This review is for the re-mastered, original U.S. release as shown on this page. To read our reviews on the U.K. and Spanish label versions of this CD, please search by artist for 'Astrud Gilberto'.
- Editor
When the Beatles released their final album ’Let It Be’ in May 1970 it signaled the beginning of another new direction for pop music, just as their ‘Please Please Me’ had done eight successful years before. For Astrud Gilberto, it was the final turn of the page which saw her place under the musical sun consistently eroded by the onslaught of rock and top 40 groups. And where Brazil had been a major importer of musical talent in the early 60’s, record companies now looked to England for the international push that would drive air play and chart success.
With Astrud, it was clearly a case of being in the right place at the wrong time and she parted company with Verve Records (and briefly, also with her mentoring producer Creed Taylor) at the beginning of the new decade after a series of pop-oriented releases (including 1969’s ‘I Haven't Got Anything Better to Do’) fell short of expectations.
But things were falling into place for Astrud even as pop music’s currents swirled around her.
11 years into his own career, tenor sax giant Stanley Turrentine was looking for a change of musical scenery and he signed with Taylor’s new contemporary jazz label, CTI, joining label mates, George Benson, Paul Desmond, Freddie Hubbard, Quincy Jones, Grover Washington, Jr. and Wes Montgomery to name but a few of the jazz stars associated with the label.
Brazil had its share of talented acts on the CTI brand, too including Antonio Carlos Jobim, Tamba 4, Milton Nascimento and keyboardist Eumir Deodato, who also acted as the de facto in-house arranger for the label.
While we’re not sure how the deal for this album came together, the result found Astrud and Deodato in an Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey recording studio in mid-January 1971 to begin the sessions that would result in one of the most noteworthy - and remarkably listenable - recordings of her long career. Turrentine would join them for four of the songs in a single spring session.
Taylor produced the recording and together with Deodato’s involvement took Astrud to a jazzier groove in a complete contrast to her earlier Bossa sound. The jazz combo textures are broader here, allowing her whispery vocals to be surrounded by a more urgent rhythm section without being overwhelmed. That delicate balance stayed with the string section, too. There’s lots of energy on this CD, and while Deodato’s keyboards and Stanley Turrentine’s lyrical sax anchor this album’s unique style, Astrud is surrounded by many of the top up-and-coming jazz musicians of the day including flutist Hubert Laws, Ron Carter’s bass, and reedman Jerome Richardson. Toots Thielemans also makes an appearance as a guest ‘whistler’ and with his harmonica.
There’s a solid group of great Brazilian rhythm-makers, too: Airto, João Palma and Weather Report’s Dom Um Romão share the percussion and drumming duties along with Sivuca’s guitar.
Two instrumentals provide yet another layer of contrast. Stephen Stills ‘To A Flame’ is an unlikely choice for a Brazilian re-do, but it allows Deodato to show off his arranging skills, giving us a peek at the scope of influence that is reflected his work with Frank Sinatra (‘Sinatra & Company’), and then years later with Kool & The Gang. Turrentine brings his smoky, rhythm & soul sound to Milton Nascimento’ s ‘Vera Cruz’ and Deodato’s confidence in the tenor sax player’s musicianship is so high that the melody is completely set aside to give Turrentine’s insistent, flowing solo lines plenty of room. It’s clear that Turrentine is comfortable in this setting; that same style graces Astrud’s affectionate turn on ‘Brazilian Tapestry’ (adapted from Ze do Norte’s ‘Mulher Rendeira’) and again on ‘Ponteio’ and Jorge Ben’s ‘Zazueira’.
That’s pretty much where most reviews of this album end, but there’s a lot more of this story to tell.
The first song of the initial session (‘Historia de Amor’ – ‘Love Story’) found Astrud singing not in English or in Portuguese, but in Spanish. Astrud then overdubbed the song in English before recording two more songs that day – her self-penned ‘Just Be You’ and Burt Bacharach’s ‘Where There's A Heartache (There Must Be A Heart)’ – the only one of these four to make the final cut for the original release.
Is this a perfect album? No, not quite. We like the fuller sound that the impossible-to-find vinyl LP gave us and at times Astrud’s voice sounds lacking in the confidence she showed in her heyday 60’s. And no one recorded ‘Love Story’ because it was a great song. But her undeniable charm and knowing innocence is abundant throughout, and when combined with Deodato’s ‘Midas touch’ arranging and Stanley Turrentine’s sultry tenor play, this CD is a five-star winner and one of the few bright spots in the 15-year run up to her final great recording with the James Last Orchestra.
