Sometimes it is hard to describe music in the literal sense. Therefore, I find it better to write about how I relate it to feelings I have or the images it conjures in my head. This is the easiest music I could write about because it instantly takes me to beautiful places. In 1967, a Brazilian musician named Antonio Carlos Jobim (pronounced Joe-Beem) made an album called Wave that essentially popularized the genre known as bossa nova. Wave has since become one of my favorite albums ever and one that I listen to on a very regular basis.
Since its release 40 years ago, many have celebrated Wave’s beauty. To be honest, I feel privileged to be one of the only people of my age group to “get it.” To my surprise, I recently discovered an album of Jobim covers done by two of today’s finer avant-garde musicians. One is Ryuichi Sakamoto (Japan) and the other is Jacques Morelenbaum (France). Morelenbaum’s wife Paula provides the vocals for the album. It is titled A Day in New York, and it is quite possibly the sexiest music I have heard in my life. Talk about the perfect music for a nice dinner. WOW!
Over the last several years, I have spent many a night drinking red wine and absorbing the elegant sounds of Jobim. However, what these three have produced with their ode to Jobim (and several others) is just awe-inspiring to me. I have never heard music that makes me feel so good. Well, thanks to my newest addiction (and I mean addiction), youtube.com, I have been able to find many videos of this trio performing these songs. Here is one of my favorites from the set, called “Sabia.” I hope you enjoy it. Oh…I am willing to make a CD for any of you who requests it.
Here is a review I wrote for Jobim's album Wave last year.
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