TIMELESS reviews
- Thread starter TulitaPepsi
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Chill out! He didn't say he was making a record with him, did he? Only that he lives up the street. I have people living up the street from me too, but I don't necessarily hang out with them.
Besides -- the speed Sergio works, we'll see the next album in 2016 and Dre might be dead by then.
Besides -- the speed Sergio works, we'll see the next album in 2016 and Dre might be dead by then.
TulitaPepsi
Well-Known Member
Another rave, from NEWSDAY:
Will. i. am boosts Mendes’ groundbreaking album, by Ed Morales
A couple of weeks ago, Brazilian pianist Sergio Mendes appeared on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" to play a 40-year-old bossa nova classic, Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Surfboard." As Mendes played the hypnotic, repetitive melody, something unusual happened: will.i.am, a rapper from the Black Eyed Peas, began scatting over clipped bass lines, and as the song climaxed, Brazilian capoeira dancers and break-dancers took over the stage. A new bossa nova-hip-hop fusion was born.
Mendes' new version of "Surfboard" appears on his groundbreaking new album "Timeless" (Concord Records/Hear Music). Older listeners will remember he led a group called Brasil '66, which popularized Brazilian music in the United States by covering such Beatles' classics as "Fool on the Hill" in the mid-'60s. But the amazing lineup of guest stars - John Legend, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, india.arie, Q-tip, Justin Timberlake and even Stevie Wonder - is what will assure a "Timeless" success.
It all began when will.i.am, a lifelong fan of Mendes', invited him to play on "Sexy," a reworking of Jobim's "How Insensitive" on the Peas' 2003 release "Elephunk." "I liked [will] immediately," Mendes said on the phone from Los Angeles. "I noticed how knowledgeable he was about Brazilian music and how much he enjoyed great melodies. I suggested we make an album together, and he said it would be a dream come true."
While the album's main focus is bossa nova and hip-hop, there are also hints of other Brazilian rhythms, a strong dose of R&B and even a reggaeton remake of Joao Donato and Gilberto Gil's "Bananeira" (Banana Tree), featuring Jamaican dance-hall toaster Mr. Vegas.
Mendes, who grew up listening to jazz, responds to his new surroundings with brilliant flexibility. "When I grew up, I heard Horace Silver, Bud Powell and Art Tatum. Those were the guys that I was trying to get those chords, those changes from," Mendes said.
The haunting echo-y playing backing Badu on "That Heat," a remake of Henry Mancini's "Slow, Hot Wind," is breathtaking. When Mendes teases the subtle wah-wah funk out of his Rhodes keyboard on "The Frog," it makes you think Q-tip should record an entire album in that style. And
the stop-and-start semiclassical riffing on "Surfboard" might send Wu-Tang Clan scrambling for Debussy samples.
"My playing is very percussive, not exactly a lush style," Mendes said. "We did a layering of piano sounds, which I think brought a nice texture to it."
With the exception of two songs co-produced by Mendes, the album is masterminded by will.i.am, who raps on seven of the 15 tracks. Mendes credits him with picking most of the vocalists, and his clear love for fusing hip-hop with melody and harmony is at the heart of the project.
"When I played the songs and listened to will rap to them, I felt the same excitement I did when I made the album with Cannonball and watched him improvise on saxophone," Mendes said. "The main thing is the spontaneity. That's what's exciting for me."
http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/ny-fflat4628618feb19,0,4809569.story?coll=ny-music-print
Will. i. am boosts Mendes’ groundbreaking album, by Ed Morales
A couple of weeks ago, Brazilian pianist Sergio Mendes appeared on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" to play a 40-year-old bossa nova classic, Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Surfboard." As Mendes played the hypnotic, repetitive melody, something unusual happened: will.i.am, a rapper from the Black Eyed Peas, began scatting over clipped bass lines, and as the song climaxed, Brazilian capoeira dancers and break-dancers took over the stage. A new bossa nova-hip-hop fusion was born.
Mendes' new version of "Surfboard" appears on his groundbreaking new album "Timeless" (Concord Records/Hear Music). Older listeners will remember he led a group called Brasil '66, which popularized Brazilian music in the United States by covering such Beatles' classics as "Fool on the Hill" in the mid-'60s. But the amazing lineup of guest stars - John Legend, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, india.arie, Q-tip, Justin Timberlake and even Stevie Wonder - is what will assure a "Timeless" success.
It all began when will.i.am, a lifelong fan of Mendes', invited him to play on "Sexy," a reworking of Jobim's "How Insensitive" on the Peas' 2003 release "Elephunk." "I liked [will] immediately," Mendes said on the phone from Los Angeles. "I noticed how knowledgeable he was about Brazilian music and how much he enjoyed great melodies. I suggested we make an album together, and he said it would be a dream come true."
While the album's main focus is bossa nova and hip-hop, there are also hints of other Brazilian rhythms, a strong dose of R&B and even a reggaeton remake of Joao Donato and Gilberto Gil's "Bananeira" (Banana Tree), featuring Jamaican dance-hall toaster Mr. Vegas.
Mendes, who grew up listening to jazz, responds to his new surroundings with brilliant flexibility. "When I grew up, I heard Horace Silver, Bud Powell and Art Tatum. Those were the guys that I was trying to get those chords, those changes from," Mendes said.
The haunting echo-y playing backing Badu on "That Heat," a remake of Henry Mancini's "Slow, Hot Wind," is breathtaking. When Mendes teases the subtle wah-wah funk out of his Rhodes keyboard on "The Frog," it makes you think Q-tip should record an entire album in that style. And
the stop-and-start semiclassical riffing on "Surfboard" might send Wu-Tang Clan scrambling for Debussy samples.
