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Jobim: Antonio Carlos Jobim

Michael Carrier | Space Coast, FL | 07/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a CD reissue of a great album (rel.1973) which I originally had on cassette - and wore it out - it's that good! Admittedly, if you're not a good listener, you may not like it. It's Jobim, himself, backed-up by a top-notch New York studio orchestra. [I actually put it in an orchestral category.] It's amazingly well-orchestrated, conducted and produced by Claus Ogerman, and the orchestra sounds a lot bigger than it is. The arrangements tend to be esoteric and "floating" in nature (I enjoy that). One must be ready to spend time doing nothing except meditating/listening. It's great "rainy day" music - just stare out the window, drink in hand, contemplating nature in your beautiful backyard forest (or ocean, or desert, or what-have-you) and: enjoooyyyyy...."

Clearly One of the "Most Memorable" Performances of this ..

Sonny Otero | Marlborough, Ma. USA | 02/20/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...very Talented Musician, Haunting, & Memorable. I own the Original Record, and have very "Definite Memories" that are
entwined with the Music. A "Must Have" for any fan of his music!"

Promising, intriguing, but not my favorite

Lypo Suck | Hades, United States | 02/04/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I wasn't as blown away by this album as other Jobim fanatics. While it does contain some excellent songs, like the definitive version of the classic "Aguas De Marco," and the deeply moving, beautiful, and moody "Matita Pere" and "Mantiqueira Range," the rest of the music is a bit too draggy, meandering, and syrupy for me. As I understand it, the idea behind this album was to fuse Jobim's Brazilian melodic sensibilities with a strong dose of Debussy and Brazilian composer Villa-Lobos (both highly influential to Jobim). Several pieces included here were written for films. There are moments where this works beautifully, but it doesn't always create as many sparks as was perhaps envisioned.



As for the film music passages here, some is intermittently interesting, but overall, I much prefer the more melodic work that Ennio Morricone was doing at the time. Also, Jobim does a fair amount of singing here, which can at times be problematic. For those not familiar with Jobim's vocals, he sings in a cool, slightly raspy voice which suits more simple and direct melodies just fine, but on more melodically demanding numbers, he comes off a little flat, and it sounds a bit like being serenaded by your old, slurry, alcoholic uncle. With my own roots in punk rock, I'm usually forgiving of musical or vocal imperfections. But Jobim's vocals, while definitely possessing a unique character, can be occasionally jarring to these ears.



Those seeking more in the vein of Jobim's brilliant "Wave" or "Stone Flower," (my personal Jobim favorites) may find this album a little disappointing. But people wanting to hear a slightly different side to Jobim's work may want to check this out. After all, there *are* a few great songs here. It just doesn't have the dazzling, high-level consistency of some of his previous work, and it does stray a bit from his Bossa Nova roots at times. But who knows, it may grow on me.

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