Antonio Carlos Jobim Music

I had better expectations from this cd, but on the whole the music is great. Julian Lloyd Webber is a great cello player and the arrangements are very good. and is worth the money as it is a double album

Finally, after years of searching, there is a commercial recording of Ernesto Cordero's Concierto Antillano. I was fortunate to attend the world premiere of this work years ago and have been searching for a recording of it ever since. Barbosa-Lima, as expected, executes it with mastery. It is sad, however, that the Sofia Soloists provide such a bland accompaniment. This is Latin music, meant to be played with rhythm and gusto. The rest of the album is, for the most part, thoroughly enjoyable. I must say, however, that the Handel piece is somewhat out of place with the rest of the program. All in all, the CD is a worthwhile acquisition.

This is a wonderful selection of pieces--mostly orchestral, many recorded here for the first time. Although some pieces are contemporary, they blend with the Handel (et al), and are very lyrical. I sometimes find Barbosa-Lima too stiff in his jazz/pop recordings (technical genius that he is), but his playing here is warm, sensitive, and emotional. If you like guitar in an orchestral setting (e.g., any of the artists that perform Rodrigo's work), you'll love this.

I am so pleased with Baby Cello. The sound of this music is utterly glorious. Soothing doesn't begin to describe it. My 2 year old and I love listening to it at all times of day.

We received the Baby Cello C.D. as a gift, and my husband and I just love it. The music is truly moving in the most uplifting way, and the songs chosen are just beautiful; not at all stuffy. The true test was when our two-year-old, who had not had a nap all day, got completely wired and still would not go to sleep after 10 p.m. She screamed for 20 minutes as we tried to get her down, until I put Baby Cello on, and the screaming stopped instantaneously! She went to sleep to the C.D. without another wimper! We highly recommend Baby Cello for parents and babies alike, and have bought it for other parents with babies that we know. It uplifts, as well as soothes, depending upon what time of day we put it on, and it serves as wonderful dinner music as well. We can't imagine anyone not loving this C.D.! A.and J. Pieri, Albany,CA

Not being overly familiar with the music of Brazil, I really could not say if this recording of purported Brazilian guitar music as played so wonderfully by Gerald Garcia is an authentic representation of Brazilian music or not. All that I can say is that this album is very appealing and it is indeed lovely to listen to mainly, I'm sure, due to the wonderful playing of Gerald Garcia. The music contained in this very full recording (over 70 minutes) consists of music written for or transcribed for the guitar by Luis Bonfa, Carlos Jobim, Isalas Savio, Juao Pernambuco, Villa-Lobos, Almedia, Roberto Baden-Powell and Celso Machado.

I particularly liked the preludes 1-5 by Villa-Lobos which are so full of Latin rhythms and melodies. I adored Roberto Baden-Powell three works which had me in the mood to fall in love (if I were not attached)in Rio De Janeiro because they are filled with beautiful and melancholy Latin melodies and wonderful rhythms. I can see why the album notes said that the music contained in this recording heavily influenced the great jazz musician Stan Getz--for it is indeed filled with many Basso Nova like rhythms and with wonderfully melancholy melodies.

Naxos has done a great job recording the wonderful playing of Gerald Garcia and at a nice low price--buy it you'll love it!

Great music (but not the jobim pieces). ---Like so many classical guitarists he obviously lacks rhythm- particularly on the *Jobim* pieces. if your releasing a cd of music from brazil and you are a classical guitarist from england you should have more understanding of the music. -However it is only seven bucks and there is some definite magic on this cd.~

This is an exquisitely beautiful album that captures the very essence of Brazil.

Of all the solo guitar albums in my collection, this is the most expressive and poignant.

The performance is masterful, intricate and sensitive. There is a wide mastery of inflection and style.

Gerald Garcia is one of the true masters of solo guitar at any level much less Brazilian. (This album was recorded in 1988.)

So treat yourself to the best 72'46" of listening pleasure.

I am not a guitarist, so I cannot really comment knowledgeably on Gerald Garcia's achievement here, but I feel I must add my voice to those who think this is a splendid CD: Naxos have always been good for a surprise, and I was surprised indeed to find them releasing music like this in 1988! The center of the disc, in more than one sense, is Heitor Villa-Lobos, with Garcia playing all five of his Preludes and his Choro No. 1 (which, due to a printing error on the cover, is accredited to Garcia himself as arranger, but that is not correct, he only arranged the following traditional melodies in the style of Savio). Around this center are arranged pieces by Bonfá, Jobim, Savio, Pernambuco, Almeida, Baden-Powell and Machado - all names that I had never heard of until I purchased this disc out of curiosity. The music is relaxing, only the Villa-Lobos is truly classical, and the sound (the recording was made at a studio in Heidelberg, Germany) is excellent, worthy of a full-price disc. To cap it all, there are Gerald Garcia's own notes giving plenty of background information. You can't go wrong here!

