Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66 "Equinox 1967

Sergio Mendez was truly a master interpreter.  Being a fine interpreter of the music of others seems to be an under appreciated art these days.  Really, since the members of the Beatles blew the doors wide open with writing their own material, the focus has been on writing songs yourself.  The problem is that most artists/bands find it hard to consistently write a full album of top rate material.  This is not to say the Sergio lacks the ability to write a good tune; that is beside the point.  His albums are special for a different reason.  He has a sound, and you buy his records to hear that sound.  To me, he could really take any song and make it his own.  What makes this album such a delight, is that he has some really great songs to apply his sound to. 

Let’s begin with the last song for a change.  “So Danco Samba” is of course, one of Antonio Carlos Jobims’ most well known songs.  What sets this version apart from the myriad of other versions is the mixture of both the male and female vocals.  The double tracked vocals float over the Bossa Nova beat like parallel lines disappearing over the horizon.  Listen to the way the female singer pinches out the word “vai.”  It’s almost like a reverse gasp.  After Lani Hall’s main lead vocal jumps to the forefront for a few bars, the song opens up with a reserved swinging push.  

And speaking of Lani Hall, what a voice!  It has a dynamic subtly that draws me in every time.  It is beautifully plush and is accentuated by its double tracked recording.  Lani Hall’s doubled vocals are as much a part of the Brazil ’66 sound as Sergio’s piano.  When I hear a song like “Constant Rain (Chove Chuva)” I really feel a touch of warm sadness.  Listen to how she sings “…to be alone and lonely in the rain.”  The notes go from being sung hard to being sung softly in quick bursts.  I have to admit that I had a bit of a crush on that voice in my late teens.  (Herb Alpert must have had a small crush too because he married her, and the two have been married for about 40 years.) 

A few more Jobim songs are covered on this album as well.  I find myself concentrating on the maracas in the left channel on “Triste.”  How often do maracas catch your attention?  They are featured heavily in “Sympathy for the Devil,” but that is the only song that comes to mind quickly.  I love how they are mixed right on top of the drums as well.  The other Jobim tune is “Wave.”  I have a special place in my heart for the melody of this song.  I made a “sleep mix” for my son right after he was born.  Every night, the original Jobim version started off a 2 ½ hour mix of 60’s Bossa Nova and cool jazz that we would listen to as he fell asleep (or stayed up all night).  The melody really is something amazing, and in the competent hands of Sergio Mendez, the song becomes more effervescent and accessible.  Before I heard this version, I had never heard the lyrics (sung in unison by both men and women here) before.  I love how simple they are:

 So close your eyes
For that’s a lovely way to be
Aware of things your heart alone

Was meant to see
The fundamental loneliness goes

Whenever two can dream a dream together

There are a few other tracks that really grab me as I continue to listen to this album.  “Cinnamon and Clove” has a wonderful hook that I find myself singing along to.  “For Me” plays with rhythm in a way no other song on the album does.  Quietly fading in, it starts with a show tune feel that is filled out with some Walter Wanderley inspired organ stabs.  It then moves into a driving Bossa Nova beat that gradually weakens.  “Bim-Bom” (sung in English as opposed to the original Portuguese version) and “Night and Day” are also given the Brazil ’66 treatment with excellent results. 

Tones:  This album has so many wonderful sounds that I just love: Latin beats, softly sung vocals, light psych touches, and precise, detail oriented production.  Sergio's piano is like a neon light in a bar.  You don’t notice it all the time, but the impression it leaves is undeniable.  Other touches such as the sitar on “Constant Rain (Chove Chuva)” and the dampened chorus like guitar at the beginning of “Wave” create a sonic pallet that sets this album apart from other Bossa Nova influenced records.  Herb Alpert had a hand in the production of this, and he always comes through when it comes to creating beautiful tones. 

Cover Note:  Not bad, but not great.  What could the context for this photo be?  Where are they and why is everyone looking up?  It screams “album cover photo shoot” to me.  Compared to the other Brazil ’66 covers like “Look Around” (which is far more natural looking), and “Fool on the Hill” (which is far more weird/artistic), “Equinox" leaves me wanting more, especially because the music is so great.   

Price paid:  I do not have a vinyl copy of this one.  I have a great CD reissue (an LP facsimile to be exact) that I bought in the early 2000’s when I was first getting into Bossa Nova music.  This was before I was into vinyl.  I think I paid about $15.00 for it, maybe less.  The good news is that I have seen vinyl copies of it at places like flea markets quite often.  Don’t pay more than $5.00 or $6.00 for it though. 

