Joao Gilberto Music

There are 5 tracks missing compared to the 1993 version. The entire CD is 35 minutes.

I think you have to be a native from Brazil, and a Bossa Nova lover (like me), to identify something in these live recordings that most Americans accustomed to jazz rhythms won't notice. I am talking about the awkward way João Gilberto performs the songs of this album. It is very different from the way he sings and plays the guitar in the classic Getz/Gilberto album, and I think the reason is that here he is being accompanied by jazz musicians who don't know how to play the samba rhythm correctly. It sounds like Gilberto is simplifying the rhythm and slowing down everything. This makes these recordings no comparison to the Getz/Gilberto album. The tracks by Stan Getz alone are ok.

I think you have to be a native from Brazil, and a Bossa Nova lover (like me), to identify something in these live recordings that most Americans accustomed to jazz rhythms won't notice. I am talking about the awkward way João Gilberto performs the songs of this album. It is very different from the way he sings and plays the guitar in the classic Getz/Gilberto album, and I think the reason is that here he is being accompanied by jazz musicians who don't know how to play the samba rhythm correctly. It sounds like Gilberto is simplifying the rhythm and slowing down everything. This makes these recordings no comparison to the Getz/Gilberto album. The tracks by Stan Getz alone are ok.

The sound mix of this "Live" concert is appalling -- it's kind of like "João Gilberto, Stan Getz, Astrud Gilberto & Hi-Hats!" No disrespect to Joe Hunt or to Helcio Melito (the two drummers for this concert), but the playing and/or sound mix is simply too obtrusive ("undesirably noticeable" is an apt definition here), as the voice and guitar of João Gilberto, as well as the fluid tenor saxophone of Stan Getz, are consistently overshadowed by those darned hi-hats. (...rolling eyes...) Despite this annoyance, João performs at the peak of his powers, although it appears that the performances of both Astrud and Stan Getz are greatly restrained (perhaps there was some backstage (read: real life) drama going on there?). Suffice it to say, if it is great inspiration that you seek, you will not find it here, although this is still a worthy collector's item. A higher recommendation would be "Gal Costa: Canta Tom Jobim - Ao Vivo" (DVD) which left me in tears from its exquisite execution of beautiful music.

Why did they have to screw it up?

The vinyl recording is far better. This CD issue, which adds five cuts, is so much less pleasant to listen to because of all the unnecessary and distracting "chatter." Three of the Getz-only numbers are among my favorites--"Grandfather's Waltz," "Tonight I Shall Sleep with a Smile on my Face," and "Here's That Rainy Day"--so I was particularly disappointed to find that, in order to listen to them on CD, I had to put up with all the non-music garbage.

Too bad!

I got this album about 7 years ago and from the first time I listened to it, it took its place as my all-time favorite. It was my introduction to samba and my inspiration to search for more jazz for my cd collection.

The music is so versatile and comforting - it is a perfect complement to whatever mood I'm in, be it upbeat or somewhat sad. It is complex but not too challenging to listen to like some other jazz can be. It does not get old or boring to me.

Other reviewers have simply compared this album to others in the genre, but I would rather think of it standing on its own as a wonderful introduction for someone who doesn't have much jazz in their collection, and a must-have for those who do.

This is a significant CD of Bossa Nova classics. Performers are top-notched saxophonist Stan Fetz, guitarist and vocalist Joao Gilberto and pianist Antonio Carlos Jobim. Orchestration is perfect and couldn't be done better. Recorded in 1963, remastered and released in 1998, it added to the popularity of Astrud Gilberto, who held a concert in 1996. This CD is a must-have for all jazz lovers and beginners.

Well most jazz fans at one point in time owned a copy of an lp, a cassette, or a cd from this famous 1963 recording, to me this particular albulm was by far the best of Stan Getz latin influenced recordings, as for the vocal of Astrud Gilberto, just simply marvelous. And lets not forget Mr Jobim himself on the piano, what can we say except "pure magic" the music remains as fresh as 30 years ago and playing this new remastered version is quite astounding, it is like hearing the music for the first time, it will make every audiophile smile from ear to ear, very rarely when buying a cd's you get such a gem superb music coupled with a superlative recording, this should be on every music lovers "must get list" 5 stars? never, a thousand stars

Not worth the buy for a fan of stez and gilberto. there's a small number of tracks, and track 1, the classic "the girl from ipanema" repeats later in the CD. only a someone new to bossa nova, stez and gilberto might appreciate it.