On Nashville's Fourth Avenue stands the stone fortress-like Schermerhorn Symphony Center, with front and side entrances leading to courtyards and the backstage entrance behind high walls and and iron gate.
This is not the most promising scene to attempt meeting one of one's most admired musical icons after a sell-out performance. The gate would open to allow trucks and limos in and out while guards kept spectators at bay.
About 45 minutes after the crowd had cleared another limo and van pulled up to a front corner door, and out of it strolled Mr. Sergio Mendes. Waiting for him were two young girls, an older couple, a fan who traveled from Alabama, and two middle-aged nutjobs with bags full of album sleeves.
I was one of those nutjobs. Nevertheless, Sergio took the time to sign every album in my collection -- 40 in all -- while commenting on each item for the benefit of the other onlookers. Elated and blessed are hardly sufficient words to describe my state as I write these notes.
Customarily a table is set up for the artists to meet the audience, but this did not happen Friday night (6-8-07) because the merchandise did not get shipped to the venue on time.
There was a reason the cathedral-like interior was packed to the hilt: due to simultaneous competing events there was a sale on remaining tickets during the last week for -- get this --- five dollars each! Unbelievable. Even with a 3-hour drive each way at today's gas prices this was a bargain.
Imagine a cathedral with organ pipes for a backdrop behind the stage, ceilings high enough for three balconies and a congregation shouting "Sergio, play yo' piano" instead of "amen." It's hard to imagine a more surreal scene.
Sergio's Yamaha Motif 8 keyboard was at far left, followed by the bassist, two percussionists, drums in back, bongo player, guitarist and auxilliary keyboardist. There were two female singers, a rapper and Singer Joe Pizzulo for two songs.
If all that wasn't enough, I met a very nice usherette who kindly gave me her copy of the setlist. Without her help I'd have far less information to impart.
There was no symphony segment, so Sergio and his band played two 50-minute sets with a brief intermission:
SET ONE
The Look of Love/ Fool on the Hill
Pretty World
Roda
Surfboard
Girl From Ipanema
Milarge/ Samba da Minha Terra
Waters of March
So Many Stars
One Note Samba/Spanish Flea
Like a Lover --- bilingual alternating verses
Berimbau/ Consolation --- featuring some impressive cartwheeling and break dancing by one of the percussionists
The Promise of a Fisherman -- with bongo solo
After Sunrise
So Danso Samba -- with tambourine solo and Rapper's mouth percussion antics
SET TWO
Lua Sobernana
Surfboard -- hip hop version
Never Gonna Let You Go -- Joe on lead vocal
Please Baby Don't -- Joe, again
The Frog
Timeless/ Going Out of My Head
Let Me
Voce Abusou
Viramundo/ Magahenha
Mas Que Nada
Encore:
E Menina
Tristeza (Goodbye Sadness)
Downtown Nashville was incredibly crowded, with both a country music festival and a Ted Nugent show within a stone's throw of the venue. After goodbyes and profuse thanks to Mr. Mendes, we took the short walk up to Ryman Auditorium and hung around the backstage alley to watch the underaged trying to charm their way into the bars' back entrances.
Very shortly, Mr. Nugent and his entourage came out of the Ryman and quickly got into their SUV. He's known for dodging crowds when on a tight schedule, but there was no quick exit possible last night.
My friends and maybe five others walked up to the car window and Ted graciously signed some albums and posed for photos with us. Nugent and Mendes one city block apart on a Friday night.
Talk about surreal. Where else but in the music city could that happen?
If there was such a song as the "Kill it and Grill it Samba," I'd be humming it today.
Or perhaps "Catavento Scratch Fever."
JB
This is not the most promising scene to attempt meeting one of one's most admired musical icons after a sell-out performance. The gate would open to allow trucks and limos in and out while guards kept spectators at bay.
About 45 minutes after the crowd had cleared another limo and van pulled up to a front corner door, and out of it strolled Mr. Sergio Mendes. Waiting for him were two young girls, an older couple, a fan who traveled from Alabama, and two middle-aged nutjobs with bags full of album sleeves.
I was one of those nutjobs. Nevertheless, Sergio took the time to sign every album in my collection -- 40 in all -- while commenting on each item for the benefit of the other onlookers. Elated and blessed are hardly sufficient words to describe my state as I write these notes.
Customarily a table is set up for the artists to meet the audience, but this did not happen Friday night (6-8-07) because the merchandise did not get shipped to the venue on time.
There was a reason the cathedral-like interior was packed to the hilt: due to simultaneous competing events there was a sale on remaining tickets during the last week for -- get this --- five dollars each! Unbelievable. Even with a 3-hour drive each way at today's gas prices this was a bargain.
Imagine a cathedral with organ pipes for a backdrop behind the stage, ceilings high enough for three balconies and a congregation shouting "Sergio, play yo' piano" instead of "amen." It's hard to imagine a more surreal scene.
Sergio's Yamaha Motif 8 keyboard was at far left, followed by the bassist, two percussionists, drums in back, bongo player, guitarist and auxilliary keyboardist. There were two female singers, a rapper and Singer Joe Pizzulo for two songs.
If all that wasn't enough, I met a very nice usherette who kindly gave me her copy of the setlist. Without her help I'd have far less information to impart.
There was no symphony segment, so Sergio and his band played two 50-minute sets with a brief intermission:
SET ONE
The Look of Love/ Fool on the Hill
Pretty World
Roda
Surfboard
Girl From Ipanema
Milarge/ Samba da Minha Terra
Waters of March
So Many Stars
One Note Samba/Spanish Flea
Like a Lover --- bilingual alternating verses
Berimbau/ Consolation --- featuring some impressive cartwheeling and break dancing by one of the percussionists
The Promise of a Fisherman -- with bongo solo
After Sunrise
So Danso Samba -- with tambourine solo and Rapper's mouth percussion antics
SET TWO
Lua Sobernana
Surfboard -- hip hop version
Never Gonna Let You Go -- Joe on lead vocal
Please Baby Don't -- Joe, again
The Frog
Timeless/ Going Out of My Head
Let Me
Voce Abusou
Viramundo/ Magahenha
Mas Que Nada
Encore:
E Menina
Tristeza (Goodbye Sadness)
Downtown Nashville was incredibly crowded, with both a country music festival and a Ted Nugent show within a stone's throw of the venue. After goodbyes and profuse thanks to Mr. Mendes, we took the short walk up to Ryman Auditorium and hung around the backstage alley to watch the underaged trying to charm their way into the bars' back entrances.
Very shortly, Mr. Nugent and his entourage came out of the Ryman and quickly got into their SUV. He's known for dodging crowds when on a tight schedule, but there was no quick exit possible last night.
My friends and maybe five others walked up to the car window and Ted graciously signed some albums and posed for photos with us. Nugent and Mendes one city block apart on a Friday night.
Talk about surreal. Where else but in the music city could that happen?
If there was such a song as the "Kill it and Grill it Samba," I'd be humming it today.
Or perhaps "Catavento Scratch Fever."
JB
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