Ruud Brink & Astrud Gilberto (& Dom Um-Romao)

[JSngry]

Visually...wow, stunning.

Musically...there are moments when she does some shit with the phrasing that are WTF? in the unflattering way, or so they begin, but dammit, she makes it all come out right at the end, and when as after the tenor interlude on "Corcovado", one is left with the impression that, yeah, she not only meant to do that, but she meant for you to wonder if she meant to do that, question her at your own risk. "It Might As Well Be Spring" in in particular, that's an adventure, the band is like seriously, wtf? do you know what you're doing, but it all comes out at the end, and never once does one hear a scramble or panic on her part to make it so. Dom, otoh, is like a sheep-dog, keeping the rhythm section in line, saying just hold it down, it's going to come out right.

Really, I get the impression of somebody singing in English while still thinking in Portuguese. That doesn't explain the pitch of course, but pitch is just pitch, it's only bad if it's wrong, and if the phrasing is right, well, the pitch is not necessarily wrong as much as it is color.

Singer? I don't know...and really don't care. We got plenty of singers, always have. And really, if we must still play "Girl From Ipanema", let's start playing it with the rhythm of the Portuguese lyrics. At least sometimes.

[JSngry]

On "It Might As Well Be Spring", check out the last A-section, especially from "crocus" though "wing"...that's about as....something as I've heard anybody sing that passage. The percussive but fully held "bud" followed by the damn near melismatic "or" and then the Prez-like timbral manipulation of the three same pitched syllables of "robin on" and the final "sealed off" timbre on the end "wing" that definitely gives closure to that whole episode of both melody and lyric before moving on, and then when she does move on, there's "feel so gay" in a beautifully pocketed syncopation, and even she smiles, at least as much as she smiles, it's that right...ooooh, that's neither common nor "logical" not easily explained, that's some kind of zoneage going on there. That's the kind of thing that gives me reason to keep coming back to Astrud Gilberto, those little moments like that. They appear just as fleetingly and inexplicably as do her really off the wall moments, and eventually, it's all coming from the same place, I guess, so whatever that place is, I'll enjoy it, respect it, and wish it no harm whatsoever.

[clifford_thornton]

I'll have to give this a listen. I was recently reminded of how much I enjoy her earlier work (not familiar with later Astrud).

[mikeweil]

Nice example for how much a great drummer improves the whole band - Dom Um Romao is so much better than most European jazz drummer trying to play bossa nova.

[Jim R]

Nice example for how much a great drummer improves the whole band - Dom Um Romao is so much better than most European jazz drummer trying to play bossa nova.

Or American jazz drummer, or Japanese jazz drummer, or Antarctic jazz drummer, or any jazz drummer... Especially back when that show was recorded. The same thing applies to rhythm guitarists, pianists, etc, which is why it can be so difficult to sit through some of the old jazz interpretations of bossa (including Getz, although he certainly alleviates much of the pain for me).