Sergio & Vanessa

[Cortnee]

Vanessa Williams is a fellow Sergio Mendes fan , and for many years it's been her dream to record and produce an album of Brazilian/Latin music. How about getting Sergio to produce Vanessa's album, and Vanessa can be a guest vocalist on Sergio's next album! She can SING folks! Other guest vocalists should include Gloria Estefan, Skakira, Ihamara Koorax, Ana Caram, Madonna, Mary J. Blige, Cher, Jewel, Sarah MacLachlan, K.D. Lang, Sheryl Crow, Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Linda Ronstadt, Roberta Flack, Dido, Anitya Baker, Chante Moore, and........................

 

[jfiedler17]

Wow! That WOULD be a great Vanessa Williams album, actually! I've never been much of a Williams fan (I have 45s of most of her Top 40 hits, but that's it), but I think she'd sound GREAT doing Brazilian/Latin music, 'specially if Sergio was at the helm! Someone get this project into a studio!

Jeff
... who gets a kick out of sports broadcasters who like to go out of the way to point out that Rick Fox is married to Vanessa ...

 

[Dr. Dave]

Sorry. I disagree.
Sergio's group at present is in no need of a Vanessa Williams, Shania Twain, Mary J. or any other "diva". If Vanessa is a fan, she can do her own Brazilian album. Sergio is far too sophisticated, musically, to be a back-up band for any solo artist, except for his wife who is the real thing! This is not to discredit the two other vocalists in his band who blend in perfectly and solo in the right spots. The world needs to hear Sergio pure and unencumbered by some pop star who never uttered a word in Portugese in her life.
But this is just my opinion.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Sorry. I disagree.
Sergio's group at present is in no need of a Vanessa Williams, Shania Twain, Mary J. or any other "diva".

I agree 100%! This just sounds like a tacky idea and Sergio is better than that, IMHO. This might work for some kind of charity event, but I think Sergio is better suited for unknown singers who are given a chance to do something special. Just because some big names get together doesn't always end up with magical results.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[jfiedler17]

While I like the idea of a Brazilian album by Vanessa ('specially if Sergio produced it), I kinda agree that the idea of a Sergio album with a dozen big-name guest vocalists might be a bad move artistically. Case in point: look what's happened to Santana. Not that Santana doesn't still make good records ("The Game of Love," for instance, is as about as dynamite a pop single as anyone can ask for) and re-energized their career BIG time, but they've lost quite a bit of credibility in the process, and even the most generous critics have still pointed out that the singles have very little that's "Santana" about them. (Of course, Mendes' two Top 40 hits in the '80s weren't Brazilian in the slightest, but using Joe Pizzulo over some established-name singer kept some credibility to the proceedings ...)
And - while following Santana's example would be the most likely way of getting Sergio's name back on the Hot 100, which, admittedly, would be pretty cool - I'm thinking a Sergio album where every cut's got a "featuring ______" tag on it might reek of "sell-out."

Jeff

 

[HiFiEER]

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[Brasil_Nut]

Agreed with everyone in regard to Sergio going it alone!

Let's face it: Sergio is best in his own light. I've never been particularly fond of projects where he uses several different singers. Like most Mendes fans, I miss the good old days of an established group -- a group who tours and records together -- something tangible that you can identify with Mendes on and off the stage.

That said, I agree with Dr. Dave. It's about time that Gracinha recorded another solo album with Sergio at the helm. Not a Sergio Mendes album, per se, but a Gracinha Leporace solo project -- something all her own.

I hope that Sergio's (hopefully) current project includes the same band and vocalists he's been working with for the last five or six years. They are incredible on stage. They would be sensational (given the right material) on CD.

Just a thought.

Jon

 

[HiFiEER]

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[jfiedler17]

I would like to see Sergio co-produce with Tommy LiPuma and with Al Schmitt engineering. I just love Al's recording work and the way he brings voices out front. He's a dream engineer for any vocalist. Give a good listen to the latest Natalie Cole and Diana Krall releases. The guy is just Awesome!!!

Agree wholeheartedly! The engineering job on the last Cole and Krall albums is absolutely phenomenal. I can't remember the last album he's helmed that I listened to where I wasn't blown away by the engineering work.

 

[Brasil_Nut]

You know, Sergio is known for using cutting edge technology when it comes to studio recording. Heck...he even has an amazing stage presence, due to his road engineers!

As Janis Hansen once told me, the first three Brasil '66 Lps were recorded using Neve Boards and 2" tape. To quote Janis:

"...Listening to the recording technology used at Western and Sunset Sound, I am struck again by the depth of sound and resonance that the engineers were able to command."

I couldn't agree with her more!

Jon

 

[HiFiEER]

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