elis regina

[etherbored]

i have what i think is a fairly decent brazilian collection of about 250-300 titles. it's represented by bossa (jobim, gilberto, astrud, et al), mpb (caymmi, djavan, bosca, regina), tropicalia (gil, veloso) and the more contemporary (ze, motta, seu jorge), but for some odd reason i have yet to really reckon with elis regina's catalog.

lately i've been visiting the three recordings of hers i do have; 'elis & tom', 'aquarela do brasil', and a cafe apres midi compilation. the matierial here is all very sweet and varied, but i have a feeling i'm only scraping a small surface. i recognize that she's one of the more complex artists of her genre.

tell me if you think she deserves further exploration, what you think and/or know of her, and what you've listened to and enjoyed (or not) by her.

trivial fact: how many eponymous recordings are in elis' catalog? no fewer than 7...

[jazzbo]

i have what i think is a fairly decent brazilian collection of about 250-300 titles. it's represented by bossa (jobim, gilberto, astrud, et al), mpb (caymmi, djavan, bosca, regina), tropicalia (gil, veloso) and the more contemporary (ze, motta, seu jorge), but for some odd reason i have yet to really reckon with elis regina's catalog.

lately i've been visiting the three recordings of hers i do have; 'elis & tom', 'aquarela do brasil', and a cafe apres midi compilation. the matierial here is all very sweet and varied, but i have a feeling i'm only scraping a small surface. i recognize that she's one of the more complex artists of her genre.

tell me if you think she deserves further exploration, what you think and/or know of her, and what you've listened to and enjoyed (or not) by her.

trivial fact: how many eponymous recordings are in elis' catalog? no fewer than 7...

I keep hoping I'd find a lot of cheap copies of Elis' cds. . . . I have about six or seven. My favorite is a two cd collection or rareties. . . "20 Annos de Saudade". . . . I also really like the one with the Zimbo Trio, the one of Elis in London. . .the Montreux Jazz Festival with Hermeto. . . well I like all I've heard. What a talent!

When I feel afluent enough I'm going to order a few dvds.

[Jim R]

To my ears, her work tends to be pretty even. I may not be the best judge, though, because in all honesty, she isn't really high on my own list of favorites (even if I narrow it down to favorite brazilian female vocalists), and I don't reach for her recordings very frequently. But a great talent- for me it's just that mysterious personal taste thing that I find to be even more in play when it comes to picking and choosing singers.

I think Lon makes some good suggestions, because I think she really excelled in front of a live audience. She was all about energy (probably an understatement), and she no doubt fed off an appreciative audience even more than most performers. There's a three-volume set from the 60's called "No Fino Da Bossa" which I think is pretty wonderful (a collection of live performances with lots of great guests).

[etherbored]

i've been asking myself why i know the calalogs of joyce and gal costa (much less the female bossa set) and not elis...

[kh1958]

i've been asking myself why i know the calalogs of joyce and gal costa (much less the female bossa set) and not elis...

Perhaps because Joyce and Gal Costa both have better voices.

[jazzbo]

? I wouldn't say that!

I feel she's presented and stands a bit apart from the crowd of bossa nova and even Tropicalisma folk as a sort of mass media star, and you have to chart waters in a diffferent world to collect her material to a certain extent.

I think what I most admire about her is her utter confidence to be herself. And her almost supernatural ease in the spotlight.

Edited May 7, 2007 by jazzbo

[kh1958]

I'd appreciate any recommendations of her best recordings, as the relatively few that I've heard mostly haven't been very appealing, to my tastes anyway, not matching her towering reputation.

Edited May 7, 2007 by kh1958

[Harold_Z]

I feel like I'm just scratching the surface with Elis too, but of what I've heard, I like "Elis & Tom" the most. I just mpurhcase the "Live in London", but haven't had a chance to give it a listen yet.

No question she's a major talent.

