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.

Esquivel "More of Other Worlds, Other Sounds" (1962)

                If this was the late 1960’s, I would have loved to catch an Esquivel show in Las Vegas.   There is a good chance that I would have been so thrilled to hear those arrangements that I would have had, what my Pop refers to as, “A Big Shit Eatin’ Grin” on my face.  Esquivel’s music is so electric and full of life.  It’s loud, bombastic, and it’s very strange.  If you ever come across one of his LP’s and look at the song titles, you may think, “I’ve heard all of this before.”  This may be true, but not like this you haven’t.

                “The Breeze and I” is one of those songs that pops up on countless records from the 50’s and 60’s.  It’s one of my favorites, mainly because it has such a memorable melody with a fantastic range.  It starts low and soars to well over an octave, pushed by explosive horns and sheets of piano glissandos.  Esquivel’s version also changes rhythm several times until it finally feels like you have taken flight by the end. 

                A buddy of mine turned me onto Esquivel a few years ago, and I’m so glad he did.  It’s rare that you find music where the personality of the arranger is so embedded in the music.  Just look at the picture of this guy on the back cover with his crazy, space-age, horn-rimmed glasses.  The music sounds like this guy looks.  His piano playing is also an integral part of sound.  It’s truly sailing.  I have never heard triplets and 16^th notes played this perfectly before.  It’s like a color guard waving flags over a rhythm, or throwing a laughing child into the air.  This is fiercely relaxed concentration.  It’s one of a kind. 

                

                One of the defining instruments on most of the Esquivel records I have heard is the (non pedal) steel guitar.  It makes me so happy that it is on here because I love the sound so much.  Whether it is country, Hawaiian, or any other kind of music, I just love it.  The nice thing about these arrangements is how the steel is used.  Sometimes it’s just a sound effect, or a two bar line, but it adds so much.  Check out the lick about three quarters of the way through “Street of Dreams.”  It’s gone before you know it.  It’s like you are in the middle of a wonderful day, and at some point you see a good friend in his car, waving at you and honking his horn.  It wasn’t the defining quality of the day, but golly it was a nice addition that made you smile from ear to ear.  My son loves a steel guitar too.  He has a ball playing the one I have laying around here. 

                Esquivel records are also major “ping-pong” records.  They bounce around the room like an overly sugared child (not mine of course.)  They are really made with headphones or a great stereo in mind.  On a strange note, I have a copy of “Strings Aflame” that is a mono pressing.  It lacks some of the pizzazz of my other Esquivel records.  I highly recommend listening to the stereo albums with headphones if you haven’t.  I also played this record for my buddy Frank, and the stereo movement impressed the heck out of him.  He had that same “Grin” I mentioned earlier. 

Tones: What a wonderful collection of sounds.  The wordless/sound effect vocals (ex. POW!!!, and ZHOO ZHOO ZHOOO) are just good clean fun.  The brass is on fire and bright as a flashbulb. 

Cover Note:  Perhaps not the most exciting Esquivel cover, but still neat.  The contrast on the face makes the woman look almost alien.  That’s some pretty dark eye makeup too.

Pride paid:  I just read on Allmusic.com that this is “Traditionally the most sought after and highest valued Esquivel record.”  I got mine for $2.00 at the Florida Fairgrounds Record Show!  Now I like it even more.  It feels so good to get a good record for cheap.

Bottom Line:  This one will impress your friends and is great for a party.  Esquivel records are apparently getting harder to find, but this one just fell in my lap, so they are out there.  I’ll let you make your own decision on what to pay, but rest assured the music is exceptional and a welcome addition to any collection. 

One last thing.  I just reread this and realized I mentioned smiling three times in this write up.  Buy this if you wanna smile.  J

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.” 

Solid State Record "Percussive Mariachi" Arranged and Conducted by Ted Sommer (1967)

 

              I have been attracted to these Solid State record jackets for a while now.  My buddy Vic and I are lovers of old Command Records, and I feel like while much different, these are in the same vein.  It’s a pretty safe bet that if something has geometric figures on the cover and the words “percussive” or “percussion,” then there is a good chance it will be good.  I just bought a record called “Hawaiian Percussion” by Billy Mure based on the same criteria, and it worked out great for me.

                I have found very little information on the Solid State record company, but their claim to fame was recording with solid state gear.  It was specifically for home Hi-Fi’s that utilized the futuristic (and presumably magic) transistor.  “NO TUBES WERE HURT DURING THE MAKING OF THIS RECORD.”  I actually made that quote up, but based on the album notes, these guys were serious about their transistor equipment.  Funny how things change.  Tubes are back in style these days in a big way.  Today, saying your stereo has transistors in it is like saying your car has wheels on it.     

                But how does it sound?  Really great, actually.  It’s super clean and has nice separation.  Some of the low notes the brass section plays will actually rattle your chest deep into the lungs, if played at high volume.  The marimba parts are clean and plucky and the drums are crisp and dry.

                One thing that should be noted is that it does kind of sound of like a Herb Alpert record.  In 1967, Herb was all the rage, so there were lots of "cash in" albums done in his style.  I love Herb Alpert, so this is not really a bad thing for me.  My wife loves the song “If I Were a Rich Man,” and with all of its tempo changes and marimba virtuosity, it’s a great choice.  Ole Herb did this tune on his “What Now My Love” record and she pointed out how cool it was then.  Now she sings it with a kind of “doo doo doot doot doot” kind of sound that I find very pleasing.  Maybe I’ll make her record it for my personal files.

