Customer Reviews

Best of Two Worlds

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

For lovers of the sweet, gentle and romantic rhythms of bossa-nova, with the masters: saxophonist, Stan Getz and singer & guitarist, Joao Gilberto, who started all the trend, back in 1964, with "The Girl of Ipanema" et al.

This album is very good, in the tradition of Getz and Gilberto's landmark albums of the `60s, but perhaps in a "softer" vein.

Also featured (uncredited in her début) is brazilian singer, Heloisa Buarque deHollanda, better known in her country as "Miucha", who's Joao Gilberto's second wife (his first was Astrud Gilberto), Bebel Gilberto's mother and Chico Buarque's sister. After this album, she's appeared in two albums with Antonio Carlos Jobim, among others.

This has been a favorite of mine since it first came out. Like everyone else, to me this is the definitive version of "Waters of March." I finally tracked down the lyrics somewhere and they are true poetry. For another fine version of the song, see Susanna McCorckle's "From Bessie to Brazil." One correction, the female vocalist on this album is Heloisa Buarque DeHollanda. The liner notes don't give much info. Airto appears on percussion. The rhythm section is Steve Swallow and Clint Houston on bass and Grady Tate on the drum kit.

The two reviews below have described this album well. I love Brazilian music, it takes me back to the days of lying on the Coppacabana beach, the wind blowing in my hair, the men selling ice-creams, the smell of coconuts, the unbearably hot sand. But this album isn't just any Brazilian music. It is one of the best I have ever heard, Joao Gilberto and Astrud Gilberto have beautiful voices that make every song a treasure. I have heard many versions of Aguas de Marco, but none compare to this version, with Stan Getz's saxophone in the background...there are no words to describe it but trust me, if you like music that moves your soul, that expresses passion, love and if you like to dance, then compre ja.

After "Getz/Gilberto" the second best selling Jazz album of all time behind "Kind of Blue", the record companies were anxious for another golden egg.

However this is one of the worst periods in Stan Getz life, the 70's. Personal problems, and he was locked in the the bitterest divorce case in history, went to the Supreme Court! Things added to his orange juice...

Joao Gilberto also has a good reason to have a grudge against Getz but it doesn't show here, he is as mellow as usual. A trooper. His singing and guitar & Heloise hold the day, while Getz pretty much phones it in. What's good on this album comes from him.

For better Getz, pick any other decade or his life. For some reason all of the Getz Columia recordings are really bass thin and harsh. This one is less so, but no exception.

See my list for many better Getz recordings.

I don't think the playing is as poor as others have claimed, but the production quality is just miserable. I can't believe that Columbia can't re-master this and at least take out the most obvious flaws in volume, "muddy-ness," etc. I'd be happy to buy it again if it sounded better!

I've been listening to this album for over twenty years and it never loses its appeal. It ranks among my personal top ten albums and remains as fresh and engaging as it did when I first heard it. I can't recommend this highly enough (and really don't understand what the other reviewer meant by problems with volume - maybe he had a bad disc?). Buy this CD - you won't regret it.

I knew a lady whom Joao stayed with her family (she was 13 at the time)during the recording of this record. She said that Joao was furious when he heard the mix. There is Joao, understated and superbly craftsmanly and self-contained, then the sax solos kick in at a level that seems twice as loud as Joao's performance, as if he were a blank pad for scribbling saxophone- a disgusting display of egotism and lack of respect. I give this 3 stars because I worship Joao, but through no fault of his own, this is his worst record.

The very first thing I recognized about this LP (yes, it was an LP when I first heard it in 1976) was that Getz was not right. "The Sound" simply was not there. But, I loved Joao so much that I devoured "Ligia", and "Eu Vim da Bahia" and tried to ignore that Stan was slumping. "Double Rainbow" is a wonderful tune, and, again I simply tried to ignore Heloisa Buarque's occasional foray into off-key and Getz' muddled production in order to get to Joao's wonderful high-fretboard work to the ending. Still, over the years I went to the LP in order to learn the tunes - and then one day I found Joao had a CD of most of the same tunes ALL BY HIMSELF. This was, to me, the clue that he was not at all satisfied with the recording either. His CD is flawless and 5 star. This one I do give a few stars simply for "Ligia" and "Falsa Bahiana" where Getz at least gets a few off. The original liner notes were written by Gene Lees, and he, too, must share some blame for touting so loudly what is clearly a sub-par recording.

I've probably listened to this album more times than any other over the years. It was my introduction to the wonderful "Waters of March," which has since become more popular. I love the fact that the album contains lesser known but great Jobim tunes. Also, I'm a saxophonist, and the more I listen to Stan Getz's solos, the more I realize that they're perfectly constructed gems of melodic development - no running the chord changes here. His building of a solo is really an education: so personal, lyrical yet tough, his pace, use of dynamics, dramatic rises and falls. This is my favorite Brazilian/jazz album. Get it, you'll love it. By the way, this CD production could be improved - no personnel are listed, for one, unlike the original LP.

This also has been a favorite of mine for thirty years. There are flaws but also many gems. Getz may have been in a bad way but his solos flow perfectly with the music. Gilberto is a joy as always.