Astrud Gilberto belongs to that curious and select group of
vocalists that seem untrained and guileless. Certainly there
are those who would dismiss her as any kind of serious singer.
But her voice has been with us for some forty years now, and
it has worked its magic on each successive generation that
has heard it. To hear the stories, Astrud's vocal career was
something of an accident, since supposedly she was asked to
sing the English language vocal on the Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto
recording of "Girl from Ipanema" by producer Creed
Taylor despite the fact that she apparently had no vocal training
or credentials as a singer.
Astrud was born in Bahia and grew up in Rio de Janeiro, the
magic heart of the country where she met and married songwriter
Joao Gilberto, one of the originators of the style that became
known as bossa nova. Bossa nova took over the world in the
early sixties, and Astrud Gilberto became, to many Americans,
its most instantly recognizable vocal stylist. When the bossa
craze ended, Gilberto continued to record for a time, working
on standard material and even some pop songs of the day (witness
her way with Jose Feliciano's "Light My Fire" on
last year's Songs
From the Verve Hi-Fi). Eventually she disappeared
from sight, returning to her native Brazil and becoming somewhat
reclusive, though she released a new album in 2003. She also
works as an artist and is a tireless spokeswoman and benefactor
for organizations that work to protect animals.
The performances on Astrud for Lovers include some
bossa numbers and work with Stan Getz, but they also provide
a more complete picture of Astrud's work on the Verve label.
For example, "World Stop Turning" and "Love
Is Stronger By Far Than We," both previously unreleased,
feature Astrud singing over large orchestras and grand arrangements,
as does the Don Sebesky-arranged "My Foolish Heart"
from the album Beach Samba. Even here, though, Astrud's voice
floats above the arrangements and provides a caressing whisper
to the listener's ear.
But it is on the tracks where Gilberto works with small combos
of musicians that her vocal art really shines. Perhaps this
is becauseof the intimate nature of her vocal style, which
seems to reject the grandiose and work its way directly into
the listener's heart. Because of this, Astrud's recordings
are often labeled romantic and certainly, that is true since
her chosen material almost always deals with the subject of
love. But there is a certain melancholy to her voice, intimating
that the other side of the romantic coin is heartache, that
winter always follows summer and that life is never eternal.
That slight shadow is evident on tracks like "Only Trust
Your Heart" with Getz, "Once I Loved" with
Antonio Carlos Jobim and saxophonist Bud Shank and a beautiful
reading of "Manha de Carnival" on which she is accompanied
by only an unknown guitarist.
There is plenty of joy in Astrud's work as well, and that
is readily evident on other tracks, including her performance
of Jobim's "Corcovado" with Getz, Gilberto, and
Jobim, where she communicates the transcendent peacefulness
of Gene Lees' lyrics. Then there is her stunning take on "It
Might As Well Be Spring" from the live album Getz Au
Go Go, on which she and Getz (together with vibraphonist Gary
Burton) are positively giddy and pass their joy back and forth
audibly. It is truly one of Astrud's best performances.
Other selections include "Tu Mi Delirio," performed
with Brazilian keyboardist Walter Wanderley, "Look to
the Rainbow" featuring a rhythm section comprised of
Gil Evans at the piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Grady
Tate at the drums, and a definitive rendition of "The
Shadow of Your Smile" with trombonists Bob Brookmeyer
and Kai Winding. It all adds up to a sumptuous collection
of romantic music that will also interest many jazz and music
fans solely on the basis of the fact that some of these performances
haven't been readily available on CD. In a world that is often
harsh and makes little sense, the music of Astrud Gilberto
invites us to linger in the world of the heart, and that is
a balm to lovers and listeners of all stripes.