                On an odd note, every time I look at the record cover I think it says “Progressive Mariachi.”  What the heck would that sound like?  I am actually quite intrigued.  It could be awesome, with serious jazz dudes wearing Mexican hats, just tearing it up with fast complex horn lines and harmonies.  Or, it could be somethin’ awful.  I also picture fat metal kids in black t-shirts with 7 string guitars tuned to C#.  They may even play Randall amps.  Those are transistor based…Right?

                Side two kicks off with not one, but two songs from the Black Orpheus soundtrack!  If you haven’t heard Luiz Bonfa’s recording of these songs, just go find them and dig in.  Vince Guaraldi’s versions are great too.  There is a neat percussion sound in “Samba De Orfeu’ that the liner notes calls "pitched cow bells".  It sounds like someone hitting an expensive pan made of both glass and metal.  “Carnival” is also great and played much faster than the more somber renditions I have heard in the past.   Has anyone ever seen the movie Black Orpheus?  I got a get a paragraph in on this. 

                What a strange movie from Brazil.  My wife and I watched this one afternoon before our son was born.  I think we ate BBQ chicken pizza, which my wife no longer cares for, but I would like to have again sometime.  Anyway, the movie has this little dancing kid with a tambourine that follows Orpheus around.  Dang this kid is awesome.  He’s probably 65 now, but I’d still love to meet him.  I tried dancing around the house like him for a few days, but surprise, it did not have the effect I was looking for.  I’m going to go and get my tambourine and try again right now.  Hold on……………………………………………………………………Dang!  I still can’t do it.  If you haven’t seen Black Orpheus though, you should.  So many Jazz and Bossa Nova dudes played the songs from the soundtrack that it’s cool just to say you saw it.  My wife and I still talk about it.  It’s weird and has subtitles though, so don’t watch it when you just need to veg out. 

Tones:  There is an interesting instrument on a few songs called a buzzimba.  Without hearing it, I would think that would sound like a marimba running through a fuzz box, but I am wrong.  To me it sounds bit like a tuned car horn.  Maybe that mixed with a bit of percussive moog.  There is also an ondioline (the ubiquitous ondioline!) on one track, and an electric clavichord on another.  Ondiolines are pretty sick too.  I like just about everything I hear outta them. 

Cover note:  Solid State Records had very similar covers when they were first starting.  This one is mostly white (which I have always loved) and has a picture of an everlasting gobstopper from the original Willy Wonka painting on it.  It’s very eye catching.  Tell me it doesn’t look like this:

Price Paid:  $2.00 from that same record table at the Central Florida Fairground Record show.   I cleaned up that day. 

Bottom Line:  This record won’t change your life, but is great for a sunny Sunday afternoon.  The song list is cool and you may get some different versions of stuff you already like.  If you see it for $1.00-$4.00, snatch it up!   

Xavier Cugat "VIVA Cugat!" (1961)

                In my effort to play at least 200 records for my son before his 1^st birthday, I have mostly focused on mellow albums.  For obvious reasons, these seem to go over much better.  Early on I did attempt to play him “Axis: Bold as Love” and “Rocket to Russia,” however neither went well.  As a result, my record shopping has leaned more towards the Exotic/Lounge/Hawaiian/Easy Listening genres as of late.  I didn’t really know what to make of this record, but the song titles looked good and I always like it when there is a layout of the instrument placement used for the recording inside the gatefold. 

                “Jungle Concerto” kicks off this record, and much to my surprise, it’s straight up Exotica!  The horns are blaring, the flutes are fluttering and a phalanx of percussion is moving at quite a fast clip.  Judging by the cover, I thought this would be more of a Latin record, and there is a large element of that, but Exotica seems more pervasive.  What I really like about this is how the Latin and exotic elements mix together.  Nothing seems forced, and it makes for an original sounding record.  Also, the strings are not too syrupy, which can sometimes make these albums real sleepers. 

                Speaking of strings, I cannot neglect to mention “Island of Capri.”  Holy Moly.  This one will tear your heart out.  The way the strings play that same pattern over and over just gets me.  You have to wonder if the string guys knew they were playing on something special.  I pretty much always listen to side one and give this one an extra spin. 

Tones:  One thing I love about these Mercury: Perfect Presence Sound Series records is their clarity.  They are easily on par with Command Records.  I love how the percussion sounds like it was recorded with a microphone placed far away.  It’s a nice touch that lets you really hear and feel the studio they were in. It’s so beautiful and gives you so much presence.  What the heck ever happened to this?  What is with people miking things so closely nowadays?  I also like the Spaghetti Western sound the guitar has.  It’s not that style, but it is that sound. 

Cover Note:  Like I said, it’s very Latin.  Bongos, Congas, Maracas, and Scratchers are all over the place.  It may not be the best cover ever, but the jacket is high quality and has extensive song notation.  It also has a cute little cartoon sketch of Xavier Cugat on the inside. 

Price paid:  Mine has a $.99 sticker on it, but I seem to remember paying $5.00.  I got it from one of my local record sale guys who sets up in his back yard every few months.  I think $5.00 was fair, but I wouldn't pay more than that. 

Bottom Line:  Not an all time classic, but a very good record and worth it for “Island of Capri.”  I have also seen it at other sales, so I wouldn't pay more than $5.00 if you find it.  You should be able to find it at a good price if someone isn't trying to gouge you.