Astrud Gilberto

[Matthew]

O.K., I admit that from the very first time I heard Astrud Gilberto I fell hopelessly in love with that wonderful, sexy voice. Right now I'm listening to Gilberto with Turrentine, and even as average as this date is, Gilberto's voice is just memerizing. The Shadow of Your Smile is a great cd; there is a beautiful version of Tristeza where is seems she is floating above the world. Also dig in a bigtime way A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness; how can you not like the combination of Gilberto's voice and Walter Wanderley's organ? The whole session has such a great feel and playfulness to the music that I can listen to it time after time after time. So, here's to the great Astrud Gilberto

Edited December 19, 2003 by Matthew

[brownie]

Astrud Gilberto is fine with me. But in small doses. I tend to find her singing monotonous on a long stretch.

But I really enjoyed the 'Look to the Rainbow' Verve album she did with Gil Evans. Evans matched the drone-like charm of Astrud's voice with the provocative architecture of his orchestrations. A very interesting combination!

[king ubu]

I like that one! And of course her contributions to the Getz/Gilberto and Getz/Gilberto #2 albums.

She may be an acquired taste, I guess (but one I did acquire).

ubu

[couw]

the sexiness in her voice wears thin very fast for me as I don't find much else beyond that. Sexiness isn't much when it's on its own. You need a personality that can be brought to higher realms through it.

Sorry to be so negative, it's just an opinion & my taste.

Edited December 19, 2003 by couw

[jazzbo]

There are many better singers from Brazil and of Brazilian music. . . a statement who knows Astrud herself may agree to.

But I enjoy many of her recordings. The sound of her voice is very nice.

[JSngry]

All I know is that as a kid, when "Ipanema" came on the radio in the midst of Dick & Dee Dee, The Four Seasons, Paul & Paula, and other asexual advocates of adolescent angst, time stood still, and my groin began to tingle in a way that I dod not yet understand. Yeah, she's limited, but she gets a lot of slack from me because of that. Some have gotten less for doing more!

[Peter Johnson]

Here's an interesting article from the Philadelphia weekly.

She also has a website.

I love her singing!

[Shrdlu]

I think the first I heard her was on the album with Gil Evans. I was already a big Evans fan, and was mighty disappointed with the album. which I view as a waste of Gil's time. The main problem was her intonation. I think any musician HAS to be in tune - it's a basic that you learn right at the start. But Gil and Creed Taylor knew more than I do, and who am I to question people of that caliber.

It would have been great to have an Evans-Jobim project instead.

[Free For All]

I don't think the Evans/Gilberto project stands nearly as tall as the Miles, Merrill or Burrell collaborations, but I'm not quite sure I'd call it a waste of time. There are many very tasty "Gil Evans moments" (orchestrations, harmonic left turns, textural variations) in the arrangements that keep things interesting, IMHO.

I guess it's up to each person's tolerance of intonation problems vs. style or "soulfulness". I can think of players whose intonation problems turn off some listeners, like Jackie McLean, for example. Of course, the content ("soulfulness") of his improvisation (in my opinion) eclipses his intonation problems and is what elevates him to the status he holds for many.

I can see where some might find Gilberto's pitch issues irritating- I find her singing often engaging although (like many) I tend to listen in measured doses.

I do enjoy the Evans recording quite a bit, though.

To be off-topic for a moment:

I'm just curious, Shrdlu- as an Evans fan (like myself) what you (or anyone else)thought of the "Quiet Nights" release? This one seems to divide both Miles and Gil fans, especially since it was apparently not intended for release by the artists.

EDIT: BTW, I agree about wishing for a Evans/Jobim project (as well as the Evans/Hendrix that never happened)

Edited December 20, 2003 by Free For All

[JSngry]

Are you REALLY "out of tune" if you're playing/singing it as you REALLY hear it and it's obvious that your musicality cannot otherwise be questioned?

I, for one, don't think so. In or out of tune with WHAT, that's the question...

[Free For All]

Agreed. I referred to Jackie's "intonation problems", but to be fair maybe there aren't problems at all. Maybe he's playing it where he hears it. I don't think with him that it's necessarily deficient instrumental skills!

Maybe Astrud's singing it where she hears it too?

Edited for spelling.

Edited December 21, 2003 by Free For All

[jazzbo]

I LOVE "Quiet Nights." I often think I am in a minority, but I wish that one had been brought to fruition because I LOVE what there is.

