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Music : Beach Samba
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Rating: 
- A Fun Album
I got "Beach Samba" and "September 17, 1969" for Christmas 2007. Of the two, I like "Beach Samba" better. Released in 1967, it perfectly captures the breeziness of that year's music. "Beach Samba" is fun, jazzy, up-tempo, and well produced. Astrud's vocals are as charming as ever, and it doesn't have pop pretentious in the way "September 17, 1969" does (a cover of "Light My Fire," really?). On "Beach Samba," she is still close to her Latin/bossa roots. Most of the songs here are in English. "Canoeiro" (which, near as I can tell, is about Brazil's canoe people) is in Portuguese. "Face That I Love" is one of her better songs, which I had first heard years ago on her wonderful "Finest Hour" CD. "Face that I Love" makes me think of couples strolling on the boardwalk as fireworks explode behind them. I also liked "Oba, Oba." I would say "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice" (a Lovin' Spoonful cover) was too cute (she sings it with her young son, Marcello), if it wasn't so unselfconscious. The album ends well with "Nao Bate O Corocao." The bonus tracks are good if you've never heard them before, but for devoted Astrud fans, they are too familiar. "Goodbye Sadness" seems to land on every album of hers.
Rating:
- Pop bliss
I haven't been so entranced by this many songs in a row, in a long while; Astrud Gilberto has the winning formula: tone down the bossa nova roots from 'Look To The Rainbow' (1965) for just a moment, and wash away our worries with a dozen tracks of pure pop-inspired wonder. If you want lush, soothing, romantic summer fun from the late '60s, this record is for you. Play it at a party, play it for yourself. It doesn't matter. There's a reason this is one of her most popular albums, as it marked, in my opinion, the beginning of her ascent into iconic status as a recording artist and performer. Buy the Samba now. You won't be sorry!
Rating: - The second peak
Astrud Gilberto's first wave of success obviously came with her sensational involvement in the bossa nova standard 'Girl From Ipanema' from 1963. As her solo recording career was on the rise, it seems that 'Beach Samba' represented what I feel is the beginning of her next peak in quality, one that would continue with 'A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness' (1967), dip a bit with 'Windy' (1968), and then come to a glorious halt with 'September 17, 1969' (1969). 'Beach Samba' is one of the most feel-good records I've ever heard. Many people criticize it's 'pop' feel, with less bossa nova sensibility. It is indeed noticeable, but doesn't detract from the LP at all, at least not for me. Even the corny duet with son Marcelo, 'You Didn't Have To Be So Nice,' is fun in a 'bonus track' sort of way. It's not meant for serious analysis; just enjoy it (and the rest of this lush pop standard) for what it is: a great album by a great singer.
Rating: - "My Foolish Heart"
"I still believe that the simplest thing to do is what pleases you. I sing what I like, whether the song is American, French or something else. I feel a song should give you pleasure, whether or not you're dancing and even if you've heard it many times before." ~ Astrud Gilberto ~
Put some brilliant arrangers, talented instrumentalists, an unbelievably musically sensitive songbird with a unique vocal style together, add seventeen lovely standard pop songs in a recording session and the end result would be an outstanding and remarkable compilation CD such as this. You can't go wrong with this one, very highly recommended.
The brilliant arrangers are Don Sebesky and Eumir Deodato. The talented instrumentalists are Toots Thielemans (harmonica), Ron Carter (bass), Hubert Laws (flute), Bobby Rosengarten and Grady Tate (drums), Ernie Royal (trumpet) and Walter Wanderley (organ), among many others. And of course the songbird with a unique voice is Astrud Gilberto.
The first 12 tracks are from the original recording of "Beach Samba" and tracks 13 through 17 are bonus tracks and were originally issued on the album "A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness."
