"This album is so magnificent that it's hard to think of a better person to tackle this material in the new millenium but Rosemary Clooney. The warmth of her voice is a fine substitute for whatever she's lost from her early days. Her knowledge of the songs from the Brazillian songbook is quite apparent, as each ballad is very intimate and thoughtful while she can still swing with the best of them. Her pairing with John Pizzarelli throughout the album is fabulous when he accompanies her on his guitar and on his own songs on the album, but really shines when the two voices are coupled on Desifinado, One Note Samba, Let Go, Waters of March, and the reprise of Brazil. Her duet with singer-pianist Diana Krall on The Boy From Ipanema is the perfect song for the two. This is the album that will define my summer and will surely get the same amount of playing time through the year. Thank God for Rosemary Clooney."
ONE OF HER BEST
MOVIE MAVEN | New York, NY USA | 07/28/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Rosemary Clooney is STILL one of the few great pop singing sylists recording. And this album is one of her best. Dedicated to Sinatra, Nelson Riddle and Antonio Carlos Jobim, it is very much like one of those "theme" albums that Sinatra recorded---16 songs with one thematic thread. Obviously the thread that binds all of these songs together is the music of Brazil. Gorgeous music, perfectly performed by Clooney, her orchestra,and two young jazz notables: Diana Krall and John Pizzarelli. My personal favorites in the album are the title song and her duet with Krall ("The Boy From Ipanema") where Clooney seems actually to have shed 10-15 years and a splendid arrangement of the Cole Porter classic, "I Concentrate on You." But, on a second hearing, every number on the album is top notch."
Incredible...but no surprise there!
M. Walsh | 06/10/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Pizzarelli sang and played a duet for us on Clooney's "Do You Miss NY?"...It's about time they met again. The best of our link to the jazz age past and the best of today's mix and mingle on this CD. John Pizzarelli's unique swinging sound perfectly complements the voice of Clooney that has seen and known so much. Don't miss it."
Rosie & John -- A Perfect Combination
Barbara Campbell | upstate NY | 07/07/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Aren't we fortunate that the wonderful Rosemary Clooney has the sense to team up with the wonderful John Pizzarelli. All true jazz fans will recognize this powerful, sympatico blend of talent. I had the pleasure of seeing Rosie & John at Feinstein's in NYC a few weeks ago as they debuted this tribute to the sounds of Brazil. What a magical night and what a truly sensational CD. They dig each other alot -- and it shows."
One more time is a charm!
Steve Emerine | Tucson, AZ United States | 07/14/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you thought everyone who's anyone had recorded the Jobim-influenced music of Brazil, you're wrong. There was one more voice to be heard from, and it belongs to Rosemary Clooney. With great contributions from John Pizarelli and a guest appearance by Diana Krall, this is a CD that deserves to be in every jazz fan's collection. Now the roster is complete, and Rosemary Clooney has another winner."