Serenade in Blue

Ithamara Koorax | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 18, 2000)
• Original Release Date: May 2, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Milestone
• ASIN: B00004SAZ2
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #402,441 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Bonita

2. Serenade in Blue

3. Mas Que Nada

4. Un Homme et une Femme

5. Moon River

6. Summer Samba (Samba de Verão)

7. Aranjuez (Follow Me)

8. The Shadow of Your Smile

9. Brazil [Aquarela Do Brasil]

Editorial Reviews

From Jazziz

Give Rio de Janeiro-based vocalist Ithamara Koorax credit for wanting to break the mold. Among an ever-increasing number of promising young female singers from her country, she's one of the few making a concerted effort to be taken seriously as a jazz artist of international stature. On Serenade in Blue (Milestone), her U.S. debut, she loads the session with a rotating cast of superstars and gives her own intriguing, albeit somewhat retro-bossa "lounge" spin to a nine-track, ballad-dominated program. The set includes such '60s-era standards as "Moon River" (Yes, "Moon River"!), "A Man and A Woman," and "The Shadow of Your Smile." It remains to be seen whether this curious choice of repertoire will prove to be a successful vehicle for attracting an audience of jazz sophisticates, but the album yields a number of easy-listening gems worthy of repeated listening.

Session producer Arnaldo DeSouteiro is fond of the 1970s bossa-funk style pioneered by such artists as Eumir Deodato and the group Azymuth, and both are present with their somewhat dated, synth-heavy approach on the majority of the tracks. Improbably, the title tune (Yes, the old Glenn Miller big band hit!) is a high point. Koorax is in a buoyant mood and retreats a bit from the "let me show you everything in my bag of tricks" attitude that dominates elsewhere, allowing her natural instincts and truly lovely voice to win the day. "Summer Samba," with composer Marcos Valle featured as arranger and keyboardist, is a sugary bossa treat, while Deodato's treatment of "Aranjuez" is a clever adaptation of Spanish composer Rodrigo's well-known theme from his "Aranjuez Suite." Guest pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba provides a striking contrast to the emphatic electronic orchestrations, bringing an elegant, understated acoustic touch to Jobim's "Bonita" and Jorge Ben's "Mas Que Nada."

Six Degrees Records, the label responsible for the recent successful packaging of singer Bebel Gilberto's new bossa style, has become home to a new generation of Brazilian artists. The label's goal is to blend traditional rhythms with elements of electronic dance music, samples, ambient sound, and other post-production effects that have become de rigueur in pop music. To date, as in the case of Gilberto's extraordinary Tanto Tempo, they've been surprisingly successful. On Outro Lado, by the Holland-based trio ZUCO 103, the programmed elements are kept to a tolerable minimum and employed with taste and purpose. The succulent voice of Lilian Vieira is often accompanied by strings, real horns (including such interesting additions as bass clarinet), and even a blast of Walter Wanderley-style organ. With strong melodies, furious rhythms, and Vieira's deliciously coy vocal style, it's all quite charming.

The vibe is similar but the mood darker and the sonic textures more sublime on the label's São Paulo Confessions by composer/producer/keyboardist SUBA. The Yugoslav expatriate, who moved to Brazil's largest city in the late 1980s, helped craft the Gilberto masterpiece. On his own date, he adroitly blends samples of old, swinging piano bossa combos with spacey effects designed to reflect São Paulo's somber energy. The recent death of this young studio wizard lends a palpable poignancy to this, his last session as a leader.

--Mark Holston, JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true jazz stylist, August 25, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Serenade in Blue (Audio CD)

Koorax is a true jazz stylist. People cannot compare her with the typical Brazilian singers rooted in samba or folk music. This superb classically trained songstress, gifted with a stunning vocal range, was influenced by ballad masters such as Shirley Horn and Carmen McRae. She applies her tremendous musical knowledge to all the tracks on Serenade In Blue, giving us some precious singing lessons in tracks like Bonita, The Shadow of Your Smile, and the Glenn Miller title song. Soon she will become a BIG jazz star in the USA. It is just a matter of time, folks...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great songs by a great singer, August 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Serenade in Blue (Audio CD)

Even better than the American issue of Serenade In Blue, cause it includes a fantastic bonus track, a haunting version of Dio Come Ti Amo. Ithamara sounds better each day.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful singer, August 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Serenade in Blue (Audio CD)

Superb album by the best Brazilian jazz singer ever. Period.
Sumptuous arrangements and outstanding performances by Deodato, Azymuth, Marcos Valle, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Jay Berliner, Kevin Jasper, Dom Um Romao, Nelson Angelo and countless other Brazilian greats. This woman deserves to receive international recognition, specially in USA, where Down Beat readers already voted her one of the top jazz singers in 2000. Forget about Jane Monheit or Norah Jones. Koorax is the best.