Shadow Of Your Smile, The - Astrud Gilberto

Advantages: Beautiful lullaby voice, subtle but effective jazz backing
Disadvantages: None, all the songs are classics

...in this one. 23. So Nice. This one is a real classic. No one else could sing it better. Astrud sounds like a child in this song, some great organ chords backing Astrud’s vocals. 24. Let Go. I love this track. It is very up-beat and quite different from the other tracks. It has a great percussion section. All tracks on the album are classics. If you love jazz and latin, then you simply must have an Astrud Gilberto album in your collection. This album in particular is great because it has a lot of Astrud’s lesser-known recordings as well as some famous ones. It is a shame that since Joao and Astrud have split up Astrud has gone out of the limelight a little, while Joao remains firmly in the Latin charts Even so, Astrud has made some great recordings and will never be forgotten. A classic artist who has a stunning voice... Read review

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Advantages: composition, vocals
Disadvantages: none

...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 João 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... Read review

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Advantages: Mix of ballads and silly songs, engaging performance
Disadvantages: Some weak orchestration here and there

...technically proficient collections out there, it is definitely among the most enjoyable albums I own, and never fails to make me smile at the silly tracks and sigh at the sad ones. Graae's charisma carries the album and matches the tone of Strouse's songs perfectly - at times gently poking fun at them, but generally inhabiting them fully. Although the orchestrations are occasionally off-putting, this is overcome by the performance, so I do not hesitate to recommend the CD to anyone, unless they have a terminal fear of theatre music. Currently out of print, the CD turns up second hand relatively frequently, so it's worth keeping an eye on places like ebay or Amazon marketplace for an affordable copy. Or of you're really feeling adventurous, try ordering from the United States through the Fynsworth Alley website, which is the label that grew up... Read review

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