Search - Stan Getz, Luiz Bonfa :: Jazz Samba Encore

Breathtaking Album

bordersj2 | Boston | 01/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This'll probably be one of my shorter reviews mainly because I love this album, and there's little more that I can add to that. This is Jazz Samba Encore, this time featuring Stan Getz and Luiz Bonfa (Orfeu Negro, Luiz Bonfa Sings & Plays, etc.). Also featured here is Maria Toledo, Luiz Bonfa's then wife (I'm not sure if they are still married).



This is an amazing album, and a must have. The music is wonderful... very gentle, extremely clear, and very sincere. Featured here is a haunting version of "Sambalero" to open up the gentle adventure followed by 10 more incredible tracks. Gentle sax, perfect marriage between his tone and Luiz Bonfa's guitar. The music evokes an image, and the timing and musicianship grabs me every time I listen to this. While I loved every song on this, there were others that are absolute staples to me: "Insensatez", "Samba De Duas Notas", "Menina Flor", "Um Abraco No Getz", and "Ebony Samba".



If you are a bossa nova fan, you will certainly want to get this if you don't already own it. It's stunning. And if you do like this, you also want to check out "Getz/Gilberto", "Jazz Samba", "Getz/Almeida" to name but a few. You may also like music by Bud Shank with Laurindo Almeida."

Another strong bossa nova release from Getz

Ben | UK | 01/07/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jazz Samba Encore was the third album in a series of four releases of bossa nova music on the Verve label, all of them featuring Stan Getz playing the songs of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfa. This album is mainly a collaboration between Getz and Bonfa, and although the latter composer dominates proceedings, three of Jobim's songs are included, as well as his accompaniment on both guitar and piano on some of the tracks.



Not only is Bonfa a great songwriter, he is also an accomplished guitarist as he demonstrates on so many of the tracks here. His playing has a crisp and at times urgent feel on the faster numbers. Surprisingly, his most famous composition, Manha De Carnival was not included on the album. Also, Jobim's song Corcovado was present on the original LP as an instrumental, but is omitted from the CD. Instead we get a double take of Ebony Samba, one of the highlights of the album, so all is not lost.



As for the music, as one would expect it is just wonderful. It is rather different in feel and presentation to its purely instrumental predecessor, Jazz Samba, with JSE generally having a lighter and more joyous tone overall, but no less captivating. There is also the presence of Brazilian vocalist Maria Toledo. She tends to use her voice more as an instrument rather than the singing of lyrics. And with a slight echo added this gives an unusual haunting quality to some of these tracks. However, she does get to sing at least a full verse on one or 2 tracks, and one such example is Insensatez, one of the few melancholic songs included. The way this is performed is simply sublime, and worth the money of the CD alone. The great Stan Getz, of course is in excellent form as he was on Jazz Samba, and his sense of timing and use of phrasing is as immaculate as ever.



Although there were no huge hits from this album, unlike the case with Jazz Samba (Desifinado) and Getz/Gilberto (Girl From Ipenema), that does not render Jazz Samba Encore any less substantial as a musical project. If you liked the other two albums mentioned, you should certainly enjoy this one."