seeline

I hear you. Vinícius and Toquinho were on TV a lot. I thought maybe you'd come across a clip of them, with Baden visiting Brazil and guesting on the show. As much as I like the Afro Sambas, I would rather hear someone else singing them...

Brazilian music shows from the 60s looked much like the clip you posted, with one difference - they were still in black and white. There was (still is) a music program that takes a very different approach - Ensaio. Here are a couple of clips from older shows: Elis Regina performing Águas de Março: Nara Leão, singing a wonderful samba (Camisa Amarela): Tom Zé, "Hein?": Cartola (one of the all-time great samba composers); "Alvorada": There's *lots* Ensaio footage available on YouTube. Also, Trama has reissued a series of programs on DVD.

Oh, I think you're probably right about at least one of them being in that clip... but from your original post on this, I thought it was a stage or TV performance. As for me, I really *do* wonder who all those kids are... or were.

That's not (I think!) Quarteto em Cy - see the IMDB page for Pierre Kast's documentary on Vinicíus, Les Carnets Brésiliens. The footage on YouTube might have been ripped from a newer doc, Vinícius. (Haven't seen either, but I'd very much like copies of both.) There are a *lot* of people in the 2nd part of that clip - I wonder if anyone has a complete list of names? Edited to add: D'oh! I only just noticed the French TV watermark in the lower right-hand corner of the vid...

I was thinking of that while I was writing about the boto... funny how one is always in female form, while the other is always male. I think (would have to check to be sure) that the boto mythology/legends originated with Indians in the Amazon basin, so there's probably much more background (about various animals and possible shape-shifting abilities). There are a lot of other fantastic creatures in Brazilian folklore. Unfortunately, all of the web sites that deal with these things in depth are in Portuguese only. Here's a good start, though (in English): http://www.maria-brazil.org/brazilian_myth...c_creatures.htm The song on Mônica's 1st CD is "Tajapanema." It was written by Waldemar Henrique, whose song lyrics (and musical style) were very much influenced by the folktales, beliefs and "local" music of the Amazon region.

The boto isn't the kind of dolphin that's found in the ocean. It's a freshwater river dolphin: http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/Boto.htm There's a *lot* of folklore regarding the boto, which is believed to be able to change itself into human form. When the boto does this, he (it's always a man) comes to town, acts charming, drinks a lot, and seduces a girl or two. he then goes back to the river, abandoning his human form - and the women he leaves behind. (The women are usually pregnant by the boto.) There are songs (and a movie) about women who've been deceived by the boto. The belief in the legend is quite strong, even today. (There's a song about the boto on Mônica Salmaso's 1st album, btw...)

I'd also recommend his album Caldo-de-Cana (another Kuarup Discos release).

You'll probably need to check for a used copy. (The label it came out on went bankrupt earlier this year, unfortunately.)

Unfortunately, David's Jobim album is on a label (Kuarup Discos) that recently went bankrupt, but you might be able to get a good used copy... Am listening to A Day in NY now. This is my pick of the two - makes you feel like you're in the room with all of the musicians. My only real beef is with the way Ryuichi ended "Samba do Avião." It's perfect otherwise! One really great thing (IMO) is Luiz Brasil's guitar work. And - as is mentioned in the liners - this is the working group that toured. I think that shows, in the charts, interpretations and overall feel - very tight! Edited to add: OK, now I want the live CD. Yikes! (Because of the cost.) Thanks, Jim, Lon, Harold, Bev, and all for making me give these CDs another hearing. It's been a nice evening of listening for certain!

You might like the David Ganc album I mentioned above. Quarteto Guerra-Peixe's cellist (Ricardo Santoro) is wonderful. And David is an incredible multi-reed player. He's fluent in English... I wish he was better known here, but he's chosen to work mainly in Brazil.

