Aqua do Brasil
Well-Known Member
Dear Forum members,
About Sergio’s TRADEMARK BRAZILIAN-AMERICAN sound:
In a interview on Dutch radio the question was;
Can you described the Sound of Sergio Mendes and Brasil 88?
Sergio’s answer was: It’s hard to describe a sound, it’s the same as to describe a painting, very hard, I LEAVE THAT UP TO THE PEOPLE WHO WRITE, i just call my music SERGIO MENDES AND BRASIL 88.
And thats my point!
I think Sergio is great in arranging and performing in his impeccable piano-style and he has incredible fine ear for music and sound and is a visionary musician. Therefore all his albums are different from each other.
Music is an international language he told the interviewer and his sound is a combination of good-timing, the right musicians, producers A&R persons at the right time and certainly the COMPOSERS and their songs.
So, I try to analyze in a short ALBUM JOURNEY ’ what I mean.
The first two A&M albums, Herb Alpert presents Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66 and Equinox has a highly Antonio Carlos Jobim flavor and especially Equinox has a Marcos Valle Flavor.
The following two: LOOK AROUND and FOOL ON THE HILL was a mix of his than starting well known trade mark easy listening BRAZILIAN /AMERICAN sound (Bacharach and Edu Lobo/Dori Caymmi) sound orientated and lost some of the Jobim influence. With great influence by Dave Grusin.
On the next 3 albums: YE-ME-LE, CRYSTAL ILLUSIONS AND STILLNESS,
he continued the mixture of American/Brazilian style reperoire in an easy listening format with the exception of STILLNESS as a more ‘nature-concept’ world-orientated folk sound with of course the Brazilian touch.
The last two (first period) A&M albums were diferent;
PAIS TROPICAL the more tight combo-orientated album without Lani Hall and with a prominent role for KARIN PHILIPS as lead vocalist with 50/50 American/Brazilian songs and augmented with a strong horn section (Tom Scott as the arranger) and the arranged strings by Dave Grusin.
And his last album for A&M, the rare but interesting PRIMAL ROOTS album.
Sergio get back to stayed true to his roots,
The PRIMAL ROOTS album with the help from keyboard jazz great arranger CLARE FISHER (Promise of a fisherman) and the percussion legend AIRTO MOREIRO (the first and last time on a Sergio Mendes recording) plus the late JULIUS WECHTER on marimba.
By the way CLARE FISHER arranged Sergio’s ARRIVAL album on Atlantic amongst others (Bob Florence and Dick Hazard) and Clare Fishers’band members of the mid ninenties, singer Angie Jarree (sung on ARARA) and percussionist Kevin Richard toured with Sergio in 1996.
Centerpoint on the album is the CIRCLE SONG (Joga de Roda}by EDU LOBO, who was is still a fave in the repertoire choice from Sergio but this song was the last Lobo song Sergio ever recorded.
Than the Bell rings after Sergio leaves A&M for the first time the two following Bell recordings LOVE MUSIC and VINTAGE 74:
Bell records, a middle of the road music company headed by Larry Utall (Herb Alpert
& Jerry Moss produced records for a former Larry Utall label in their pre-A&M years).
LOVE MUSIC:
a complete non-BRAZILIAN song album with arranging help from Bob Alcivar who played also keyboards on the record and production and sound by the legendary BONES HOWES (engineer on Herb Alpert presents Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66, and producer on the first A&M ALESSI BROTHERS album and the wonderful 1967 MAGIC GARDEN album from the FIFTH DIMENSION with JIMMY WEBB as aranger/ composer).
VINTAGE 74:
A mixture of Brazil / American tunes with two ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM tunes with one of his last appereances at guitar on a recording and Dave Grusin who handled the arrangements and Bob Alcivar who handled the vocal arrangements. A stronger album than LOVE MUSIC with more STEVIE WONDER material and some electric guitar moments by the than young talented Sergio’s group member Lee Ritenour.
Than the 5 ELEKTRA Albums: the least unsuccesfully recording period from a commercially point of view:
Sergio Mendes 1975, Sergio Mendes and the New Brasil 77, Homecooking Brasil 88 and Magic Lady.
Sergio Mendes 1975: a highly Soft Soul/Easy listening orientated album with no Brazilian flavor at all, well crafted and the last complete Grusin arranged album who also co-produced the whole project.
With songs among others by Stevie Wonder, Benard Ighner and the late Linda Creed.
SERGIO MENDES and the NEW BRASIL 77:
Highly Soul/Funk-orientated LA-funk studio production record. The album with Pele and the soccer team cover.