Listen to her interpretation of Harry Warren and Mack Gordon's dreamiest song "I Had The Craziest Dream," which was introduced in a 1942 movie "Springtime In The Rockies," and you'll totally agree with me that it's the best version of this classic gem. Don Sebesky did an excellent job on the bossa nova arrangement. One of my all-time favorites is Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke's rainy-day mood song, "Here's That Rainy Day," and hers is my top favorite for female vocals and for male vocals, it's Kenny Rankin from "The Kenny Rankin Album." Another rainy-day mood music is a poignantly beautiful song by Tim Hardin "Misty Roses."
One of the highlights is the wonderful duet arranged by Don Sebesky "You Didn't Have To Be So Nice" (a very popular song by the Lovin' Spoonful in the Sixties), her son, Marcello, steals the limelight from Ms. Gilberto and features the hauntingly beautiful harmonica playing of Toots Thielemans on the background.
The rest of the spotlights are Tony Hatch's "Call Me," Irving Berlin's evergreen "It's A Lovely Day Today" and last but not least my very favorite from the musical treasure chest of Victor Young and Ned Washington, a gem of gems "My Foolish Heart," another Don Sebesky's awesome arrangement using cellos, French horns and woodwinds making it the most beautiful and to-die-for version I've ever heard!
"The night is like a lovely tune
Beware my foolish heart
How white the ever constant moon
Take care, my foolish heart."
Rating: - Sweet
This is a rather collection of jazz standards and some Brazilian flavored tunes (including a couple Luiz Bonfa tunes- for great 60s Brazilian acoustic music, check his Verve reissues) and Astrud's sweet, gentle voice. There are maybe more instances on this record that sound a bit off as far as her performance, and I can see where the big band jazz setting seems a bit overwhelming for her voice when compared to her usually soft instrument surroundings, but it's still a worthwhile collection of good tunes. Many tunes still have a samba/bossa nova feel to them even if they are not traditional Brazilian material. Like another reviewer mentioned, A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness is still my favorite of Astrud's albums- better tunes in my opinion. The last 5 tracks here from that album offer a taste of it, even if they don't include my favorites.
- A Fun AlbumI got "Beach Samba" and "September 17, 1969" for Christmas 2007. Of the two, I like "Beach Samba" better. Released in 1967, it perfectly captures the breeziness of that year's music. "Beach Samba" is fun, jazzy, up-tempo, and well produced. Astrud's vocals are as charming as ever, and it doesn't have pop pretentious in the way "September 17, 1969" does (a cover of "Light My Fire," really?). On "Beach Samba," she is still close to her Latin/bossa roots. Most of the songs here are in English. "Canoeiro" (which, near as I can tell, is about Brazil's canoe people) is in Portuguese. "Face That I Love" is one of her better songs, which I had first heard years ago on her wonderful "Finest Hour" CD. "Face that I Love" makes me think of couples strolling on the boardwalk as fireworks explode behind them. I also liked "Oba, Oba." I would say "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice" (a Lovin' Spoonful cover) was too cute (she sings it with her young son, Marcello), if it wasn't so unselfconscious. The album ends well with "Nao Bate O Corocao." The bonus tracks are good if you've never heard them before, but for devoted Astrud fans, they are too familiar. "Goodbye Sadness" seems to land on every album of hers.
Rating:
- Pop blissI haven't been so entranced by this many songs in a row, in a long while; Astrud Gilberto has the winning formula: tone down the bossa nova roots from 'Look To The Rainbow' (1965) for just a moment, and wash away our worries with a dozen tracks of pure pop-inspired wonder. If you want lush, soothing, romantic summer fun from the late '60s, this record is for you. Play it at a party, play it for yourself. It doesn't matter. There's a reason this is one of her most popular albums, as it marked, in my opinion, the beginning of her ascent into iconic status as a recording artist and performer. Buy the Samba now. You won't be sorry!
