Tamba Trio: The Sea Is My Soil + For Me

[JOv2]

For connoisseurs of The Sea is my Soil and For Me (of which I'm sure there are many!), of note is the recent CD-release of Quarteto Em Cy with Tamba Trio / Som Definitivo ['66]. The LP has been included on the Quarteto Em Cy comp, Aleluia 1964-66. The original LP release was a Brazil-domestic release. O Mar E Meu Chao and Arrastao were given the unique arrangement stylings of Luiz Eca, and these versions are unlike any others I've heard to date.

 

[JMK]

The mastering leaves quite a bit to be desired, unfortunately.

There are a lot of fans of Tamba Trio (and 4) here; I personally have championed Quarteto em Cy here for years. You may or may not know already that Oscar Castro Neves was married to Regina, who replaced one of the original "Cy" girls, and Oscar did a lot of arranging for the group, as well as for their English language version (two Warner albums circa 1967), The Girls from Bahia.

 

[Moca Flor]

I couldn't resist getting in on this discussion because Som Definitivo is one of my all time favorite albums. When I first got it I listened to it every day for the longest time. I love all the tracks, but my favorites are Aleluia and Vim da Bahia. Eca's arrangements on all the tracks on this album are so innovative, but then I love his work anyway so I'm kind of biased. I actually acquired a really good CD copy of Som, but at the time it was incredibly hard to find. I was going to get Aleluia 64-66 for the other tracks included, but the mastering isn't too hot? Is it worth getting?

 

[JOv2]

I couldn't resist getting in on this discussion...I was going to get Aleluia 64-66 for the other tracks included, but the mastering isn't too hot? Is it worth getting?

I have no issues with the sound quality of the comp. Seriously, no compact disc can match a fine LP pressing; and to try to breath life into crappy CDs I run 'em through a vacuum tube CD player and into a 46-year-old tube amp. Be that as it may, the music is what it's all about anyway; and this music is of excellent quality -- I'd listen to it on a $20 Western Auto phonograph if necessary... You are most correct in that it IS an album to play daily ad infinitum.

 

[JMK]

Well, listen to Track 9 at circa 00:53 for some horrible tape flutter which was not on the original release, just for one example. There are several others that I'll go back and compile and post when I get a chance. I can tell you, having owned the original Elenco releases of the 1964 and 1966 albums excerpted here, the difference is astounding--this release makes the beautiful Cy sisters sound like they're singing inside paper bags. The Elenco releases are brilliantly clear.

 

[JOv2]

Well, listen to Track 9 at circa 00:53 for some horrible tape flutter which was not on the original release...

Good ears, there! Your threshold is clearly higher than mine.

Such imperfections don't bother me in the slightest. Although mentioned that the original release was free from such an adverse sound, pre-1970s music is heaping with imperfections... Every '60s TjB LP, for instance, has very notable engineering oddities. In today's age where most people in the music biz probably couldn't identify an oboe from a vacuum cleaner, it's nice to hear such organic things coming out of my speakers...

Sereiously, returning to your initial concern: I agree in that the re-mastering should have been done with greater care if only to preserve the original sonics. On the other end are the "enhanced" re-masters where they colour the sound or even -- GULP -- re-do parts or use different takes to achieve a "perceived posthumously-preferred" end result. (This happened with one selection on the Beatles debute LP -- John and Paul accidentally sang different words on one verse -- had been that way for 25 years, then for CD release, they re-edited the vocal so they sang the same word. On another song, Paul runs out of air on one harmony note -- on the CD he doesn't! On my Harry Belefonte Returns to Carnegie Hall CD "transfer" they used entirely different performances on two selections! Very disappointing.)

 

[Moca Flor]

I'd listen to it on a $20 Western Auto phonograph if necessary... You are most correct in that it IS an album to play daily ad infinitum.

You're so right. When I was originally looking for Som, it was so hard for me to find that I would've gotten it on 8 Track if I could. Before I got it, I had heard a couple of tracks here and there, and they were so good that I knew it would be worth looking hard for.
I was already a huge Tamba Trio/4 fan, but hadn't heard too much of Quarteto em Cy's material. I fell in love with their voices because of this album. Luiz' arrangements for the music and the girls' voices was just beautifully done, it has a really ethereal atmosphere at certain points. Plus I think the Tamba Trio pretty much always made a great backing band.
I think either I'll get Aleluia or maybe Quarteto's first album, sometimes it's available on Dusty Groove. I really want to get more acquainted with their work anyway, those girls voices are just beautiful.

 

[JMK]

You can't go wrong with any QEC, as far as I'm concerned, even with their subsquent personnel changes. There are several excellent comps out there if you want to hedge your bets. Look for their collaborations with MPB4, their "composer" series with the likes of Milton, Chico, etc. And of course there's their famous collaboration with Baden Powell, though that CD as well has mastering problems (volume fluctuations in this case, which are definitely not on the LP).

 

[JOv2]

Hey, JMK -- How do you rate the sound quality of the Elanco CD transfers? I believe these were all Universal-Japan transfers. I have Quarteto Em Cy ['66]; De Marre De Cy ['67], and Em Cy Maior ['68].