Sergio’s group was 12 members in total included Sergio who was the referee at the picture. I visited a concert by this combination in 1977 with funky-spacy keyboards performances by Sergio and a two drummers four percussion-three female singers-one bass and one guitarist line-up. They played the swinging groovy THE REAL THING Stevie Wonder tune for the first time in March 1977 (the record was released in may 1977). Stevie played also keyboards on this album and another song he composed on the record.
HOMECOOKING:
Than came Michael Sembello in and stayed until Sergio’s A&M comeback in 1983 and on Sergio records there was more prominent role for the guitars even in his touring bands.
Michael Sembello (guitarist from the Stevie Wonder supporting band Wonderlove) wrote two songs on the album. The album was more a mix of Brazil uptempo wicked tunes and LA-funk studio styles with the upbeat happy EMORIO (Gilbert Gil /João Donato) and great performances by Hermeto Pascoal and the late trombone wizard Frank Rosalino, and the return of Bossa Nova legend composer CARLOS LYRA who lived in LA during that time . Dave Grusin was present on acoustic piano with Louis Johnson on bass on the instrumental SHAKARA. An the Elton John penned Where’s to St Peters. Elton John, who toured with Sergio Mendes and Brasil in 1971 as as young upcoming support act.
BRASIL 88 and MAGIC LADY:
The last albums for Elektra and the return of DICK HAZARD as arranger and co-producer on BRASIL 88 with the Wonderlove members bassist NATHAN WATTS drummer RAYMOND POUNDS and MICHAEL SEMBELLO in a high role and two Dave Grusin arrangements the remake of the WATERS of MARCH the better version IMHO. And the disco orientated MAGIC LADY with again the Wonderlove rhythm section, and a prominent solo saxophone role for long time associate TOM SCOTT. With the song I TELL YOU, a minor Disco entry in Japan and the US charts from 1979, and the return of BONNIE AMARO BOWDEN with her Brazilian husband, guitarist DAVID AMARO.
Especially the BRASIL 88 album meant a lot for me and the song LIFES GOES ON is wonderful as I described in one of my earlier posts.
Up till now this ‘I LEAVE IT UP TO THE PEOPLE WHO WRITE’ (Part one)
Part Two is coming soon!
All the best,
AQUA DO BRASIL
About Sergio’s TRADEMARK BRAZILIAN-AMERICAN sound:
In a interview on Dutch radio the question was;
Can you described the Sound of Sergio Mendes and Brasil 88?
Sergio’s answer was: It’s hard to describe a sound, it’s the same as to describe a painting, very hard, I LEAVE THAT UP TO THE PEOPLE WHO WRITE, i just call my music SERGIO MENDES AND BRASIL 88.
And thats my point!
I think Sergio is great in arranging and performing in his impeccable piano-style and he has incredible fine ear for music and sound and is a visionary musician. Therefore all his albums are different from each other.
Music is an international language he told the interviewer and his sound is a combination of good-timing, the right musicians, producers A&R persons at the right time and certainly the COMPOSERS and their songs.
So, I try to analyze in a short ALBUM JOURNEY ’ what I mean.
The first two A&M albums, Herb Alpert presents Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66 and Equinox has a highly Antonio Carlos Jobim flavor and especially Equinox has a Marcos Valle Flavor.
The following two: LOOK AROUND and FOOL ON THE HILL was a mix of his than starting well known trade mark easy listening BRAZILIAN /AMERICAN sound (Bacharach and Edu Lobo/Dori Caymmi) sound orientated and lost some of the Jobim influence. With great influence by Dave Grusin.
On the next 3 albums: YE-ME-LE, CRYSTAL ILLUSIONS AND STILLNESS,
he continued the mixture of American/Brazilian style reperoire in an easy listening format with the exception of STILLNESS as a more ‘nature-concept’ world-orientated folk sound with of course the Brazilian touch.
The last two (first period) A&M albums were diferent;
PAIS TROPICAL the more tight combo-orientated album without Lani Hall and with a prominent role for KARIN PHILIPS as lead vocalist with 50/50 American/Brazilian songs and augmented with a strong horn section (Tom Scott as the arranger) and the arranged strings by Dave Grusin.
And his last album for A&M, the rare but interesting PRIMAL ROOTS album.
Sergio get back to stayed true to his roots,
The PRIMAL ROOTS album with the help from keyboard jazz great arranger CLARE FISHER (Promise of a fisherman) and the percussion legend AIRTO MOREIRO (the first and last time on a Sergio Mendes recording) plus the late JULIUS WECHTER on marimba.