Bottom Line:  This would be a great album if you are already into 60’s music, but would like to dip your toe into the water of never ending pleasure that is Bossa Nova.  It is definately where I started.  After that I moved on to Jobim, Walter Wanderley, Joao Gilberto, Luis Bonfa, and Caetano Veloso.  There is nothing difficult about this album.  You could play this for your grandmother or your coolest friend and both would find things to enjoy.  Heck, invite them over to the same party.  You might get a laugh out of watching them Samba dance to “So Danco Samba” together.

Walter Wanderley "Kee-Ka-Roo" (1967)

                There was a time when I only worked 4 days a week.  Granted, they were 10 hour days, but Monday –Thursday was my work week.  My wife was also working as a nanny and she had Fridays off as well.  Each Thursday night was the end of our actual work week and most of our friends still had to plow through Friday, so my wife and I would enjoy what we dubbed “Secret Friday.”  This primarily involved whiskey sours on the back porch and lots of records.  The three records I remember us listening to the most were “Di Doo Dah” by Jane Birkin, “Histoire De Melody Nelson” by Serge Gainsbourg, and “Kee-Ka-Roo” by Walter Wanderley.  I can’t put on any of these without remembering our “Secret Fridays.” 

                Normally, we would get our drinks together during the first two songs.  “Amazonas” kicks off side one with a low wandering flute and Walter playing the organ in his “Bop Bop ba ba Bop Bop” style.  I have heard a lot of great organ players, but Walter is just so darn sure of himself.  Nothing crazy, nothing out there, just satisfying, like a good handshake.  His playing is delightful, it’s laid back, and it’s deceptively simple.  You forget very quickly that this is very complex music, both harmonically and rhythmically. Some may find this type if organ music a little cheesy, but I highly encourage you to give it a listen with fresh ears.  This is top notch Bossa Nova.

                By the time we made it to the back porch and sat down, our favorite song would start.  “Canto De Ossanah” begins with piano, organ and a donkey jawbone.  Like a heart bursting with love, this song pumps for a full minute before letting loose on the main theme, but it’s the transition that is so exciting.  It’s like the curtain gets pulled back and you realize you’re alive again.  I’m not being dramatic about this.  This song is really that good.  It will let you forget about your garbage week and help you remember that you have a lot of good things in your life to enjoy.  This is why we listen to music, these types of songs.
   

            After this song, it’s just like coasting down a mountain.  I have always been a fan of songs that move quickly, but are still quiet.  Walter does this style so well.  “Sambao” is a nice example of this.  Listen to the drums.  It takes years to master this kind of stuff.  It also has some cool background vocals that are not really sung, or spoken, but more whispered.  It goes “Ahhhhh,” with a heavy emphasis on the “H” sounds.    

                 I briefly have to mention the song “Wait until Dark.”  It is the only vocal on the record and it is pretty darn hokey to me.  The music is nice, but the lady singing, Marge Dodson, sounds like a cocktail singer, and not in a good way.  It’s bad, but it’s entertainingly bad, so I always just smile and give it a pass.

                

Tones:  Walter’s organ tones are soft, percussive, and almost bell like.  Nothing ever cuts.  It’s easy to forget he’s playing with two hands and two feet as well.  Although he is know primarily as an organ player, he also uses an electric piano on “Sensuous.”  What a warm and inviting sound he gets out of that thing.   

Price Paid:  $3.00 at an antique store that has a ton of records, however many are hit or miss.  Over the past few years they have steadily raised their prices from $3.00 to $5.00 to $7.00.  I told my buddy Dave (who has a very different record collection than mine, but is excellent just the same) about this and he said “For $7.00 I want them clean and alphabetized.”  I think that is very fair. 

Cover Note.  This one has a great colorful painting that wraps around all the way to the back.  There are flowers and birds and peppers and I think a dog.  It’s wonderful. 

Bottom Line:  I do a see a lot of Walter Wanderley as I shop, but this one does not pop up too often.  Knowing how much I like it, I would probably pay up to $7.00 if I needed to replace it.  More people should know about how good Walter's music is, so if you see any of his other stuff, go ahead and pick it up, especially if it’s on the cheap.  Buy it and have your own “Secret Friday.”