Customer Reviews

GETZ/GILBERTO # 2 - LIVE AT CARNEGIE HALL

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Norm Granz, owner of Verve Records, held Getz and the Gilberto's contracts in the sixties. He also owned rigths to the monster classic, the second best selling album of all time (after "Kind of Blue"), "Getz/Gilberto" and was anxious to re-capitalize on it's success with a follow up album.

The painfully shy Joao Gilberto had invited his wife Astrud Gilberto to New York to the original record "Getz/Gilberto" with AC Jobim. Astrud was a housewife with no musical training, but Getz like her, liked her small off-key voice. ("Desafinado" means "off-key" in Portuguese.) So Getz insisted that she sing "Girl From Ipanema" over the strong objections of Gilberto and Jobim. That song went on to be a monster hit, on the Pop, Rock and Jazz stations for over a year. Getz had an affair with Astrud which torpedoed the Gilberto's marriage.

So Granz wanted another golden egg and planned this concert. By this time all three principals were feuding with each other, at each others throats. Getz showed up with his new non Bossa nova band including Gary Burton, the future direction of his career, Joao Gilberto showed with his and Astrud showed up with hers. On stage, the principals were barely civil to each other. While the album is pleasant, there was no playing together and songs where they are have been omitted.

This rag-tag album has shown up in many incarnations, this current version without the Astrud Gilberto songs.

There are 5 tracks missing compared to the 1993 version. The entire CD is 35 minutes.

I agree with one reviewer that the album is disjointed. But as a first time introduction to Stan Getz the first tracks only whetted my appetite for more of his music. "Grandfather's waltz" is worth the price of the album, imho. I like this more than Getz's interpretation of the piece with Bill Evans and while I unfortunately cannot claim to have the knowledge of a musician, I loved what was for me an unusual combination of instruments, the masterful restraint in Getz's playing that seemed to go to all the right places, matched with the satisfying forward drive of the tempo. I kept my system set to replay for more times than I should mention! Maybe you will, too.

This isn't a true sequel to Getz/Gilberto as the name implies. It is a live recording of two separate bands. That being said, the playing is great. If you're like and and prefer your Gilberto sans-Getz, this is a good one to get. I think Getz tends to get in the way of Gilberto's restrained style(see Best of Both Worlds) but sounds great with his own band doing jazz material. This album in not the crown of either musicians career, but there's always more room in my record collection for these two.

I do not own this CD, but own the original LP release from 64. I am not familiar with any version with 5 more songs, as noted by the reviewer below me. The LP I have has the same songs as this CD.

The first few songs are performed by Stan Getz with Gary Burton on vibes. The set is solid and the performances are killer. "Here's That Rainy Day" makes the whole Getz side worthwhile. The combo's interpretation is really beautiful.

On the Gilberto side, I was pleasantly surprised to find a set without Getz at all. Just guitar, bass and drums. The group is as tight as can be and Gilberto's guitar playing really shines. I listen to this side more than the other and recommend this record as an excellent companion to the celbrated Getz/Gilberto.