Jim, Bev (and all) - this is my candidate for one of the best all-Jobim discs - David Ganc & Quarteto Guerra-Peixe Interpretam Tom Jobim David has several full tracks available for listening on his site: http://davidganc.com/en/discografia/carreira Tracks: 1. Garoto 2. Sue Ann 3. Água de Beber 4. Estrada do Sol 5. Meu Amigo Radamés 6. Mojave 7. Modinha 8. Só Danço Samba 9. Rancho nas Nuvens 10. Você e Eu Edited to add: Casa has improved with age! (Or my ears have adjusted to it, or maybe both. ) If anything, some of the charts remind me of Jobim's instrumental interpretations of the pieces. Still, I think it could have a tad more bite, a bit more Rio samba feel. But that's a taste thing entirely.

You know, I think the way in which the Q J-M disc was recorded and mastered is a lot more appealing to me - it has (for lack of a better term) a warmer sound, and I think the fact that everyone on there had known and worked with each other for so long is one of the things that makes it a real standout. And I do love the charts, no question. I'd need to go back and re-listen to my copies of Casa and A Day in NY to be able to comment with any real insight, though - it's been a good while since I last heard both. OTOH, the Q J-M disc is one of my all-time faves. (Not that I keep a list or anything... ) My guess is that with Casa, I was anticipating something along the lines of Q J-M Vol. 2, and it's got a very different sound and feel. I don't mind the moodiness at all; but if anything, it struck me (back when it 1st came out) as almost *too* reverent. Like I said, I need to replay both discs! I wish I had a copy of their live disc; that's probably the one for me, out of all of them. Edited to add: The Q J-M disc has a lot of swing (balanço). And some of Jobim's "nordestino" compositions are on there (i.e., influenced by music from the northeast of Brazil). Those are big pluses for me!

Well, Jim R already knows this (I think), but I'm not big on the Morelenbaum-Sakamoto collaborations. It's not that I dislike anyone involved - far from it! - but somehow, all of the studio albums strike me as lacking something that's very much there on discs like the one by Quarteto Jobim-Morelenbaum. They're almost too laid back and dispassionate for my taste; the only cut on the NYC disc that really hits me is a tango, of all things. (Not that I'm opposed to the form by any means , but it's a fairly dark, angst-y piece in comparison with the rest of the cuts.) I'll even go so far as to say that I think the way the Q. J-M disc was recorded suits Paula's voice *much* better - there's a far warmer sound, and the vocal harmonies created for that disc are a big plus for me. (I think Paula literally sounds better when she's got a lower voice to play off of, in both lead lines and parts.) Could it be that the Morelenbaum-Sakamoto discs were made (i think) for a non-Brazilian public, while the Jobim-Morelenbaum disc was targeted at Brazil 1st, then other markets? I wonder... I know at least one other person who was touring here (coming from Brazil) at the same time in 2002 who felt that the Morelenbaums and Sakamoto were getting the lion's share of press coverage, which is (as far as I'm aware) pretty on-target. It was unfortunate, in the sense that the other artists in question have a tremendous amount to offer and would (I think) have gotten better attendance at their gigs if the tours hadn't coincided. (Which had something to do with the randomness of travel visa denials at that time - a lot of artists got left out in the cold by the strictures that were put in place after 9/11, including a number of Brazilians - for no seeming reason.)

Bev - check my link to Marcos Sacramentos' site (with full tracks from his new album) directly above. I really want to get my hands on the disc soon! Clara - for me, it depends on the material she's doing, but I haven't heard enough of her work to really be able to comment. As for this, it's Marcos' previous samba disc, and very good indeed.

Marcos Sacramento is killer! Great, great samba singer - you should definitely check out his discs on the Biscoito Fino label. http://www.marcossacramento.com.br/ - he has a brand-new disc out, titled Na Cabeça. I *really* want a copy! (Sample tracks at link.) Re. Quarteto Jobim-Morelenbaum, I think there's far more happening there than Paula's vocals. (It's a favorite of mine; Paula's recordings under her own name are, for me, a mixed bag.)