Rating:
- The second peakAstrud Gilberto's first wave of success obviously came with her sensational involvement in the bossa nova standard 'Girl From Ipanema' from 1963. As her solo recording career was on the rise, it seems that 'Beach Samba' represented what I feel is the beginning of her next peak in quality, one that would continue with 'A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness' (1967), dip a bit with 'Windy' (1968), and then come to a glorious halt with 'September 17, 1969' (1969). 'Beach Samba' is one of the most feel-good records I've ever heard. Many people criticize it's 'pop' feel, with less bossa nova sensibility. It is indeed noticeable, but doesn't detract from the LP at all, at least not for me. Even the corny duet with son Marcelo, 'You Didn't Have To Be So Nice,' is fun in a 'bonus track' sort of way. It's not meant for serious analysis; just enjoy it (and the rest of this lush pop standard) for what it is: a great album by a great singer.
Rating:
- "My Foolish Heart""I still believe that the simplest thing to do is what pleases you. I sing what I like, whether the song is American, French or something else. I feel a song should give you pleasure, whether or not you're dancing and even if you've heard it many times before." ~ Astrud Gilberto ~
Put some brilliant arrangers, talented instrumentalists, an unbelievably musically sensitive songbird with a unique vocal style together, add seventeen lovely standard pop songs in a recording session and the end result would be an outstanding and remarkable compilation CD such as this. You can't go wrong with this one, very highly recommended.
The brilliant arrangers are Don Sebesky and Eumir Deodato. The talented instrumentalists are Toots Thielemans (harmonica), Ron Carter (bass), Hubert Laws (flute), Bobby Rosengarten and Grady Tate (drums), Ernie Royal (trumpet) and Walter Wanderley (organ), among many others. And of course the songbird with a unique voice is Astrud Gilberto.
The first 12 tracks are from the original recording of "Beach Samba" and tracks 13 through 17 are bonus tracks and were originally issued on the album "A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness."
Listen to her interpretation of Harry Warren and Mack Gordon's dreamiest song "I Had The Craziest Dream," which was introduced in a 1942 movie "Springtime In The Rockies," and you'll totally agree with me that it's the best version of this classic gem. Don Sebesky did an excellent job on the bossa nova arrangement. One of my all-time favorites is Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke's rainy-day mood song, "Here's That Rainy Day," and hers is my top favorite for female vocals and for male vocals, it's Kenny Rankin from "The Kenny Rankin Album." Another rainy-day mood music is a poignantly beautiful song by Tim Hardin "Misty Roses."
One of the highlights is the wonderful duet arranged by Don Sebesky "You Didn't Have To Be So Nice" (a very popular song by the Lovin' Spoonful in the Sixties), her son, Marcello, steals the limelight from Ms. Gilberto and features the hauntingly beautiful harmonica playing of Toots Thielemans on the background.
The rest of the spotlights are Tony Hatch's "Call Me," Irving Berlin's evergreen "It's A Lovely Day Today" and last but not least my very favorite from the musical treasure chest of Victor Young and Ned Washington, a gem of gems "My Foolish Heart," another Don Sebesky's awesome arrangement using cellos, French horns and woodwinds making it the most beautiful and to-die-for version I've ever heard!
"The night is like a lovely tune
Beware my foolish heart
How white the ever constant moon
Take care, my foolish heart."
Rating:
- SweetThis is a rather collection of jazz standards and some Brazilian flavored tunes (including a couple Luiz Bonfa tunes- for great 60s Brazilian acoustic music, check his Verve reissues) and Astrud's sweet, gentle voice. There are maybe more instances on this record that sound a bit off as far as her performance, and I can see where the big band jazz setting seems a bit overwhelming for her voice when compared to her usually soft instrument surroundings, but it's still a worthwhile collection of good tunes. Many tunes still have a samba/bossa nova feel to them even if they are not traditional Brazilian material. Like another reviewer mentioned, A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness is still my favorite of Astrud's albums- better tunes in my opinion. The last 5 tracks here from that album offer a taste of it, even if they don't include my favorites.