Sergio and the Critics

[TulitaPepsi]

Sergio's arrival in NYC (opening night at the Blue Note tomorrow! YESSS! ) coincides with Caetano Veloso's appearance at the Beacon Theatre on November 22. Great news for Brazilian music fans who can appreciate both artists - yet already some critics have 'taken sides', praising Veloso while snottily knocking Mendes. The New Yorker this week describes Caetano as a "knockout songwriter and perfect charmer who wraps an audience in velvet lyricism and doesn't let it go until mellow Brazilian vibes have permeated the room". No arguement there. But they can't resist a dig at Sergio a few coulmns down: "On the heels of the mid-sixties bossa-nova explosion, the pianist Sergio Mendes and his Brasil ensembles scored a number of hits with covers of such songs as 'The Look Of Love' and 'Scarborough Fair' There are more authentic options ...see Caetano Veloso, above...than this light-handed take on Brazilian pop-jazz, but Mendes' slick vocal and instrumental blend carries its own charm." Could the reviewer be any more condescending?

Gee, no wonder Sergio doesn't come to New York City that often!

 

[Paula]

Frankly, that's a very acurate assessment, and I don't see it as knocking Sergio. Sergio found his own niche and is an excellent musician and arranger, but he is not in the same league as Caetano Veloso.

If it is at all possible, do yourself a favor and catch Caetano's show as well as Sergio's. Caetano's reading of "Stardust" alone is worth the price of admission. However, it is his challenging, thought-provoking, and exciting new music that reaffirms his genius.

Paula, unable to attend any of Sergio's performancces

 

[Rudy]

The only thing I could knock about the review is that it takes the popular "Greatest Hits" view of things, evident in that the two most popular Brasil '66 radio hits are the only songs mentioned. IMHO, there's still a lot of merit to Mendes' "pop" approach to Brazilian music--he's just about the only artist to do it and he still has a loyal following to this day. And from what I've read here, his live shows seem to get better every year.

-= N =-

 

[Brasil_Nut]

The only thing I could knock about the review is that it takes the popular "Greatest Hits" view of things, evident in that the two most popular Brasil '66 radio hits are the only songs mentioned. IMHO, there's still a lot of merit to Mendes' "pop" approach to Brazilian music--he's just about the only artist to do it and he still has a loyal following to this day. And from what I've read here, his live shows seem to get better every year.

Agreed. Taking this approach is limiting at best. His "Greatest Hits" are no longer included (with the exception of Mas Que Nada, which was used to close the show.) Sergio is now playing traditional Brazilian Jazz, quite a few Jobim standards and has added several surprises. Snippets of Boa Boa and other Sergio Mendes Trio/Brasil '65 songs fill the show. Desafinado, Tempo Feliz, A Felicidade and Ela e Carioca -- this is Sergio's current groove and it's awesome!

And, I agree that there's a great deal of merit to Sergio's "pop" approach. Songs such as Balafon, Aquas de Marco and Lapinha sound fresh to this day. Matter of fact, he opened the percussion segment with Zanzibar -- something he hadn't done in San Francisco. Bimbos got Scarborough Fair in place of it.

Point being that Sergio is an outstanding musician, recording artist and band leader. You're so right, Neil -- he does have a loyal following. I haven't been to one Mendes performance that hasn't sold out (and/or had 'em dancing in the aisles -- the mark of a great entertainer.) Why the critics don't write about or notice any of this is a mystery to me.

Jon...the "Brasil Nut"

 

[Rudy]

Jon--this is actually a much broader topic, not with Sergio, but with the press in general. Much of the press sees Sergio as a relic of the 60's and early 70's, with a "comeback" hit in the 80's called "Never Gonna Let You Go." On their radar, an artist like Sergio only had a handful of hits, including the aforementioned song, "Mas Que Nada," "Scarborough Fair", "Look Of Love" and "Fool On The Hill".

Even current artists get this treatment. Just yesterday, in fact, I read a brief metion of Peter Gabriel's new Up CD. This person called it a "comeback". Comeback from what? Gabriel hasn't had a "solo CD" in a decade (titled Us), but that's all the press sees. They don't see the couple of soundtracks he did, or recognize all the work he's done with WOMAD (World Of Music, Arts & Dance, which will be in Seattle this year...hmmm... ) in the interim. The whole idea of "comeback" is that the artist has dropped out of the music scene, fallen on hard times, and is using a new recording as a rebirth of their career. The media thinks that if an artist chooses not to record a major album for five or six years, they're "has-beens", and anything past that point is a "comeback".

The media, as always, has blinders on and only wants to see what they want to see. It perpetuates itself when a reporter from 2003 looks back to 1995 and uses a reference from something reported back then (which could have been shortsighted itself). This is why there's a separate "media' for the music industry, or any other industry for that matter. The 'general' press can be entertaining, but I don't (and shouldn't) expect them to see anything beyond the blindingly obvious.

 

[Brasil_Nut]

The 'general' press can be entertaining, but I don't (and shouldn't) expect them to see anything beyond the blindingly obvious.

Neil,

This is true, I admit, but still frustrating. He usually receives raves following said events. It's the pre-concert reports that pan him, based on reputation. However, as you say, this is the norm. Truth hurts. I guess we can take comfort in the fact that he's a great performer, a legend, and leave it at that.

Jon...the "Brasil Nut"