“It’s the only record of mine that I listen to.” Heady words from João Gilberto, when asked about ‘João Voz e Violão’, but not unusual behavior for those who have followed the career of the one musician whose countrymen call ‘O Mito’ (The Legend).
With the death of Antonio Carlos Jobim in 1994, João Gilberto became the reluctant elder statesman of Bossa Nova: the most prominent performer from the generation who in the mid-50s transformed the samba into a new, delicate rhythm of remarkable artistic strength and stamina. And when he was alive, even Jobim credited João as the rhythmic force behind the new music: “He was pulling the guitar in one way, and singing the other way. It created a third thing that was profound . . .”
João presents that contrast in bas-relief on ‘João Voz e Violão’ which won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best World Music Album. On its recording, it was only his second new album in the previous 10 years and as the title suggests, it contains only João’s voice and guitar, and the spacious intimacy that exists between those two instruments.
‘João Voz e Violão’ includes favorite standards along with compositions by the newer generation of performers Gilberto inspired, although the initial idea for this project was to re-record songs featured on Gilberto’s first three albums. (Released between 1958 and 1961, they are long out of print.) Veloso suggested recording some new songs, and Gilberto agreed. The final track listing includes only two songs from Gilberto’s first albums: “Desafinado” (by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Newton Mendonça) and “Chega de Saudade” (by Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes)—the latter being the song that launched bossa nova. At Veloso’s urging, Gilberto added “Não Vou Pra Casa” (written by Antonio Almeida and Roberto Roberti in 1941) and “Segredo” (written by Herivelto Martins and Marino Pinto in 1947).
Rounding out the album’s repertoire are the Veloso-penned tracks “Desde que o Samba É Samba” and “Coração Vagabundo”; Gil’s “Eu Vim da Bahia”; Jobim’s “Você Vai Ver”; Ernesto Lecuona’s “Eclipse”; and Bororó’s “Da Cor do Pecado,” a samba which Gilberto has been singing in concert for years.
The net result of these ten tunes is that, still today, the singer’s burry, gentle, wavering baritone transfixes even those of us who thought João could no longer surprise. Miles Davis’s famous encomium – that João would sound good reading a newspaper – remains as true as when Davis first whispered it in the early 60s.
That fact was not lost on Caetano Veloso, who invited Gilberto to tour Brazil with him. His purpose was to reacquaint his audiences with their past – sometimes a challenging task for Brazilians – and to give them a glimpse into the creator of the music that forever put Brazil on the musical map in the 1960s.
João does more than reprise his past glories: a true icon of Brazilian music, he covers post-Bossa tropicalia tunes, including two by Veloso, who also produced this album. It wasn’t a complicated affair - two microphones were set up, João sat down and began to play. The album was recorded in two sessions and in most cases the first take was the version selected for the release.
Our only complaint? At 30 minutes, the disc runs barely as long as an EP. That’s scant reward for those who’ve waited anxiously for six years to hear a new album from this ageless urban troubadour.
Other Voices:
From the label:
“He could read a newspaper and sound good.”–Miles Davis
A compliment from one master about another, this is how Davis described legendary Brazilian singer/guitarist/composer João Gilberto. The artist who revolutionized Brazilian popular music in the ’50s by creating the bossa nova sound, Gilberto is back with his first studio album in almost a decade. The result is ‘João Voz e Violão’ (João Voice and Guitar), a recording that captures the two instruments that defined Bossa Nova: Gilberto’s delicate, whispering vocals and his mesmerizing guitar rhythms. It is a stripped-down recording (the first studio album to capture Gilberto without additional accompaniment), but one that needs no further embellishment—Gilberto’s voice and guitar alone demonstrate why he is revered worldwide.
Gilberto has been idolized by music enthusiasts and musicians alike for his unique contributions to global music, and his influence continues to reach a wide array of artists—from Brazilian stars Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil to pop performers such as Beck and David Byrne. Gilberto invited Veloso, his most accomplished and faithful follower, to sit at the production helm for this foray into the studio. Veloso, a Brazilian music legend in his own right, has helped Gilberto create a jewel of an album, one that easily takes its place alongside the most classic of Gilberto’s recordings.
In his native country of Brazil, Gilberto is called “O Mito” (the legend), a fitting title for a man whose music has set such a standard. ‘João Voz e Violão’, an album that glories in the power of silences and quiet, softness and serenity, revisits his musical mastery. Gilberto’s voice floats over a singular guitar, its syncopation seductive. One can easily hear and understand why he is considered a master. With this CD, we are reminded that Gilberto has, over the past 40 years, graced our world with musical genius.
Perhaps Veloso’s sister, Maria Bethânia, a singing star herself, describes João best: “He simply is music. He is the most fascinating being, the most fascinating person that I have ever encountered on the surface of the earth. João, he is mystery. He hypnotizes.”