Thanks, Moca Flor -- A dear friend of mine, nearly 80, is a pre-WWII music freak-o. He loves those old 78s. Many actually sound quite good, yet most lack the details that 33 1/3 and open-reel brought to life... I take his side every time the technical quality question comes up:

Excellent music of crappy sound quality is always preferred to crappy music of excellent sound quality​

 

[JMK]

Hey, JMK -- How do you rate the sound quality of the Elanco CD transfers? I believe these were all Universal-Japan transfers. I have Quarteto Em Cy ['66]; De Marre De Cy ['67], and Em Cy Maior ['68].

As I mentioned above, the Elenco (with an E) CDs are as good as you can get, though I actually have the original Brasilian versions. I do think that they migrated later for Japanese release (I may even have some of those reissues, since I tend to double and even triple dip at times), but I want to say they're on BMG/RCA (not near the CD shelves right now so can't check), not Universal. The original Brasilian Elenco's are simply top-notch all the way around. Elenco of course was founded by Aloysio de Oliveira, who many years later produced what a lot of us think is Lani's finest post-'66 album, her beautiful A Braziliera.

 

[Dave]

The one Tamba Trio product I did own had a version of "Pais Tropical", which the CD started off with... It really sounded a lot like how Tamba 4 would emerge and apply the same approach to their records on A&M/CTi...



Dave

 

[JMK]

The one Tamba Trio product I did own had a version of "Pais Tropical", which the CD started off with... It really sounded a lot like how Tamba 4 would emerge and apply the same approach to their records on A&M/CTi...



Dave

That's actually a post-Tamba 4 CD. For the bulk of the group's existence it was a trio--in fact, unless I'm not remembering correctly, the only time they were Tamba 4 was for the 2 CTI recordings. There are a ton of Trio albums/CDs that came after the CTI stuff.

 

[Moca Flor]

Hi JMK,
It's funny that you're mentioning Tamba 4 CTI recordings. I stumbled upon a webpage that lists a bunch of CTI recordings of various artists by day, month and year. As I was scrolling through, I found that the Tamba 4 actually recorded three songs for an unreleased EP on the day I was born (February 4, 1969), so of course I tried to find one of the three. One of the songs was 'California Soul", which I did find. It's different from anything I've ever heard from them before, all electric 60's pop with a brass section, and they sing in English.
But, back to the subject of "Cy", I'm curious about this paricular album called Vinicius/Caymmi No Zum Zum. I figured you or someone in this thread might have it, because the Cy girls contribute vocals, and if you do how do you like it?

JO, that's cool that your friend is so into his music-

 

[JMK]

No Zum Zum is a live album and is quite charming. I'm sure you'd like it.

 

[Moca Flor]

Hi JMK,
You were right-I found No Zum Zum and I love it. I can't stop listening to it. Every time I hear something new by QEC I like them more and more-

 

[Mike]

I was not familiar with Quarteto Em Cy when I read this thread. Out of curiosity I picked up their CD “Tempo Eartista” at HMV in Yokohama yesterday. I just finished listening to it and I have to say that those girls have some great voices and they know how to blend them into some beautiful harmonies.

Regards,
Mike

 

[JOv2]

Mike --

Glad you find their music exciting. With me it was a "one-listen" event...and I was hooked. It's taken a couple years, but I now have all their '60s releases that were transcribed to CD -- with the exception of the two Warner Bros. LPs made for American release.

I'm not sure if they are related (JMK would know), but like with the Free Design and the Beach Boys, there's an addictive quality to their sound. The close-knit harmonies nearly require similar phrasing -- so it's the timbre differences that distinguish the voices (...all the more difficult to tell who's who with the mono transcriptions!). All of their '60s re-issues are wonderful releases exhibiting careful arrangements and thoughtful singing. It's exciting to hear such high quality music -- particularly from the dynamic '60s.

Happy Listening!

 

[Mike]

James, funny you should mention The Beach Boys, it was the first thing to come to my mind while I listened to the CD. I was ready to comment on the similarity but I thought it might sound to corny. I guess I shouldn't second guess myself.

Mike

 

[JMK]

Yes, the original quartet were all sisters. Personnel changes have been abundant through the years, including Regina Wernick (Oscar C-N's ex-wife). Oscar orchestrated a lot of their work in those years.

 

[JOv2]

James, funny you should mention The Beach Boys, it was the first thing to come to my mind while I listened to the CD. I was ready to comment on the similarity but I thought it might sound to corny...

Nothing corny there... "Surf-beat-fun" content aside, the Beach Boys' group singing chops remained unrivaled among the top-40 pop bands of the day. Brian Wilson initially patterned their four-part harmony technique after The Four Freshmen -- and then took it far beyond pop convention of the day via pace-setting arrangements and inventive studio technique characteristic of the mid '60s. I have a recording of a '66 vocal rehearsal: it's fascinating to hear the tight 6-man harmonies rehearsing a 5-second musical fragment, around one mic, over and over while with each pass, Brian continuously coaches each voice. Astounding! One listen to any '60s Quarteto Em Cy recording and it's obvious their "intimate" group vocal chops are cut from a similar mold.