The first of several tribute albums issued just after
Antonio Carlos Jobim's death, this one generally sticks to his most famous songs as interpreted by several Brazilian and American artists from PolyGram's archives.
Jobim himself appears on such obvious choices as the best-selling
Stan Getz,
João Gilberto, and
Astrud Gilberto hit "The Girl from Ipanema," and with
Astrud on "Agua de Beber" and "Dindi," and again with
Elis Regina on an "Aguas de Marco" that nearly breaks up with laughter. The American contributions are a mixed bag;
Sarah Vaughan's "Corcovado," for example, is rather inappropriately overwrought but
Wes Montgomery's "Insensatez" is a beautiful recording, with
Jobim's favored arranger,
Claus Ogerman, in top wistful form. The other jazzers on the CD are
Billy Eckstine,
Ella Fitzgerald,
Oscar Peterson,
Shirley Horn, and
Dizzy Gillespie, proving that
Jobim's timelessly aching music attracted quite a diverse cross-section of admirers. ~ Richard S. Ginell