By the way CLARE FISHER arranged Sergio’s ARRIVAL album on Atlantic amongst others (Bob Florence and Dick Hazard) and Clare Fishers’band members of the mid ninenties, singer Angie Jarree (sung on ARARA) and percussionist Kevin Richard toured with Sergio in 1996.
Centerpoint on the album is the CIRCLE SONG (Joga de Roda}by EDU LOBO, who was is still a fave in the repertoire choice from Sergio but this song was the last Lobo song Sergio ever recorded.
Than the Bell rings after Sergio leaves A&M for the first time the two following Bell recordings LOVE MUSIC and VINTAGE 74:
Bell records, a middle of the road music company headed by Larry Utall (Herb Alpert
& Jerry Moss produced records for a former Larry Utall label in their pre-A&M years).
LOVE MUSIC:
a complete non-BRAZILIAN song album with arranging help from Bob Alcivar who played also keyboards on the record and production and sound by the legendary BONES HOWES (engineer on Herb Alpert presents Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66, and producer on the first A&M ALESSI BROTHERS album and the wonderful 1967 MAGIC GARDEN album from the FIFTH DIMENSION with JIMMY WEBB as aranger/ composer).
VINTAGE 74:
A mixture of Brazil / American tunes with two ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM tunes with one of his last appereances at guitar on a recording and Dave Grusin who handled the arrangements and Bob Alcivar who handled the vocal arrangements. A stronger album than LOVE MUSIC with more STEVIE WONDER material and some electric guitar moments by the than young talented Sergio’s group member Lee Ritenour.
Than the 5 ELEKTRA Albums: the least unsuccesfully recording period from a commercially point of view:
Sergio Mendes 1975, Sergio Mendes and the New Brasil 77, Homecooking Brasil 88 and Magic Lady.
Sergio Mendes 1975: a highly Soft Soul/Easy listening orientated album with no Brazilian flavor at all, well crafted and the last complete Grusin arranged album who also co-produced the whole project.
With songs among others by Stevie Wonder, Benard Ighner and the late Linda Creed.
SERGIO MENDES and the NEW BRASIL 77:
Highly Soul/Funk-orientated LA-funk studio production record. The album with Pele and the soccer team cover.
Sergio’s group was 12 members in total included Sergio who was the referee at the picture. I visited a concert by this combination in 1977 with funky-spacy keyboards performances by Sergio and a two drummers four percussion-three female singers-one bass and one guitarist line-up. They played the swinging groovy THE REAL THING Stevie Wonder tune for the first time in March 1977 (the record was released in may 1977). Stevie played also keyboards on this album and another song he composed on the record.
HOMECOOKING:
Than came Michael Sembello in and stayed until Sergio’s A&M comeback in 1983 and on Sergio records there was more prominent role for the guitars even in his touring bands.
Michael Sembello (guitarist from the Stevie Wonder supporting band Wonderlove) wrote two songs on the album. The album was more a mix of Brazil uptempo wicked tunes and LA-funk studio styles with the upbeat happy EMORIO (Gilbert Gil /João Donato) and great performances by Hermeto Pascoal and the late trombone wizard Frank Rosalino, and the return of Bossa Nova legend composer CARLOS LYRA who lived in LA during that time . Dave Grusin was present on acoustic piano with Louis Johnson on bass on the instrumental SHAKARA. An the Elton John penned Where’s to St Peters. Elton John, who toured with Sergio Mendes and Brasil in 1971 as as young upcoming support act.
BRASIL 88 and MAGIC LADY:
The last albums for Elektra and the return of DICK HAZARD as arranger and co-producer on BRASIL 88 with the Wonderlove members bassist NATHAN WATTS drummer RAYMOND POUNDS and MICHAEL SEMBELLO in a high role and two Dave Grusin arrangements the remake of the WATERS of MARCH the better version IMHO. And the disco orientated MAGIC LADY with again the Wonderlove rhythm section, and a prominent solo saxophone role for long time associate TOM SCOTT. With the song I TELL YOU, a minor Disco entry in Japan and the US charts from 1979, and the return of BONNIE AMARO BOWDEN with her Brazilian husband, guitarist DAVID AMARO.
Especially the BRASIL 88 album meant a lot for me and the song LIFES GOES ON is wonderful as I described in one of my earlier posts.
Up till now this ‘I LEAVE IT UP TO THE PEOPLE WHO WRITE’ (Part one)
Part Two is coming soon!
All the best,
AQUA DO BRASIL