Singing it as she hears it, yeah I bet she does. Her "intonation problems" really don't bother me. . . . Non-"western" musicians and music often to me dances to a different sense of "in tune." I can dig it.

[Free For All]

I LOVE "Quiet Nights."  I often think I am in a minority, but I wish that one had been brought to fruition because I LOVE what there is.

I love it too, Lon. I can tell it might not be perfect by Gil's or Miles' standards, but it still is a very engaging few minutes of music. I also wish it had been a more complete project. If only Columbia could have sprung for more rehear$al time for the Miles projects (esp. Porgy and Bess) the final results could have been a little tighter. In the Passing Ships thread we talked about how some music worked in a "loose" state, but I think (actually I know, according to conversations w/Maria) Gil would have liked the ensemble to be better prepared.

Gil is one of those in whom I trust completely, and I have never been disappointed. His assimilation into the jazz idiom of compositional/orchestration techniques used by classical heavies (like Stravinsky) is in a category of its own.

I just try to listen to each project with a trusting and open mind and enjoy the ride with Gil at the wheel.

[tooter]

There was once a series of programs on Jazz FM here in the UK called "Jazz Greats" or "Jazz Immortals" or something like that. They had Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, etc, etc, AND ASTRUD GILBERTO. Nice enough, pleasant in a light, inconsequential way but "jazz great"? Ridiculous!

[Free For All]

There was once a series of programs on Jazz FM here in the UK called "Jazz Greats" or "Jazz Immortals" or something like that. They had Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, etc, etc, AND ASTRUD GILBERTO. Nice enough, pleasant in a light, inconsequential way but "jazz great"? Ridiculous!

I'd expect her inclusion in that collection was due to the commercial success of the Getz collaborations like "Ipanema" and "Desifinado". Those "jazz surveys" are usually aimed at general fans whose listening consisted mostly of what was on the radio at that time. I'd expect such a program to probably also include things like "Take Five" or "Watermelon Man" or maybe "Sidewinder".

I do agree, though, that her name seems out of place on a short list of jazz greats.

[Pete C]

Well, I for one refuse to get touchy-feely relativistic and say that a singer's poor intonation is irrelevant, or "artistic choice."

At any rate, I'll agree that Astrud is nothing special and suggest that anybody interested in Brazilian female vocals check out, at the very least

Elis Regina

and then add

Joyce

Leny Andrade (amazing jazz chops)

Nana Caymmi (great bolero singer)

Maria Rita, Elis Regina's daughter, just put out her first album, which is excellent.

Joao's post-Astrud wife, Miucha (Bebel's mother & Chico Buarque's sister), is also an excellent singer. She does the English lyrics on the Getz-Gilberto reunion, "Best of Two Worlds" (that's her on the cover).

Edited February 16, 2004 by Pete C

[jazzbo]

All good recommendations. I really like Paula Morelenbaum as well, and I want to explore at some point the work of another "Banda Nova" singer, Maucha Adnet, who I like in that Jobim band but haven't heard outside that band.

And don't forget Ms Telles!

[Larry Kart]

FWIW, Astrud inspired what may be the second-goofiest sentence in "The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz" -- "Her work often has an economy of melodic line and a steady momentum akin to that of Basie, but its rhythmic drive is often devoid of contours." (Author of the entry is Marty Hatch, otherwise unknown to me.)

The goofiest? Without doubt the last sentence of Scott Yanow's entry on Joe Maini -- "He died after losing a game of Russian roulette."

[king ubu]

for fans of Astrud - got to check this out!

http://songlines.co.uk/youtube/astrud-gilberto.php

It's her with Getz' quartet performing "Girl from Ipanema" in a ski resort, of all places...

[Niko]

for fans of Astrud - got to check this out!

http://songlines.co.uk/youtube/astrud-gilberto.php

It's her with Getz' quartet performing "Girl from Ipanema" in a ski resort, of all places...

[AllenLowe]

there was a relatively recent Astrid sighting in the City of Brotherly Love -

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

So intonation problems means "out of tune"? I thought it meant that you got the tone - the sound - wrong; like when a guitarist doesn't finger the frets right and gets a buzzing sound from the string vibrating against the fret.

So what's that sort of problem called, then?

MG

[AllenLowe]

bad technique?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Yes, I suppose so. Thanks Allen.

MG

[Teasing the Korean]

there was a relatively recent Astrid sighting in the City of Brotherly Love -

She has lived in Philly for decades, AFAIK. In the late 60s, she covered a tune originally by a Philly group. It was only released on a single.