Fans of João Gilberto’s earliest recordings face a confusing dilemma: How to listen to The Father of Bossa Nova at that Brazilian moment in time when his singing style and unique approach to the acoustic guitar literally created and then defined the Bossa beat?
Until now, the best option was ‘The Legendary João Gilberto’ a wonderfully comprehensive CD released by Blue Note in 1990. But inventories have long since been depleted and what copies remain are now priced at ‘Market’ value, seemingly escalating with each passing month.
Happily this readily available compilation provides a satisfying alternative, at least until someone decides to bless us with a second release of ‘Legendary’ or, even better, re-issues João Gilberto’s first three albums on CD.
That’s where the 20 songs on this collection come from.
1959’s ‘Chega de Saudade’ was Gilberto’s debut as a solo artist, and it came about as a result of his uncredited guitar accompaniment on two songs with another Brazilian singer, Elizeth Cardoso on her 1958 album ‘Canção do Amor Demais’. The stunning contrast of her traditional vocal style against his revolutionary guitar play prompted a young orchestrator named Antonio Carlos Jobim to get this talented unknown into the recording studio quickly. A 78-rpm vinyl single of ‘Chega De Saudade’ was recorded first and its success led to the full album.
This ‘Desafinado’ CD compilation includes Chega de Saudade, Desafinado, Rosa Morena, and E Luxo Só from his very first recording, with Antonio Carlos Jobim and Orchestra backing him up.
Gilberto’s ‘O Amor, O Sorriso, E A Flor’ followed quickly in 1960 and this CD collection includes seven of the album’s original 12 songs, many of which went of to become jazz standards as part of our ‘American’ lexicon: Samba De Uma Nota Só, Doralice, Meditação, O Pato, Corcovado, Discussão and Outra Vez - again with Jobim’s orchestra or small group accompaniment.
1961’s self-titled ‘João Gilberto’ continued the Brazilian singer’s evolution and cemented the momentum of Bossa Nova as it began its march toward the US with the first stateside recordings by guitarist Charlie Byrd and flutist Herbie Mann, In fact, João Gilberto would not record again in Brazil for nearly a decade, having moved to New York to begin the next stage of his career with saxophonist Stan Getz in 1962.
Eight of the dozen tunes found on that 1961 album find their way into this CD collection: Samba De Minha Terra, O Barquinho, Saudade De Bahia, O Amor Em Paz, Voce E Eu, Coisa Mais Linda, Insensatez and Este Seu Olhar, which was arranged by Gilberto himself – another first!
This collection adds a bonus not found on any of Gilberto’s first three recordings –
A romantic, Bossa Nova rendition of Manha De Carnaval, from a 1962 EP titled
‘João Gilberto Cantando as Musicás do Filme Orfeo do Carnaval’.
Miles Davis is quoted as once saying that João Gilberto “could read a newspaper and sound good.” High praise from a jazz master who himself lived within the nuance of his music. We put it another way: João Gilberto has a voice that can whisper through walls. His warm timbre lightly dances over the top of these 20 songs in a charmingly nostalgic and completely Brazilian way. Sometimes its difficult to remember that back in the late 50’s João Gilberto was as revolutionary to the pop music of his country as Bill Haley or Elvis Presley was to ours.
There are so many great moments found within these songs. The João Gilberto of these times excelled in creating emotional eternity with just a few notes, or within a single phrase: His off-handed scatting at the beginning of Dorival Caymmi’s Samba Da Minha Terra is so completely satisfying that you’d be forgiven for considering that his little 10 second riff might actually be enough to last a lifetime. And his carefree whistling to open Rosa Morena leads to a story of wistful infatuation with the one girl “with this flower in your hair” that he’d love to know better.
This is the stuff Bossa Nova dreams are made of.
Originally released in 1992 as a budget line CD (sorry, no liner notes here) from an obsure label (Spain? Mexico?), our buyers consider this CD to be a wonderful and exciting discovery and we’re very happy to be able to present this collection for your good fortune as well. Pick up a copy and you’ll hear what we mean.
