Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic Mendes, November 16, 2005
Mendes and his highly talented ensembles continue to make magic these many decades after their initial recording sessions.
The group was born in an era rife with musical competition. The same year Brazil'66 debuted, the Beatle releases Revolver, the Beach Boys unveiled Pet Sounds and a young guitarist named Hendrix was beginning to create a legend.
But Mendes, an already-established jazz performer (and outstanding arranger), picked his mark.
He sought the middle ground between pop and jazz, wrapped it in the rhythms of old Brazil and plucked two extremely fine vocalists (Karen Phillip and Lani Hall) from seemingly nowhere and inducted them into his troupe.
The result was a highly distinctive sound characterized by rich smooth harmonies and a pulsating Latin undercurrent.
The group's music creates an ambiance filled with sophisticated romantic notions and breezy rhythms.
Looking back, Brazil'66 is one of the few groups to really stand the test of time. They could have been recorded yesterday and their performances are as fresh and new as they were almost four decades ago.
Equinox is a case in point and probably their best album.
Porter's Night and Day is given a treatment it truly deserves and Jobim's Wave has never been delivered with such elegance and eloquence.
It's a short album, in total running less than half-an-hour, but its brevity is disproportionate to its quality.
The music, the songs and the arrangements still create an undeniable magic that is both unique and highly accessible.
FIVE STARS for the Swinger from Rio and his musical co-conspirators.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Music from the past, for the present!, July 3, 2004
I just found this CD with its "special packaging" and had to buy it - I had "Equinox" on vinyl as a kid (when it first came out in 1967), and (no surprise) it sounds just as great today. Sergio Mendes' musical concept was seen as somewhat adventurous at the time, and maybe it was, but it was also deceptively simple: put a Brazilian beat and feel to some high-quality pop tunes and standards, add in some authentic high-quality Brazilian tunes, polish the musical arrangements, get some GREAT singers and players to perform them, and voila! The first two Brasil '66 albums ("Equinox" is the second) were both bona-fide masterpieces. The re-mastering on "Equinox" sounds great - in fact the only possible complaint I could have is that the CD is too short! (It's exactly the original LP length though, so I really can't complain)
I really love the songs here - my favorites are "Constant Rain", complete with harpsichord and sitar (both staple instruments of 1967 pop); the gentle but insistent "Cinnamon And Clove"; the two Jobim songs "Triste" and "Wave", both of which have beautiful vocal arrangements; and "For Me", which is sort of reminiscent of "Something's Coming" from "West Side Story", but with its own cool tempo and groove changes - and dig the piano improv on the fadeout! Mendes is a truly distinctive pianist, and Lani Hall is a breathtaking singer. The other band members - Bob Matthews, Jose Soares, Joao Palma and Janis Hansen - are top-notch as well. This is one of those CD's that will always make you feel good when you put it on - I haven't been able to stop playing it since I bought it! I highly recommend "Equinox".
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible music, but packaging and timing isn't, August 18, 2006
When listening to this CD, I thought of the Irving Berlin quote that great music should be 1/3 melody, 1/3 harmony, 1/3 rhythm. This CD meets that rigorous standard.
Many of us have heard these melodies before. Watch What Happens was a hit for Lena Horne, of all people. Night and Day was from a Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movie. Wave, Triste, So Danco Samba are all standards.
But Mendes and crew put a wonderful touch to these songs. Incredible arrangements, solid musicianship. There is melody, harmony and rhythm.
However, CD runs less than 30 minutes, packing as noted in other reviews is awful. This could have easily been combined with another CD.
The 5 stars is for the music.
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