📣 News Sergio Mendes Documentary (In the Key of Joy)

[Steve Sidoruk]

Sergio Mendes Interview: The Making of a Music Maestro

One of the most internationally successful Brazilian artists of all time, Sergio Mendes remains as vital and relevant today as when he exploded on the scene in the 1960s with his group Brasil ’66...

smashinginterviews.com

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

If your local PBS station hasn't scheduled the Sergio DOC yet, you can get a PBS Passport and stream it. A Passport is minimally a $5/month donation, which will also give you access to their other programs as well. You can always opt out afterwards and cancel your Passport membership.

We watched last night and it was very good, but will take another view, probably today. Did have quite a few clips that I had never seen before and well worth the look, as I have been a Sergio fan since I saw them open for Herb & TJB, August 12, 1966, at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut.

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

The DVD of Sergio's IN THE KEY OF JOY is now available exclusively via Sergio's organization https://sergiomendesmusic.com/shop/ - only in the U.S. initially. $25.00 for the DVD, $50.00 if signed.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I just ordered a copy. I would prefer a blu-ray, but DVD will suffice....I went for the unsigned version, since I still hold out hope of getting an in-person autograph....someday...

 

[Harry]

Likewise - I jut ordered the DVD, too. And of course a random check of the TV listings has the one-hour condensed version on PBS Tampa Friday night at 10 PM.

 

[lj]

I recently became a PBS member and at my financial level of support was offered the Sergio Mendes doc. DVD--the complete show, I enjoyed seeing the video which had excellent production values and excellent color going back to the late 1960s. I especially enjoyed a video of Sergio and Brasil 66 performing "One Note Samba" and "Spanish Flea" with Lani and Janis sitting on Sergio's piano in the same mini dresses as seen from their "Look Around" album. Also enjoyed seeing a video clip of Sergio's 1972 home recording studio in Encino with Geri Stevens and Gracinha on the vocals performing "Viramundo". All in all, to my satisfaction the video quite well covered Sergio's early days and then the Brasil 66 and 77 era. My interest waned after that, that is, his musical career post Brasil 77.

 

[TulitaPepsi]

The DVD is out and available?

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

YES! Did you read above posts? Available now only via Sergio's site.

 

[Harry]

My DVD's on order, but I gave a few minutes to the PBS version last evening. I started it right at 10 PM and watched for about 5 minutes and dozed off - not that it wasn't interesting, it was just my normal bed time and I was sleepy and Sergio's music often relaxes me.

I woke up at about 10:30 and Lani was telling the story of leaving the group because she was in love with Herb. Gracinha was introduced next and I was struggling to stay awake, so I turned it off, secure in the knowledge that the DVD was on its way.

(Hey - Sergio's Live album was released on Sleepy Night Records!)

 

[lj]

The DVD is out and available?

I'm guessing that the DVD will at some future date be available from the Walmart or DeepDiscount websites at a real low sales price. After all, the "Herb Alpert Is" documentary DVD is currently selling for $13.99 and $14.38 respectively from the above websites.

 

[Harry]

I don't mind spending a few extra bucks on the "shop" site. I've gotten enormous pleasure from all-things-Sergio over the years and have been given many a promo album where the artist got nothing.

 

[Rudy]

Buying right from the artist's site always results in more money going to the artist. Given how poorly artists are treated by their record labels with some making only a pittance on their recordings, buying direct helps keep them creating new music. I certainly didn't need a colored-vinyl autographed copy of the Mavericks En Espanol, but all the money above cost went right to the band. And this was after getting the download from Qobuz. So many bands now, who are not on major labels, are doing this. And if it's vinyl, it is often a special edition not available from retailers.

 

[Harry]

I enjoyed the full movie. The DVD arrived yesterday and I had a chance to watch it this morning. Great stuff.

A couple things struck me as I watched. There was a nice segment on Gracinha and Sergio getting together, and during that segment there was a nice filmed video of young Gracinha singing "Like A Lover (O Cantador)" in Portuguese. I'd love to have that recording. Another segment a little later had Sergio singing "Cancao do Nosso Amor", but Gracinha was also doing a verse on vocal. Again - I'd love to have that recording.

 

[lj]

The guy providing the musical accompaniment for "O Cantador" was the composer of the song-- a young Dori Caymmi.

 

[Harry]

The guy providing the musical accompaniment for "O Cantador" was the composer of the song-- a young Dori Caymmi.

Yeah, I thought so. I'm just wondering about the recording. It's not on Gracinha's one album that I know of.

 

[TulitaPepsi]

YES! Did you read above posts? Available now only via Sergio's site.

Just ordered it, thanks! 😀

 

[TjbBmb]

Is it worth getting if you’ve seen the tv version?

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Mine showed up today. I hope to watch it over the weekend but we are getting ready for a vacation so it may have to wait. It was pretty cool to have the return address on the package say "Sergio Mendes."

 

[Harry]

TV version is something around 58 or 59 minutes.

DVD is 89 minutes.

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

My DVD says Runtime is 96 minutes, so there's an extra half hour plus.

 

[Harry]

Steve is correct. I was going on a falty memory... It's longer, it's better.

 

[Rudy]

It's betterer faster morer!

 

[Harry]

Mine showed up today. I hope to watch it over the weekend but we are getting ready for a vacation so it may have to wait. It was pretty cool to have the return address on the package say "Sergio Mendes."

And the weather forecast for your vacation is "spectacular, with a chance of fabulous"

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I definitely noticed that!

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

Sergio's IN THE KEY OF JOY will air on NBC Peacock on December 30th.