Customer Reviews

Hard Bossa

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

 

 

It is tough for me to review her work. Her voice, her style, the way she plays the guitar, the way she sings - without a doubt I will always be biased towards her music and she is a voice that I recognize since I was... so young! But I am listening to "Juparana" and feel inspired to review this cd, released on "Far Out" records out of the UK. What a label - releasing fantastic releases by not only Joyce, but Marcos Valle, Os Ipanemas and several other great musicians.

This is one of I believe 4 releases by Joyce on that label. And it is perhaps my favorite of the releases. You get to sense her incredible creativity and freedom in the way she plays and sings. The CD starts fantastically with "Zoeira", a track that just loops, and loops, and loops fantastically. "Quarup" follows up nicely with flutes and a gentle little samba beat to it- cute moments of great musicianship. "London Samba" is another great cut off of this song, her voice dancing with the trombone. And then there's "Todos Os Santos", a breath-taking harmonising piece with Joyce and Ana Martins. I could go on and on, rest assured Juparana in it's acoustic feel and "Hard Bossa"'s upbeat takes are near perfect pieces to me.

This CD comes HIGHLY recommended! Hence the dilemma, of course I recommend anything by Joyce but since venders are selling it for $35 and up, that may be a bit too steep considering I picked it up brand new at probably 30% of their price. Some people have their favorite singers for whatever the reasons may be, and with Joyce, to me there's something about her voice that's so spirited and so REAL. You can feel her pride and her strength when she sings. If you dig this work, then by all means check out her many, many other works including the ones released on Far Out Records: "Gafiera Moderna", "Just A Little Bit Crazy" along with "Astraunata". And for those new to Joyce, no worries, a huge conglomeration of cd's is out titled "Series Retratos" and she is one of the featured singers.

Joyce is a Brasilian wonder (and there are many wonders in Brasil!). As a musician, Joyce has no equal - her guitar accompaniment is that of a master. Her artistry is also masterful. She explores a broad sprectrum of Brasilian popular music. Novelo and Vatapa absolutely bring a smile on my face - regardless of my situation. The music stirs the soul, stirs the imagination. every performance is real, exciting and fresh. recommended for anyone who thinks they know Sambas and Bossa Novas. This is "hip"

Melodic, acoustic sound, it swings, alternating between voice/guitar and accompaniment with other instruments, acoustic bass, drums and percussion. Flute makes it's presence joyfully felt as well. Always something light and breezy in her voice, it dances on the music, sometimes haunting, sometimes soothing with lots of interesting melodic shifts against the music. I don't understand a word of Portuguese, but the voice is an instrument which in this case blends wonderfully with Joyce's acoustic guitar playing and the percussion. Almost with a folk flavor at times, the sometimes soaring vocals and vocal harmonies retain an unmistakable brazilian flavor, yet the music is intimate, it breathes. Like a river that rushes swiftly at times, and at others meanders and gathers itself, it demonstrates wonderfully what classical guitarists often strive for - that feeling guides the tempo. Or is it the changing tempo that expresses the feeling? Either way, it's hard not to be charmed by this album.

1 OF THE HOTEST CDs KNOWN 1 KNOWS ABOUT.JOYCE HAS A SMOOTH APROCHE TO HER VOCALS AND AQUSTIC GUATAR PLAYING THAT FLOWS RIGTH ALONG WITH HER VOICE.100% SATIFACTION!