Cherry Red Records João Gilberto

The third album in João Gilberto’s trilogy of blueprints for bossa nova, following his celebrated 1959 debut, Chega de Saudade (ACMEM179CD) and its sequel, O Amor, o Sorriso e a Flor (Love, a Smile and a Flower) (ACMEM201CD) which followed a year later.

Produced by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Walter Wanderley, “João Gilberto” combines a splendid bossa nova repertoire of Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes and Carlos Lyra originals such as Insensatez (How Insensitive), Este seu olhar (That Look You Wear) and Voce e eu (You and Me) with Gilberto’s interpretations of songs from Brazil’s musical past; Saudade de Bahia (Longing for Bahia) and O Samba da minha terra (Samba of My Land) by Dorival Caymmi, and Geraldo Pereira’s Bolinha de Papel (Little Paper Ball).

The performances of these enchanting songs display the full range of João Gilberto’s singular style; the intimate voice and his innovative, linear approach to the guitar that revolutionized Brazilian music and the international pop scene. Our edition comprises the original (long out of print) “João Gilberto” album supplemented by performances of songs from the trilogy by such important and diverse con-temporaries as Carlos Lyra, Walter Wanderley, Leny Andrade, Oscar Castro Neves, Agostingo dos Santos, Sylvia Telles, Lucio Alves, Maysa and Jon Hendricks.