freeform goodness

If you’re going to spend a lazy Saturday early afternoon lazily soaking in a bathtub, there is no better way to do it than with the music of Astrud Gilberto wafting into the bathroom through a cracked doorway.

Astrud’s a fascinating vocalist. She’s a textbook example of taking a technically limited voice and making the most of it. She’s probably got about a half-octave vocal range, if we’re being honest, and minimal “projection”, but with sheer attitude, sypathetic arrangements (via such legends as João Gilberto, Stan Getz, Tom Jobim, and Gil Evans) and perfect, perfect phrasing, she forged a lasting, if modest, career, singing in the desafinado style. She’s the polar opposite of countrywoman Elis Regina, who was a pint-sized force of nature with pipes to match.

Her musical career was a complete accident: when husband João Gilberto and Stan Getz were in the studio producing their landmark Getz/Gilberto LP, the session producer decided to cut a song with English vocals for commercial crossover reasons, and Astrud happened to be the only Brazillian in the room with strong enough English skills to sing a verse. The resulting single, “The Girl From Ipanema”, was a huge worldwide hit.

The album I was listening to is The Silver Collection, which I suppose is as good a place as any to start. It doesn’t have “Ipanema”, but you can probably find that easily enough elsewhere.

:: Dave Walker 15:06 (EST/EDT) [+]

:: [/entertainment/music]
:: tags: music

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