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The
Brazilian Sound: Culture Planet |
Sergio Mendes
Timeless
produced by
Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am, and
featuring
Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Q-Tip, John Legend,
Jill Scott, Justin Timberlake,
and the Black Eyed Peas
(2006)
Brazilian Music
Sergio Mendes was born in Niterói, across the bay from Rio de Janeiro, in 1941. He was a fixture at a very young age in the little clubs in Copacabana's Beco das Garrafas, where he added his jazz-influenced piano to the ongoing sessions. Early on, Mendes recorded albums such as Sergio Mendes & Bossa Rio and was a participant on jazz-bossa albums with Cannonball Adderley (Cannonball's Bossa Nova), Herbie Mann, and Paul Winter. In 1964, he moved to the United States and cut an album called Sergio Mendes and Brasil 1965. His sound mixed bossa nova, American pop, and MPB in a light, upbeat blend, usually with two female vocalists singing in unison, while a drummer -- João Palma and Dom Um Romão were two -- layed down a trademark crisp, catchy beat.
The Mendes formula was a huge success, starting with his A&M album Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66, which hit number 7 on the pop charts and included renditions of Jorge Bem's "Mas Que Nada," Jobim's "Aqua De Beber," and Baden Powell's "Berimbau." The album went gold, as did Sergio's next three records (Equinox, Look Around, and Fool On The Hill). Mendes's band scored two top 10 singles at that time, as well as a lesser hit with "Mas Que Nada," sung in Portuguese. He was the Brazilian recording artist who reaped the most commerical success from the North American bossa boom in the 1960s.
Sergio is a bandleader who has been able to surround himself with top-flight musical talent and translate Brazilian sounds for international ears. His albums have marked the first times that many foreigners have heard material by Jobim, Ben (now known as Benjor), Ivan Lins, Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Guinga, and other leading Brazilian songwriters. Mendes stepped out of his usual mold with Primal Roots (1977), which included folkloric styles in the mix, and the Grammy-winning Brasileiro (1992), which showcased rising Bahian songwriter Carlinhos Brown and fused MPB and Rio samba with axé music and funk (see: Brasileiro Liner Notes). Sergio Mendes and his bands -- in their various incarnations -- have done much to spread Brazilian music around the world, and his light, smooth renditions of bossa and MPB standards have gained a new popularity in recent years with the global resurgence of bossa nova.
Excerpted from
The
Brazilian Sound:
Samba, Bossa Nova And The Popular Music Of Brazil (Temple University Press,
2nd edition, 1998).
© Chris McGowan & Ricardo Pessanha, 1991 / 1998.
All Rights Reserved.
Best Of Sergio Mendes
And Brasil '65
(1993)
Mendes has lived something of a double
life as a musician. On the one hand you have the lush pop of Brasil '66, on the
other you have the straight up Bossa Nova as found here. Wanda de Sa sings on
about half the tracks - I'll go one step further than the previous reviewer and
say she's a better singer than Astrud Gilberto - who has one of the coolest
deep, breathy voices I've ever heard. The components used here are pretty basic:
piano, drums, bass, guitar (courtesy of famous guitarist Rosinha da Valenca) and
a little flute and sax in places, plus the vocals of de Sa. Some of the songs
are sung in Portuguese, some in English, but both come off very well. I highly
recommend this one.
--an Amazon reviewer
Brasil '65
Wanda Sa ("Wanda de Sah" on album)
with Sergio Mendes Trio & Rosinha Valenca
(1965)
More Wanda Sa
Brasileiro
with Carlinhos Brown, Vai Quem Vem,
Sebastião Neto and João Bosco
Brasileiro Liner Notes (Click Here)
(1992)
This is NOT the Mendes
of Brasil '66, great as that group was. And yet it IS the same Sergio. What I always liked about Brasil '66 was that if you listen carefully to even their soft-pop songs (as well as their more ambitious ventures), you can hear Sergio's exquisite attention to detail, to arrangements that were complex and inventive even when they fit a rather limited pop bossa nova formula. That attention and inventiveness are in full force here, but in Brasileiro Sergio abandons any formula except that of capturing authentic Brasilian sound in all its variety and energy. To accomplish that he has brought together an incredible ensemble of Brazilian musicians and songwriters (with help in the studio by a small band of Americans). The result is an album that throbs and pulses with Rio carnival intensity, soothes with beauty, and soars with joy. --an Amazon.com reviewer
Brasil '88
(1986)
This album contains one of the best and most forgotten examples of Latin/Brazilian dance rhythms to have EVER made the crossover into Pop (70's, but timeless) music. The song "One More Lie", alone, is worth the price of the entire record. Beautiful double female vocals, over an infectious beat, and driven on by the horn section, this song BEGS to be danced to. Also, "Midnight Lovers" is a stand-out due, again, largely to the two GORGEOUS female lead harmonies. --an Amazon.com reviewer
Classics, Vol.
