Search - Baden Powell :: Tristeza on Guitar

Tristeza on Guitar - Available again

Candido Dionisio Pinto | Tucson, AZ USA | 07/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had first listened to this album, in an old, worn vynil format, for it had been out of print for years. Luckily, my Dad had a friend in Brazil who was also a Baden-Powell fan. T he album starts with a beautiful arrangement of "Tristeza", by Haroldo Lobo and Niltinho. It goes through 3 afro-sambas, resulting from the partnership of a young Baden-Powell and the late Vinicius de Moraes. The arrangement of Monk's "Round Midnight" is surprisingly tasteful and fitting to the guitar. Bonfa's "Manha de Carnaval" invokes a melancholy only those who have seen older, more romantic Carnaval occurences in Brazil can fully relate to. "Das Rosas" pays a nice hommage to Bahia's Dorival Caymmi(and not the only one made by Baden to this composer, the most famous being "A Lenda do Abaete", recorded a few years later). Despite its title, "Tristeza on Guitar" is not a sad album, but a romantic and dreamy excursion into the many facets of Brazilian music, Baden's early influences and the beauty of the guitar.By the way, Tristeza IS written with a Z, and his name is NOT Roberto Baden-Powell like it's been published lately: He is Baden-Powell de Aquino, born and raised in the Rio suburb of Varre-e-Sai."

One of the all-time classics in any genre

fajou | Zephyr Cove, NV USA | 10/10/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I heard this album on BASF vinyl in 1970 and it single-handedly formed the bedrock of my entire and ongoing appreciation and love of Brazilian music. A tour-de-force covering the spectrum from powerful and driving 'balancado' changes (Tristeza), transcendental 6/8-4/4 macumba (Canto de Xango), tasteful and subtle jazz ballad voicings (Round Midnight) and simple, classic percussion ensemble (Som do Carnaval, which he planned to overdub guitar and bass tracks but decided to leave "as is" for the album). Recorded in the late 60s, it anchors a period in his life that produced his best work in my opinion, and is for me the *definitive* Baden Powell and one of the pieces of music that I would put in a top ten all-time collection to be included in a space-time capsule of music from planet earth.This title was out-of-print for several years, and I am happy to see it available again for people who have not had the benefit of experiencing its sublime beauty and energy."

The definitive Baden Powell record

Aldo Mosca | Sonoma, California United States | 11/29/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This record was made in Brasil in 1966 and is Baden Powell's first collaboration with famed Jazz producer and writer Joachim Berendt for the German label Saba. It immortalizes some of Baden Powell's most adventurous, inventive, energetic playing ever. To my ear, it sounds like a lot of first takes were chosen. There are lots of little rough corners that add to the lively musicality. Contrast this release with the Brazilian reissue "O Som de Baden Powell", which has a lot of (again, to my ear) second takes of the same sessions and therefore features a slightly more polished sound.



Very inspiring, educational and refreshing in these days of perfect-sounding records tweaked to excess in a digital audio workstation. Two such examples are the opening and closing tracks "Tristeza" and "O Astronauta". In these two tracks, Baden is a tightrope walker, plunging along the high wire of improvisation. At points, it sounds like he's faltering, about to fall down, only to recover with a fluorish in the next bar. The man simply knew the fingerboard.



Not coincidentally, both tracks mentioned above have the same structure of a "trio: guitar bass and drums" (Another high of this release is the quaint short technical descriptions of each track, most likely Berendt's work).



The next set of tracks that stand out in my opinion are the two in the form of "duo: guitar and bass", These are "Round Midnight" and "Manha de Carnaval". I have come to regard these two as the "definitive version" of each of these tunes (perhaps with the exception of Monk's solo piano version of "Midnight").



Four of the tracks are a result of his then current fascination with the Afro-brazilian music and rituals of Bahia. The sounds of "Saravah", "Canto de Ossanha", "Canto de Xango" and "Som do Carnaval" blend the atabaque (Afro-brazilian ritual conga-like hand drum) with more traditional Rio samba instruments to great effect. "Som do Carnaval" has Baden playing agogo bells, but no guitar.



If there is any track that has not stood the test of time is "Invencao em 7 1/2", which sounds like a long-lost two-part invention, but is done with (since dated) tape vari-speed trickery. At least they're upfront about it in the liner notes.



Rounding up the offer, there is an incredible guitar solo version of "Das Rosas" a great song by Dorival Caymmi. Baden delivers another "definitive version" in my book.



This album belongs in many "best-of" lists and will remain relevant for years to come."