Saturday, November 17, 2012

Antonio Carlos Jobim ~ The Composer Plays


If Bossa Nova could be considered a revolution or a movement in American popular music, then Desafinado most certainly has been its battle cry. The perky, catchy melody was whistled, hummed, thought of, and quite possibly marched to during most of 1962. Stan Getz copped his first "Grammy" at the annual awards presentation of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for "Best Jazz Performance" of 1962. The vehicle, of course, was his version (with guitarist Charlie Byrd) of'Desafinado. Getz was nominated for eight "Grammy" awards, more than any other single performer in the Academy's history, and nearly all of them were for Desafinado or the parent album, "Jazz Samba" (V/ V6-8432).

So profound was the impact of Desafinado that Bossa Nova became the thing in pop music. Standards were performed in the "new rhythm" and we were deluged by such items as Stardust Bossa Nova, Fly Me To The Moon Bossa Nova, Bossa Nova Cha Cha Cha, and even Blame It On The Bossa Nova. Arthur Murray and other dance instructors exhorted us to learn to "do" the Bossa Nova.

And, somehow, in all the shuffle, the lightness and the delicacy and the depth of feeling of Bossa Nova got lost. The followers and the doers and the players-for-dancing either forgot or ignored the characteristically long structure of the authentic Brazilian Bossa Nova, its naturally-accented rhythm, and the minor feel of the music. It had become the new thing because it was the new way to make a buck.

This bit of generalized history is by way of introduction to the composer of  Desafinado, and one of the young musicians from Brazil who was in at the creation of Bossa Nova: Antonio Carlos Jobim.

01. The Girl From Ipanema (2:40)
02. O Morro (3:37)
03. Agua De Beber (2:51)
04. Dreamer (2:37)
05. Favela (3:21)
06. Insensatez (2:55)
07. Corcovada (Quiet Nights) (2:22)
08. One Note Samba (2:17)
09. Meditation (3:17)
10. Jazz Samba (So Danco Samba) (2:21)
11. Chega De Saudade (4:21)
12. Desafinado (2:44)

Desafinado

The girl from ipanema

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