I used to order directly from Biscoito, but there were a *lot* of problems with that (mostly because they put CDs in thin mailing envelopes, and the discs were easily stolen).

Good grief - I just read this entire thread, thinking that Bev was talking about Harry Partch and thinking ???

Re. that "EletroPixinguinha" disc, I seem to recall Henrique saying something along the lines of "this is what Pixinguinha would do if he was alive and working now." (Or not. It's anyone's guess, of course! )

Bev (and all) - Ithamara *is* a good singer, but she's made some really bad albums! I've heard her with minimal accompaniment (just 6 and 7-string guitars and some percussion) and she was wonderful. I'm not sure why she's been focusing on overproduced albums, but... BTW, that "EletroPixinguinha" disc is probably going to make you want to turn tail and run! Henrique and Beto Cazes (they're brothers) decided to add what you've called "the dreaded beats" to some of Pixinguinha's music. The new Biscoito Fino stuff looks wonderful - I wish I could afford it! BF doesn't have a US distributor, and stores that used to carry some of their line (like Dusty Groove) have backed off, due to the exchange rate (good for Brazilians, bad for us) and falling sales. A lot of BF discs are selling for over 30 USD on sites like Amazon.com and CD Universe. BTW, that Joyce CD (Os Anos 60...) has Gilson Peranzetta on synth/keys. You might want to check eMusic.com for some of his other recordings... he's a marvelous jazz pianist, among other things. I have no idea who produced Os Anos 60..., or why they wanted it done that way, but I can say that I think both Joyce and Gilson did some good things there in spite of the production.

There's definitely press coverage - and detailed press releases - in the US and other English-speaking countries. Those press releases are (more or less) the kinds of things that mjzee is talking about per wishing there were liners.

I think it might be hard to find people who both know a lot about many of the different kinds of music released by ECM and who are also capable of writing about it in a readable, intelligent way. I sure would *not* want to tackle any of Savina Yannatou's releases, because her "book" is huge (pieces from the entire Mediterranean basin + the Balkans and Turkey) and there are many other artists whose albums are equally difficult to pin down. (And which would require encyclopedic knowledge to write about.) There would also be a need for translations of liners into multiple languages, which is quite costly. That can be a nightmare to do, especially when dealing with music terminology. I once helped edit some material on Brazilian music that was translated from Brazilian Portuguese to English, and finding equivalent words/terms/expressions was very difficult. (Not in all cases, but in many.)

The K2 isn't as small as you're thinking - there are videos on Amazon.com (and elsewhere) that you can check out. Personally, I wouldn't want a DX - too awkward, and the screen is breakable. I think that's where Plastic Logic has the potential to beat them at this game, because they're going to be selling devices that are not only flexible, but have touch-screen technology. The keyboards on both the K1 and K2 are awkward, and I'm glad I don't need to use them very often. I do hope that companies concentrate on making e-reading hardware rather than focusing on some sort of conglomerate web browser/reader/etc. - but that's probably not realistic. It seems as if many people love "all in one" devices, and the current Kindles have web browsing capabilities built in, but that's so limited as to be (IMO) pretty well useless. Agreed completely on buying a device that you can see and try out for yourself, as opposed to something you can only "see" in pics and videos.

Barnes & Noble to sell its own e-reader in partnership with Plastic Logic. Should be interesting, especially since they're going to open it up to many more file formats. No doubt Amazon is going to need to follow suit. (Especially since people will be able to walk right into a B&N store and buy a device.)

I hear you, paul, although it's really not anywhere near as bad as it sounds. My guess is that e-reading devices will be very much an accepted part of the landscape in 3-5 years' time. it's a bit odd, being a relatively early adopter, since I've never been in this position before. There are a *lot* of good things about the technology, and I'm very much looking forward to further refinements. (While still loving books printed on paper. )

Here's 'the section of the Kindle Myths and Partial Truths page (full version at this link ) that addresses the concerns re. "You can't buy a book from the Kindle store unless you have a Kindle" (or some variation on that wording):