The New Bossa Nova

Luciana Souza | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 21, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Verve
• ASIN: B000SM7R7O
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,394 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Brazilian bossa nova has been called the "whisper heard around the world." But when a small cadre of Rio-based intellectuals mixed American jazz with local sambas, little did they know that it would prove so durable. The initial international craze, spearheaded by Astrud Gilberto's version of "Girl from Ipanema" (Garota de Ipanema) and the movie Black Orpheus (Orfeo Negro), faded gently into a shadowy but still-beloved presence. But whenever a modern Brazilian needs a good cry in his or her cerveza, it is still to these swaying, sublimely passive-aggressive tunes that he or she will turn. Luciana Souza, a São Paulo native with three Grammy nominations under her belt, is particularly adept at performing these wistfully poetic microcosms or, as she has done here, recognizing in works by non-Brazilian composers a particular kind of restrained yet insistent longing mixed with sensual sadness and nostalgia, an emotion Brazilians call saudade. That she has located it in some very unexpected places makes the album even more magical. Her richly female, woodwind-like alto floats over a sultry, sax-infused jazz combo, transforming tunes by Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Sting, Elliot Smith, Randy Newman, and James Taylor (who sits in on his own "Never Die Young"). But the most perfect, if previously unimaginable, transformation is her take on the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows"--a startling but utterly ideal encounter. Fittingly, Souza ends the program with an English-language version of one of Antonio Carlos Jobim's most beloved songs, "Waters of March" (Águas de Março), a legendary bossa nova that brings the set full circle. --Christina Roden

Product Description

The New Bossa Nova finds Souza applying her interpretative skills to material drawn from a diverse array of sources, including Joni Mitchell ("Down To You"), Leonard Cohen ("Here It Is"), Sting ("When We Dance"), Elliott Smith ("Satellite"), Steely Dan ("Were You Blind That Day"), Brian Wilson ("God Only Knows"), Randy Newman ("Living Without You"), Michael McDonald ("I Can Let Go Now") and legendary bossa nova master Antonio Carlos Jobim (the standard "Waters of March"), along with a pair of memorable new songs written for the project, "You and the Girl," written by Souza and producer Larry Klein, and "Love Is for Strangers," by Klein and Steely Dan's Walter Becker. The set also features a memorable guest appearance by James Taylor, who joins Souza for a soulful duet reading of the Taylor composition "Never Die Young." The New Bossa Nova marks an exciting new chapter for the Brazilian-born vocalist and three-time Grammy® nominee, who's already widely acknowledged as one of jazz's most respected and accomplished vocalists. The 11-song album finds the artist crafting a fresh and highly personal variation on the beloved bossa nova style, matching Souza's exquisite, deeply-felt performances with spare, eloquent arrangements that place the emphasis squarely on the songs' timeless emotional truths.

The album confirms Souza's reputation as both a world-class vocalist and a versatile, consistently adventurous creative force. The project is Souza's first collaboration with her husband, producer/musician Klein, whose extensive resume encompasses work with artists as diverse as Joni Mitchell, Freddie Hubbard, Peter Gabriel and Wayne Shorter. The New Bossa Nova also features a stellar cast of players including tenor saxophonist Chris Potter, guitarist Romero Lubambo, pianist Edward Simon, bassist Scott Colley, vibraphonist Matt Moran and drummer Antonio Sanchez.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Luciana Souza's Bossa Nova, September 23, 2008

By 

W. Noshie (Beirut, Lebanon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The New Bossa Nova (Audio CD)

This is my first album for Luciana Souza and I am well impressed. Smooth voice; Smooth re composition for each song, James Taylor nicely adding his lovely voice on "Never die Young"; This album is a bouquet of nice songs of Sting, James Taylor, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Brazilian Bossa Nova? No.
Bossa Nova Luciana Souza's style? Absolutely.
Highly recommended for all the smooth Jazz, Smooth Rock and Bossa Nova lovers, who are into some great music, composed by all the artists I mentioned above, played, twisted and sang in an absolutely lovely and charming way.
4 stars or 5 are well deserved.
Other well recommended album of a similar great style:
Joni Mitchell: Turbulent Indigo
Joni Mitchell: Taming the Tiger

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful interpretation, October 27, 2007

By 

Renaissance man (New York, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The New Bossa Nova (Audio CD)

I love Brazilian music but, the truth be told, I especially love the classics. Among the many CDs I have of bossa nova and sambas, I tend to listen the most to the many versions I have of the same "old" stuff from Jobim, Joao Gilberto, etc. So here comes this carefully selected set of--for the most part--classic rock pieces, sang with a beautiful voice in a Brazilian style! These sound new and fresh, as if they had just been written to be played this way. And to top it all, a trip back to the classics with one of the most beautiful renditions I have heard of águas de março.
I am embarrassed to say that I did not know about Luciana Souza, but I am sure to become a fan of hers now.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars promising but ultimately boring, December 6, 2007

By 

Ben Goldberg (Northeast) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The New Bossa Nova (Audio CD)

I love Brazilian music and bossa nova. I thought this set held real promise based on having heard a few cuts and an interview with Souza.
But the collection takes no risks and ultimately is boring. Almost all of the familiar tunes (e.g., the James Taylor cut)add nothing to the original and this listener concluded: "Why bother?"