18: Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - '86
(1987)
This is an excellent compilation and contains
most of the major efforts of
Mendes and his Brasil '66 and a spattering
of 80s tracks. However, it misses his entire 1970s career. Basically, this is a
good starter set for those who just want a bit of Sergio in their collection or
for those who are trying to get educated on the brilliant arrangements of this
incredibly talented musician and the vocal elegance of singers such as Lani
Hall. --an
Amazon.com reviewer
Crystal Illusions
(1969)
This is a wonderful cd, and I am thrilled that
it has been reissued in Japan with glorious sound. Lani Hall really comes
through on this cd with a lovely solo on Song Of No Regrets. Mendes has never
really given her the credit she deserved. Other standout tracks include a new
take on You Stepped Out Of A Dream, and a lovely version of Nascimento's Empty
Faces. The title track is a wonderful showcase for all the members. As usual,
Dave Grusin's orchestrations shine. In conclusion this cd makes a wonderful
addition to anyone's collection. --an Amazon reviewer
Equinox
special packaging & original recording remastered
(1967)
Brazil '66's best album? Maybe, and that's really saying something. After Mendes founded Brasil '66, a number of critics and others accused him of selling out to the pop music market, but honestly, I think the mix in this album of jazz/pop/Brasilian music in this album is probably about 40/30/30. Mendes' plays a mean jazz piano, and his blocky piano chords sound like Vince Guaraldi backed by a bossa nova beat. Everything on this album works. The songs are wonderful and well chosen. The arrangements sparkle. "Constant Rain" always makes me laugh because the lyrics are so sad while the delivery is upbeat and cheerful. On this album, Mendes temporarily dropped the Beatles' cover songs and instead chose Cole Porter "Night and Day" and Michel Legrand's "Watch What Happens." There's also a trio of Jobim songs including one of the first vocal versions of "Wave" (in Portugese) and some more obscure but equally fine Brazilian tunes. --an Amazon.com reviewer
Four Sider
retrospective
(1972)
This is the best of two
Mendes/Brasil 66 CD's. A great collection
of their hits from the late 60's--"Fool on the Hill", "Norweigen Wood" and my
going to Vietnam song, "Sittin on the Dock of the Bay". Great CD, Brasil 66 was
and still is fantastic!!
--an
Amazon reviewer
Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
Japanese re-issue of Sergio's debut for A&M
(1966)
Japanese edition of the hit Brazilian act's 1966 debut album for A&M Records. Featuring ten tracks including, 'Mais Que Nada' & 'Daytripper' (Beatles), this lounge classic is currently unavailable domestically.
Look Around
(1967)
This is excellent music. The popularity of bossa nova waned in the late sixties (as did almost every type of music aimed at adults), but in this 1968 album, Brasil '66 took the bossa nova, jazzed it up, gave it a slight pop twist and created one of the most infectious albums I've ever heard. There's not a weak track on the album, with the possible exception of "Tristeza," which "la la las" get a little monotonous after awhile. There's an interesting mix of Brazilian tunes in Portugese and English language tunes. Mendes himself wrote several terrific songs for the album which became standards I especially like the tune, "So Many Stars." The crown jewel of the album is the Bacharach/David song "The Look of Love" with its exciting horn driven arrangement and Lani Hall's crystalline vocals, one of the few example of a Bacharach tune in which another artist and arranger actually improved the song. --an Amazon.com reviewer
Primal Roots
(1977)
This 1972 release was Mendes' big "I can, too, play traditional!" album... and, boy, could he! A thunderous, kaleidoscopically produced sound with some killer Afro-Brazilian percussion. If you don't want to fool around with the lite pop stuff, but are still wondering what all the fuss was about, then try this one out. (Issued as "Raizes" in Brazil). --an Amazon.com reviewer
Sergio Mendes
& Brasil '66 Greatest Hits
(1970)
By the listening to the playlists of most "oldies" stations one would think that the sixties consisted of nothing but Motown and The Beatles. In actuality, the sixties were an incredibly diverse and creative time for pop music. In one week, you might have Sinatra, the Rolling Stones, and Sergio Mendes all in the top twenty. Today, it all sounds the same: rap and dance mixes, heavily processed balads by "Divas", and an occasional "alternative" song. You have only a fragmentary understanding of the "sixties sound" if you are not familiar with Herb Alpert, Bacharach, and Sergio Mendes. This album sounds SOOOO good today on cd. With the Latin explosion in music, this group is long overdue for a much deserved reapprasial and renewed appreciation. I agree with the reviewer below who states that this group did some of the best Beatles covers. This is happy and bouncy music that has not aged at all. Contains all of their hits. Not to be missed. --an Amazon.com reviewer
The Swinger From
Rio/ The Beat Of Brazil
two albums from Sergio's early
jazz-bossa days; The Swinger features
Art Farmer, Hubert Laws, Phil Woods
(1966 / 1967)
Sergio Mendes is one of those rare Brazilian artists who plays very well on both shores. This CD contains 2 albums from his Brazilian output. You should know that the album here contained "The Beat of Brazil" was originally entiled "Você Ainda Não Ouviu Nada". Furthermore, you should know this is considered the best of all Mendes' output by Brazilian serious reviewers and musicians. Here @ Amazon, you'll also find Sergio Mendes samba (not jazzy) from his Brazil'66 efforts and I would not keep myself on a radical point-of-view of discarding them: it is very good samba too, though not jazzy. If I had to choose, I'd pick'em all. This CD is essential to serious Bossa Nova collectors. All stars. --an Amazon.com reviewer
The Very Best Of Sergio Mendes And Brasil '66
imported retrospective with 48 tracks
from the group's 1966-1971 albums
(1997)
Você Ainda Não
Ouviu Nada
Sergio Mendes & Bossa Rio
Timeless
produced by
Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am, and
featuring
Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Q-Tip, John Legend,
Jill Scott, Justin Timberlake,
and the Black Eyed Peas
(2006)