I met the two of them in the past. I saw their shows and I bought their recordings. They never disappointed me, on the contrary: I always was amazed by their style and classy quality of sound. Now they return, together, to make us enjoy life in this way and mode: pleasantness in sound. If this would not suffice, there is a bonus, the performance of Gerald Garcia. Splendiferous! GF

It's not a bad quality CD but the music is variable and different. Even though I like most types of music, I think the composition is just average.

This is suberbly enhanced performance CD that captures Yo-Yo Ma and friends at their musical heights. The accompanying musicians, the Assasds, Paquito you-know-who, Kathyrn Stott and others add beautiful textures to the compositions of Piazzolla and Jobim to create a Latin influenced classical painting. This is music to play, go about your business at home and enjoy the different influences coming together. The sadness and happiness blend to reveal the emotions of life. Favorite songs include D'Rivera's "Afro" that sneaks up on you like breaking dawn to reveal the sunshine and life anew. Also Piazzolla's "Tango Suite" is a frenzied Yo-Yo Ma performance with suttle breaks on cello giving way to the Assadd's beautiful quite work on guitars to spike and peak your interest numerous times.This is good background music but it grabs your attention and makes you listen carefully so it can turn on you and be very demanding. Good for those quite times of work or reading.

Keep in mind that The studio version of this performance is nothing short of brilliant. The material includes pieces from the likes of Astor Piazzolla, Jobim and Paquito D'Rivera. Then you come to discover that there is a live concert version (and Dvd) of the disc. There is nothing like having your cake and your ice cream in the same bowl. Well that is what the release of this disc is, Cake and Ice cream with the cherry on the top.

Peace:
The*Hot*Wax*Kid

I bought the disk after hearing about the colaboration on NPR. The songs and performances are impecable, the variety is satisfying and fun. My only complaint is that the quality of the recording leaves something to be desired. Several times the recording level is not balanced between the instruments so that when listening to YoYo Ma playing, when joined by the saxaphone, it comes in too loud and ruins the mood.

I almost always prefer the live perfomances when the energy of the audience carries over to the performers. This is one case when I wish I had gotten the studio version.

Yo Yo Ma and his fellow musicians make beautiful music in this mellow adaptation of melodies that have their origin in Latin America.
The opening track is a version of "Libertango", heard in the fabulous soundtrack of the film "The Tango Lesson", and one of the three compositions by Astor Piazzolla, in this concert that was recorded live at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall in 2003. The group of assorted and marvelous musicians toured the world with this music, and there is a cohesion between the performers and the material they are playing that is evident, and a pleasure to hear. One hears the applause, but it is not obtrusive, and the sound is excellent for a live recording.

Very impressive is the clarinet of 6 time Grammy Award winner and composer Paquito D'Rivera, who wrote 3 of the tracks, and shows his virtuosity and Cuban soul in 7 pieces, and I especially like his "Merengue".
Rosa Passos sings and plays guitar on 4 tracks, and has a soft, clear, and pleasing voice, and 3 of the songs she interprets so well are by her fellow countryman and Brazilian bossa nova artist Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Other musicians are Sergio and Odair Assad on guitars, Kathryn Scott on piano, Nilson Matta on bass, and Cyro Baptista on percussion. Yo Yo Ma is of course the household name among them, and is masterful in his interpretations throughout; I especially like him in D'Rivera's "Afro", a fascinating piece with some experimental sounds.
Other favorites for me are D'Rivera's "Wapango", and "Cristal" (Camargo Mariano), a rhythmic duet between Ma and Scott that is terrific.
This CD has the feel of a classical chamber concert, with the warmth of melodious Latin compositions, and is a nice and unique musical treat.
The foldout insert has liner notes by D'Rivera, recording info, and mini bios of Ma's 7 fellow musicians; total playing time is 72'07.

This package contains a bonus DVD, that includes 3 videos:
1. Piazzolla's "Libertango", from the original soundtrack of Sally Potter's film "The Tango Lesson", with clips of the great tango dancer Pablo Veron.
2. "Brasileirinho", by Waldir Azevedo, featuring Paquito D'Rivera, from the "Obrigado Brazil" CD.
3. Jobim's "Chega de Saudage" interpreted by Rosa Passos, from the "Obrigado Brazil" CD.
It also includes a very short interview with Yo Yo Ma.