SERGIO On LENO Wednesday Night

[seashorepiano]

It looks like Sergio's using a Fender Rhodes. Nice choice.

 

[JMAR5]

I was looking for Gracinha, but didn't see her. I had no idea she is blonde now. I also didn't recognize Mike Shapiro on the drums. I saw him in concert with his wife Kevyn Lerttau. They were really good

 

[JMK]

Mike and Kevyn have done workshops with my buddy John Stowell, who appears on some of my CDs. He says they're very nice people.

 

[Harry]

The complete TONIGHT SHOW featuring Sergio Mendes is viewable online to those in the US at:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/28722/the-tonight-show-wed-jul-30-2008

Harry

 

[seashorepiano]

Thanks for the link, Harry.

Leno's introduction to Sergio's act, and his words of thanks at the end, were so perfunctory and scripted that it was painfully obvious how clueless he is about Sergio. Who books these appearances?

As for the music itself, not the best cover of "Waters of March" by a long shot (I'll take Jobim's own version on Jobim). I prefer more brooding takes of the song, somewhat slower.

 

[cleveland mike]

While not bad by any means, the Ledisi track of "Waters of March" is the weakest version recorded by Sergio. I much prefer Gracinha and Bonnie on Vintage 74 and Marietta and Carol on Brasil 88. Superior vocals, arrangement, and production on these 1970's recordings. I will give a thumbs up to the addition of the flute in the new release-really adds a lot. Very difficult to do a poor version of such a great song(easily one of my top 5 Jobim compositions), but I can think of two recordings of "Waters" that are just a mess-by two artists that are usually very good. Avoid the Rosemary Clooney(Brazil with John Pizzarelli) and John Pizzarelli(Bossa Nova)versions at all costs.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

it was painfully obvious how clueless he is about Sergio. Who books these appearances?

Actually I thought it was painfully obvious he had run long on previous segments and was short on time. Leno has known Sergio for many years -- I remember him guest hosting when Sergio appeared promoting the ARARA album.

Jay didn't even do the classic talk show move of holding up the album cover. Another reason why artists get a better deal on Letterman -- true, the music guest is still at the end, but Letterman usually talks up the artists for a good minute or more in the beginning of the program, including holding up the cover.

 

[seashorepiano]

Leno has known Sergio for many years -- I remember him guest hosting when Sergio appeared promoting the ARARA album.

Fair enough but, given the way Leno acted, and if you hadn't seen previous Mendes appearances on the show (which I haven't), you wouldn't have guessed he knew Mendes at all.

 

[Dave]

Eh, yes, a copy of Encanto held up to the audience by Leno would'a helped...!!!!!

Soupy Sales did that for A Taste Of Honey (the two-woman Disco/Soul group) who performed two songs on his show, "Boogie, Oogie, Oogie" and whatever that other number is (a remake of an early-'60's song by a Japanese singer/songwriter, Kyu Sakamoto, though it had to be retitled so it would be easy to say)...

So that's one thing that would'a helped... I suppose something like a JACK BENNY PROGRAM appearance would revolve entirely around the guest (and his of course, were entertainers) and he always had them "Do a Number for Us"... Guess someone needs to revive that sort'a medium, though given the quality of a lot of new artists, I guess I would seldom watch it save for that one "Classic" artist in the form of Sergio or Herb...

OK, like the rest of you I also suffered through the show and was mostly out of the room during the commercials and the boring parts and whatever bits I somehow didn't see any humor in... (Though the Green Barbie "ad" was a gas!) --Whoa, a "spoiler" there...?

Sergio did get put on dead-last and I guess nobody seemed interested in his legacy to any great depth the way he was just "thrown on there" like that... ('Specially with that actor getting to play his drums and given time/space for it) --Yow, another "spoiler"...?

"Waters Of March", especially upbeat like that is clearly not the best choice; the Art Garfunkel version easily came to mind... That was actually my first introduction to it on his Breakaway album, so of course I hunted down versions by its original composer, Antonio Carlos Jobim as well as other "authentic Brasilian versions" just to find them true to form, though "The truckload of bricks" and "The car that stuck in the mud" and even "A sling-shot stone" seem like a rather odd storyline, so it seems appropriate to introduce to our current American audiences, though a few lines sung in Protugese by the other singers might'a made this, instead of flacid, more intriguing...

Guess this calls for some "Animosity"...!!! inkshield:



Dave


--And thanks for the "link", from me, too, Harry!!! [Handshake]

 

[JMAR5]

While not bad by any means, the Ledisi track of "Waters of March" is the weakest version recorded by Sergio. I much prefer Gracinha and Bonnie on Vintage 74 and Marietta and Carol on Brasil 88. Superior vocals, arrangement, and production on these 1970's recordings. I will give a thumbs up to the addition of the flute in the new release-really adds a lot. Very difficult to do a poor version of such a great song(easily one of my top 5 Jobim compositions), but I can think of two recordings of "Waters" that are just a mess-by two artists that are usually very good. Avoid the Rosemary Clooney(Brazil with John Pizzarelli) and John Pizzarelli(Bossa Nova)versions at all costs.

The Rosemary/John Pizzarelli album is awful. I don't even know what they were thinking. So many great jazz singers out there and Concord kept promoting someone who basically had lost her voice. I guess it was for the prestige to have Rosie on their roster.