[etherbored]

well, i'm curious about 'live in london'. i don't usually take to live recordings in this genre but elis' may be an exception. the two or three tracks represented on the cafe apres midi comp are spotty. usually the delicate brazilian rhythm sections aren't as relaxed and languid when playing in front of large crowds (and in my mind they're a large part of whether a record is successful).

[jazzbo]

Here's what I recommend as a release that really shows the scope of her talent (to me at least).

20 Anos de Saudade, a collection of singles, EPs, etc.

[kh1958]

Here's what I recommend as a release that really shows the scope of her talent (to me at least).

20 Anos de Saudade, a collection of singles, EPs, etc.

Thanks.

[Elissa]

Elis & Tom is a Kind of Blue album in magnitude ...other than that I have favorites from several albums but no other favorite album. I especially love her version of the Lobo tune Upa, Neguinho. Maybe what I love most about her though is her laugh in the middle of songs.

[etherbored]

it is pretty charming, no? i didn't realize until recently that she was married to cesar camargo mariano (one of my favorite brazilian musicians).

[Bluesnik]

I don’t like Elis Regina much. Though she’s widely considered Brazil’s best female singer ever. She was a childish selfabsorbed character who was constantly putting down rival singers and engaging in personal fights over fame with everybody. The (selfproclaimed) diva syndrome.

Yes, she had a great stage presence and a great voice but I prefer other more interesting singers with more soul. I much more like Nara Leao, even with her weak voice, Sylvia Telles or Maysa, though the last two also had very very strong personalities, in a different way though.

Oh, and I also like Joyce very much. Though from a later generation, she’s carried the flame of bossa all through the years until today. “How is it some of us are like wine and others turn into vinegar?", she offered recently after returning from a Japanese tour. And it's true, she's as good as ever today, if not better.

trivial fact: how many eponymous recordings are in elis' catalog? no fewer than 7...

Most Brazilian records from the golden age are either eponymous or titled after the style contained within, like bossa nova, sambalanço, black samba... I guess it was a way to avoid misleading the buyer. The labels wanted to state clearly what the customer would find on the record.

cheers

[Bluesnik]

I don’t like Elis Regina much.

Having said that, if I wanted to explore Elis Regina's work I'd probably start with her first records, her sixties material. The records from the seventies are more in the romantic ballad tradition as she was developing into a very popular crooner. I'd stick to her first Philips releases.

[Teasing the Korean]

According to Ruy Castro's book, she was not very highly regarded initially, and some, including Jobim, thought she yelled too much for their taste. I have some of her 60s records and her vocal delivery is different than what I hear on her 70s releases.

[etherbored]

great discussion. i have the castro book and took the slant on elis for what it's worth. so many musicians of that genre seemed pretty outspoken.

i like lon's suggestion of '20 anos de saudade' and, if i can find it for a decent price, will go for it. i like the fact that it's a double and seems to focus on the earlier more essential (and rare) material.

[kh1958]

I feel like I'm just scratching the surface with Elis too, but of what I've heard, I like "Elis & Tom" the most. I just mpurhcase the "Live in London", but haven't had a chance to give it a listen yet.

No question she's a major talent.

I purchased Tom and Elis this weekend--I like it alot. She sounds wonderful on this recording.

[Teasing the Korean]

I purchased Tom and Elis this weekend--I like it alot. She sounds wonderful on this recording.

That's such an incredible album. The version of "Useless Landscape" on there is definitive.

[mikeweil]

She did a live album at the Montreux festival which is terrific, almost extreme compared to other bossa nova singers. The rest leaves me indifferent.

[Tom in RI]

I have only recently (in the last few years) started listening to Brazillian music, primarily through Adventure Music releases. This week I picked up the Joyce disc Astronauta, her tribute to Elis. Great stuff with Rene Rosnes and Mugrew Miller guesting on a few cuts (Joe Lovano, too). Are any of the Elis discs mentioned similar to this one?

[jazzbo]

No, not really.

[Trumpet Guy]

Man--Go to youtube and watch Elis sing "Waters of March"-- its in black & white--one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard or seen

If you don't like that--I have nothing to say

Edited June 14, 2007 by Trumpet Guy