Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus

Vince Guaraldi

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1991)
• Original Release Date: April 18, 1962
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ojc
• ASIN: B000000YO6
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #60,307 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Among the early '60s wave of American jazzmen entranced by Brazilian music, none proved more ebullient than pianist Vince Guaraldi, whose homage to a 1959 film retelling the Orpheus myth as an underclass Rio de Janeiro romance proved a sleeper hit. With Guaraldi's fleet, always rhythmic piano driving these concise trio settings, Black Orpheus remains a seductive delight, probing the then-exotic push and pull of samba with glee, but leaving ample room for more contemplative ballads that remain deeply affecting more than three decades after the album's release. Luis Bonfa's and Antonio Carlos Jobim's music was the seed for the project, yielding a percolating "Samba de Orpheus" and the haunting ballad, "Manha de Carnaval," but the album's best-known performance remains Guaraldi's own wistful and swinging "Cast Your Fate to the Wind." A surprise single hit in 1965, the song would later receive a more expansive pop cover, but it's Guaraldi's original that remains the superior performance--a wordless romantic reverie that speaks volumes in Guaraldi's tender verses, muscular choruses, and romping bridge. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For The True Jazz Affecianado, July 4, 2000

By	Eddie Landsberg "(just about) 10 years review... (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

As a Jazz musician, often I'm forced to play certain tunes from the Bossa Wave to the point that they might have been cute and catchy the first million times I heard them, but after a while, its like enough is enough. Then, a cat like Horace Silver or Herbie Hancock might come along, and show you what a bad cat Jobim really was. - - "Cast Your Fate To The Wind" falls in that catagory. Its not really a bossa album per se. Jobim was a brilliant melodist. If you ever have a chance, rent Black Orpheus and that catchy rhythmic melody from Samba De Orpheus will probably be rattling around your head for atleast a month. - - Vince G. takes those melodies and swings out with a slick soul Jazz edge - - Despite the fact that its straight ahead trio Jazz, the title song launched the album straight up the pop charts for almost a half a year. Vince Guaraldi may not come to mind when names like Ramsey Lewis and Cannonball Adderly are brought to mind, but this is a definitely a heavy swinging Jazz combo and well worth getting if you dig that sound. Incidently, you'll probably recognize the haunting Manha De Carnaval as the tune better known now as Black Orpheus, and with Guaraldi's commanding playing, backed by Monty Budwig on bass and Colin Bailey on drums, its definitely one of the best versions I've heard date.)

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Jazz Albums of All Time, July 19, 2002

By	Steven R. Seim "Steve Seim" (Beaver Dam, WI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

With "Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus," Vince Guaraldi created one of the most original, recognizable, and joyous sounds in piano jazz. (Perhaps only Thelonious Monk is more instantly recognizable.) The lively keyboard work, the sympathetic rhythm section, the Latin flourishes, the tender ballads, and the playful swinging all come together to create an instant classic. Extremely accessible, "Black Orpheus" is an excellent selection to get a friend interested in jazz - or to introduce yourself to America's classical music. A masterpiece!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Joyous!, November 27, 2000

By	Gayle Greene (CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When I first saw the Brazillian movie "Black Orpheus" in the 1960s (it won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1959), I was taken not only with a wonderful modern-day retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Euridyce but also with the fabulous music that pulsed through it. The Bonfa/Jobim score has an incredible energy, and Guaraldi's jazz interpretation of it is sheer joy. "Manha de Carnaval" was popularized in the U.S. by vocalist Jack Jones, under the name of "A Day in the Life of a Fool."

Not only do you get the marvelous Orpheus music on this CD, you also get "Cast your Fate to the Wind," one of the finest jazz classics of the 60s.

Guaraldi, most famous for his "Peanuts" music, had a great talent that extended far beyond that, and this fabulous CD showcases his wonderful jazz interpretations.

If you want to hear music and playing that will make your spirits soar, buy this album!