excellent vocal amplitude, using mostly low-pitched but well chosen notes.
This album is fun to compare to his other work, as over the years his performances have become more sensitive and refined. The harmonizations are well thought out (Gilberto is notorious for spending weeks picking out the perfect chord), and byt the time this album was recorded his voice already had that grandfather-like quality. Classics such as "Ąguas de Marēo", "Falsa Baiana" and "Izaura" have amazing sound quality, comparable to todays' recordings.
If you can read Portuguese, or are able to find translations for the lyrics, it will heighten the experience if you read the poetry along with the performance. Joćo Gilberto has at least ten albums on the market, and is established as the "Father of Bossa Nova" with collaborations from Tom Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Chico Buarque and many others.
Product Information for "Joao Gilberto - Joao Gilberto" »
Product details
Title
Joao Gilberto
Performer
Joao Gilberto
Genre
World Music
Sub Genre
Bossa Nova
Release Date
08/06/2000
Original Release Year
1973
Label / Distributor
Universal IMS / Universal Music
Engineer
W. Carlos
Producer
Rachel Elkind
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Stereo
Stereo
Format
Performer
EAN
42283758926
Additional notes
Album Notes
Personnel: Joao Gilberto (vocals, guitar); Sonny Carr (drums); Miucha (background vocals). Includes liner notes and translations by Arto Lindsay. Joao Gilberto is the most accomplished interpreter of Antonio Carlos Jobim's material, hence bossa nova's greatest male singer. A huge influence on subsequent generations of Brazilian singers, Gilberto possesses a smooth, sensual whisper of a voice that sneaks through your ear and heads directly for your soul. Never rising above a gentle murmur, he insinuates himself effortlessly into harmonically complex Jobim tunes like the title song and the eerie, intoxicating "Undu" with a style that was once described as someone "sitting on a stoop explaining something to himself." Incredibly, Gilberto's guitar work (the only accompaniment save an effectively minimal percussionist) is just as distinctive and virtuosic as his singing. The premier guitar practitioner of bossa nova's subtly undulating rhythms and complex, jazz-influenced chord changes, he navigates sophisticated song structures as easily as falling out of bed. This is the definitive Gilberto album, and thus one of the most important albums not only in Brazilian music, but in musical history.
Titles on disc 1
1.
Aguas De Marco
2.
Undiu
3.
No Baixa Do Sapateiro
4.
Avarandado
5.
Falsa Baiana
6.
El Quero Um Samba
7.
Eu Vim Da Bahia
8.
Valsa (Como Sao Lindos Os Youguis) (Bebel)
9.
E Preciso Perdoar
10.
Izaura
Ciao
Listed on Ciao since
15/06/2005
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