Search - Baden Powell :: Personalidade

Beyond human comprehension!!!

04/30/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you have ears, you must buy this record! It is an incredible, topographal overview of a little-known genius' work over 40 years. Let me preface, by first saying, there are no words, I repeat, nothing you can say, to communicate what goes on in this man, that is *precisely* why what comes out of him through that guitar will open a whole new world to you. I am a new Powell fan after hearing the incredible percussionist, Cyro Baptista praise him on a PBS World Music Special in the fall of 1998. Cyro said Baden gave the fast samba, and the complex playing style, definition, and there is much more to him than samba rythym. The things I heard in a 15 second clip of a 60's concert eminating from Powell, concerned me enough that there were things in music, so far beyond normal composition, above the shelf of everyday music, and so overlooked by the world in general, I had to buy it. The insane chords, rythyms, layerings, counterparts within his 3 piece! How could the world, especially musicians, for so long have ignored this mad-man?!?!? He can take a beautiful, airy, classical quote, say a Debussy-ish line, imply a tight pocketted samba rythym that may or may not actually exist or be audible, and make you cry and at the same time, be lost in a state of awe and wonder, probably much like the first time you took breath. I say it again, there are no words to describe the feelings that come from his brain through his fingers, out of that guitar. I cannot plead to you enough, if you take interest in music at all, regardless of the age, flavor or your attitude, you must listen to this man's work and use it to expand your own. Amazon is the first resource at all, for Baden that I have found, other than fan web site's listing LPs out of print. I have looked for 7 month's in major music stores, only to find this album, and one or two others. I have called major music catalogs, they haven't even heard of him. Amazon has easily over 15 recordings of this mystery man. For the very reason you loved music in the first place, check this man out."

Perfection

11/26/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mission: impossible. To put together the best of Baden Powell we would probably need the largest/longest CD ever. Dweller of the girl from Ipanema days, Baden joined the bossa-nova headquarters in its early years. A virtuose of the guitar, jazz, pop and afro-sambas with Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, repeated successful tours around Europe and USA, a forty years old musical career and a strong devotion to perfection lifts him up to the top level of cool. The album is definitly a must listen and the guys putting that compilation together were extremely fortunate."

Magnificent

stranger2himself | Down Here | 11/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Baden Powell was a genius, a magician, a wizard . . . the shaman of the acoustic guitar. This is not "classical guitar" playing. No matter how many "classical guitarists" you have heard, you have no idea how much passion can be conveyed through this instrument unless you have listened to Baden Powell. Only Roland Dyens among living guitarists comes close. It is my personal theory that Dyens was inspired by Powell, who was living and touring in France and Germany while Dyens was a teenager. I have over 5,000 recordings of all kinds of music. If I had to save 5 or 6 cd's from a fire, Baden Powell's "Personalidade" and "Seresta Brasileira" would be among them. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about this music. The first 3 tracks here, "Viagem", "Das Rosas" (by Dori Caymmi), and the awe-inspiring "Apelo" I listen to almost every day. No musician I have ever heard communicates from the heart like Baden Powell . . . love, passion, longing, nostalgia, romance, heartbreak, fragile beauty. I thank God that he played guitar, the instrument of poetry. Perhaps Baden came to us from the planet "Guitar", to which he has now returned to play eternal duets with fellow native Joe Pass. In heaven, if I make it, I will spend my evenings sitting next to Jobim and listening to Baden, Joe and Roland, who undoubtedly will have shown up at the gig by then, improvising on "Round Midnight" and "Manha de Carnaval"."