Bossa Nova (Part 2/3)

4 Characteristics of Bossa Nova

The following elements make bossa nova distinctive:

1. Rhythm: The bossa nova rhythm is a two-bar pattern derived from samba music. It recalls the syncopated claves of Afro-Cuban music, but a pure clave is not an element of traditional Brazilian music.
2. Tempo: Bossa nova has a relatively languid tempo, particularly when compared to the danceable energy that informs most samba rhythms.
3. Vocal style: Most bossa nova singers use a non-operatic, slightly nasal vocal style derived from the caboclo folk styles of northeast Brazil.
4. Lyrics: Wistful lyrics concerning personal longing, love, and the tranquility of nature characterize bossa nova.

Stan Getz

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Philadelphia-born saxophonist and composer who was a key figure in popularizing Bossa Nova music in the United States. Influenced by Lester Young, an alumni of Woody Herman’s big band, Getz fused bebop, cool jazz and third stream jazz into his own distinctive style. Recorded three bossa nova albums before teaming with guitarist Joao Gilberto to record Getz/Gilberto, the most famous and biggest selling bossa nova record of all time. Getz performed well into the late 80s before dying of liver cancer at age 64.

Stan Getz – Stan Getz At Large ( Full Album )

Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz…. Bass – Dan Jordan…. Drums – William Schiøppfe…. Piano – Jan Johansson

0:00:00 [01] Night And Day 0:10:32 [02] Pammie’s Tune 0:17:42 [03] Amour 0:23:32 [04] I Like to Recognize the Tune 0:30:14 [05] When the Sun Comes Out 0:36:04 [06] Just a Child 0:40:03 [07] Folks Who Live on the Hill 0:44:23 [08] Café Montmartre Blues 0:52:28 [09] He Was Too Good for Me 0:57:02 [10] Younger Than Springtime 1:02:12 [11] Goodbye 1:05:55 [12] Land’s End 1:13:00 [13] In Your Own Sweet Way 1:19:05 [14] In the Night

Recorded – Copenhagen, January 14th and 15th, 1960

Sheet Music download here.

João Gilberto

João Gilberto do Prado Pereira de Oliveira was born on June 10, 1931, in the small city of Juázeiro in the interior of Brazil’s northeastern Bahia state. He seemed attracted to music early in life, but did not begin playing until age 14, when his grandfather gave him a guitar. Within a year, despite his father’s disapproval, he was leading a band composed of fellow students.

The sound of U.S. big-band jazz had penetrated to Brazilian radio by the 1940s, and Gilberto grew up with the music of Duke Ellington and Tommy Dorsey in addition to Brazilian pop songs and samba music. A less common influence was the crisp, operetta-flavored style of U.S. pop singer Jean-nette MacDonald.

With the introduction of the microphone and the amplifier in Brazil, Gilberto realized that the sound source did not need to be emitted intensely, regarding the voice and instrument, which favored subtle and internalized interpretations. On the other hand, at the time of the first “bossa nova” recordings, Brazil still did not have high fidelity recording equipment capable of reproducing more complex sonorities.

Due to that, Gilberto and Tom Jobim, Gilberto’s first arranger, elaborated complex harmonies under the influence of American music, and at the same time they simplified the general sound, because of the equipment limitation.

In July 1958, Elizete Cardoso released the famous LP, Canção do Amor Demais, containing songs by Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes. The record, however, would enter the history of Brazilian popular music for another reason: Gilberto accompanied Cardoso on guitar on the tracks “Chega de Saudade” and “Outra Vez”, these being the first recordings of the so-called “bossa nova beat”. In August of that year, Gilberto released a 78 rpm record containing “Chega de Saudade” and “Bim Bom”, recorded at Odeon, with collaborations from Jobim, Dorival Caymmi, and Aloysio de Oliveira.

This album inaugurated the “bossa nova” genre and soon became a commercial success. Gilberto’s recording had arrangements by Jobim and the participation of Milton Banana, among other artists. Gilberto innovated by using two microphones to record, one for the voice and one for the guitar. This way, the harmony became more clearly heard. Until then, songs were recorded with only one microphone, emphasizing the voice to the detriment of the guitar.

With this innovation, voice and guitar could compete equally, if the voice maintained a natural intensity. Thus, it was necessary to issue the voice in a volume close to that of ordinary speech.

With Gilberto, voice and guitar are kept at the same volume intensity, with the microphones picking up both sound sources equally, and, if required, changing the volume of both would be in equal proportion. In 1959, Gilberto released another 78 rpm, containing “Desafinado” by Jobim and Newton Mendonça, and “Hô-bá-lá-lá”, written by himself. In March 1959, he released the LP Chega de Saudade, which became a sales success and had a major impact in the history of Brazilian music.

BEST OF JOÃO GILBERTO – PORTRAIT IN BOSSA NOVA (Full Alubum)

00:00 – eu vim da Bahia 5:53 – palpite infeliz 9:46 – girl from Ipanema 14:57 – Sampa 19:58 – vivo sonhando 22:55 – Bésame mucho 25:39 – una mujer 29:22– eu quero um samba 34:07 – Corcovado 38:21 – de conversa em conversa 40:37 – rosinha 44:29 – you do something to me 47:10 – doralice 49:55 – ave Maria no morro 54:12 – izaura 59:38 – desafinado 1:03:35 – pra machucar meu coraçao 1:08:38 – sorriu pra mim 1:11:45 – falsa baiana 1:15:30 – eu Sambo mesmo

Vince Guaraldi

Vincent Anthony Guaraldi (Dellaglio, July 17, 1928 – February 6, 1976) was an American jazz pianist noted for his innovative compositions and arrangements and for composing music for animated television adaptations of the Peanuts comic strip. His compositions for this series included their signature melody “Linus and Lucy” and the holiday standard “Christmas Time Is Here“. He is also known for his performances on piano as a member of Cal Tjader‘s 1950s ensembles and for his own solo career.

His 1962 composition “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” became a radio hit and won a Grammy Award in 1963 for Best Original Jazz Composition. He died of a sudden heart attack in February 1976 at age 47, moments after concluding a nightclub performance in Menlo Park, California.

Bola Sete with Vince Guaraldi Trio – Live 1963

0:00 “Outra Vez” 10:39 “Tango El Bongo” 13:25 “Tour De Force” 19:35 “Star Song” 24:33 “Mambossa”