Antonio Carlos Jobim Music

Bossa Nova started in Brazil in the late `50s. The "First Generation" included Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Gilberto and Vinicius de Moraes as their main artists. Their themes were composed focusing on "Love, Smiles & Flowers" and greatly influenced Latin America's music and even USA's composers.

In the present CD two geniuses join and mix their efforts to give the audience an outstanding performance.
Seven of the compositions are authored by Jobim and include some of his best.
"Girl from Ipanema" make you feel being at the wonderful Ipanema Beach surrounded by the loveliest girls in the world (believe me, I've been there).
"Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars" evokes those wonderful starred nights from Rio de Janeiro, with all their sensual appeal, hearing soft guitar music.
"How Insensitive" brings all the melancholy charge of a one-sided love affair's end.
Finally Irving Berlin's "Change Partners" appeal an everlasting male fantasy: Will that girl choose ME instead of her present dancing partner?

Jobim and Sinatra combine their voices into a bilingual performance. Seamlessly, songs unfold from English to Portuguese and back again. Melodies are soft and suggestive, an ideal stuff for starting a romance.
This CD is one of the Top Popular Music in my personal selection. I recommend it warmly!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Combine the talents of Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim and what do you get? Absolute magic. The relaxed vibe of Jobim's bossa nova is translated with brilliant clarity by Sinatra. All you have to do is hit play and from the first note of this album you will be transported to a sprawling beach with the wind in your hair, your feet up, and a giant Pina Colada in your hand. And that is a place that I like to be.

As Bossa Nova purist I think Jobim is better when playing his own works with little or large orchestra ensembles.
This may be Sinatra but not Jobim.

This is not the "swingin'" Sinatra you have come to know. These are arrangements by legendary Claus Ogerman, the same man who just a couple of years ago arranged the hugely popular Diana Krall albums "The Look of Love" and "Live in Paris". This gorgeous collection was released in 1967, at the height of the "Bossa Nova" craze, and the author of the most famous of those songs was Antonio Carlos Jobim. The song was "The Girl from Ipanema" and it is included here, sung by beautifully by both Sinatra in English and Jobim in Portuguese, however, the real highlights on this lush and softly romantic opus is "Once I Loved" and "How Insensitive". Sinatra's voice is deep, smokey and he almost whispers some of the lyrics. This is an ideal album to play in front of a fire on a romantic night. Atmospheric and haunting. I agree with another reviewer that the other Jobim songs should be released with the songs on this CD, however, because the entire length of this album is only about 35 minutes. There is plenty of room for more.

There are three master albums of Bossa Nova vocals:
- this Sinatra/Jobim album on Warner sung in English;
- Elis Regina/Tom Jobim album sung in Portuguese; and
- "Amoroso", the Joao Gilberto/Claus Ogerman collaboration, sung in Portuguese, English, Italian, Spanish!

Don't miss the chance to have all three.

Interesting to notice this is a rare songbook project in Sinatra's career and that there is another one with Jobim which was only half issued in Sinatra's title 'Sinatra & Co'.

Sinatra's choice on Jobim's standards was a kill. Sinatra's romantic approach was the precise one for the material while the swinging action was taken by the Bossa rhythm section, leaded by Jobim's guitar and extraordinary Dom Um Romao on drums, on splendorous string arrangements by Claus Ogerman.

Also interesting was the idea to include three American standards which matched taylor made to Bossa Nova: Irving Berlin's 'Change Partners', Cole Porter's 'I Concentrate on You' and Wright & Forest's 'Baubles Bangles and Beads' (from 'Kismet'). All delicious.

This is a mandatory album for a serious Bossa Nova collection.
Also for those who admires Sinatra, this album shows him in an extraordinary performance in a rather exotic ensemble for American standards.