"My playing is very percussive, not exactly a lush style," Mendes said. "We did a layering of piano sounds, which I think brought a nice texture to it."
With the exception of two songs co-produced by Mendes, the album is masterminded by will.i.am, who raps on seven of the 15 tracks. Mendes credits him with picking most of the vocalists, and his clear love for fusing hip-hop with melody and harmony is at the heart of the project.
"When I played the songs and listened to will rap to them, I felt the same excitement I did when I made the album with Cannonball and watched him improvise on saxophone," Mendes said. "The main thing is the spontaneity. That's what's exciting for me."
http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/ny-fflat4628618feb19,0,4809569.story?coll=ny-music-print
CD review: Sergio Mendes
February 22, 2006
MIXING OLD WITH NEW: Brazilian keyboardist Sergio Mendes finds renewed inspiration thanks to Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas on this 15-song hodgepodge disc. Following the lead of albums by Santana and most recently Herbie Hancock, Mr. Mendes gets recast in a hip – not to mention hip-hop – light as guests Erykah Badu, Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Jill Scott and others blend their talents with his keyboard prowess.
BREEZY AND FUNKY: Largely, Timeless doesn't disappoint. Yes, there's too much of Will.i.am and his Peas at the expense of Mr. Mendes. But the Brazilian's nimble fingers on piano, organ and synthesizer always manage to get heard over funk, hip-hop and even a smidgen of reggaeton. What's more, on a handful of tracks with Portuguese titles, the warm, breezy sounds of bossa nova come through with crystalline clarity.
BOTTOM LINE: If Timeless gets Mr. Mendes some recognition in 2006, a good 20-plus years after his commercial heyday, that's cool indeed. Especially since his talents are timeless.
Mario Tarradell
http://www.wcnc.com/sharedcontent/features/poprock2/022206cckkMUSICMendes.5293f5dd.html
February 22, 2006
MIXING OLD WITH NEW: Brazilian keyboardist Sergio Mendes finds renewed inspiration thanks to Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas on this 15-song hodgepodge disc. Following the lead of albums by Santana and most recently Herbie Hancock, Mr. Mendes gets recast in a hip – not to mention hip-hop – light as guests Erykah Badu, Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Jill Scott and others blend their talents with his keyboard prowess.
BREEZY AND FUNKY: Largely, Timeless doesn't disappoint. Yes, there's too much of Will.i.am and his Peas at the expense of Mr. Mendes. But the Brazilian's nimble fingers on piano, organ and synthesizer always manage to get heard over funk, hip-hop and even a smidgen of reggaeton. What's more, on a handful of tracks with Portuguese titles, the warm, breezy sounds of bossa nova come through with crystalline clarity.
BOTTOM LINE: If Timeless gets Mr. Mendes some recognition in 2006, a good 20-plus years after his commercial heyday, that's cool indeed. Especially since his talents are timeless.
Mario Tarradell
http://www.wcnc.com/sharedcontent/features/poprock2/022206cckkMUSICMendes.5293f5dd.html
Sergio Mendes adapts again
Friday, February 24, 2006
By SOLVEJ SCHOU
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The fusion of hip-hop and bossa nova is certainly not new.
DJ trio Bossacucanova combined dance beats and Brazil's jazz-imbued retro sound on 1999's "Revisited Classics" -- to snazzy, sizzling effect.
"Timeless," bossa nova king Sergio Mendes' first album in 10 years, carries on this burgeoning tradition of urban renewal splashed with elements of Brazilian '60s pop.
It's not necessarily timeless, but it works, and well.
Produced by the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am, the album's layered mix of samba, bossa nova, R&B and rap proves a worthy effort to introduce a new generation of listeners to the world of Mendes, founder of Latin supergroup Brasil '66.
And the departure from 1996's ballad-heavy "Oceano" is apparent for expert arranger Mendes, who has released more than 30 albums during his 40-year career.
"Mas Que Nada," one of Mendes' earliest hits -- recorded in 1966, and revived in "Austin Powers" -- here transforms into a rhythmic ode led by the Black Eyed Peas, who keep the song and it's familiar chorus "funky fresh."
Best new artist Grammy winner John Legend lends his smooth croon, reminiscent of a young Stevie Wonder, to his "Please Baby Don't" and its percussive samba flavor.
Joined by Mendes' wife and longtime vocalist Gracinha Leporace, Wonder in turn spices up Brazilian standard "Berimbau/ Consolacao," a staccato filled number accented by hand claps and originally written by Vinicius de Moraes and guitarist Baden Powell.
Yes, the Peas' will.i.am raps on roughly half of the album's 15 old and new tracks, but contributions from Justin Timberlake, Jill Scott and Black Thought of the Roots represent the true breadth of contemporary guests paying their dues to Mendes on "Timeless."
R&B chanteuse Indie.Arie, with her easy alto and spiritual leanings, seems most comfortable with the breezy genre.
"Kindness is timeless, love is so easy to give," she chants on the title song, guided by Mendes' melody. "It just takes a moment to show somebody that you care."
And she and everyone else on this record are doing just that for Mendes.
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php...lRUV5eTY4ODUwMjAmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkz
Friday, February 24, 2006
By SOLVEJ SCHOU
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The fusion of hip-hop and bossa nova is certainly not new.
DJ trio Bossacucanova combined dance beats and Brazil's jazz-imbued retro sound on 1999's "Revisited Classics" -- to snazzy, sizzling effect.
"Timeless," bossa nova king Sergio Mendes' first album in 10 years, carries on this burgeoning tradition of urban renewal splashed with elements of Brazilian '60s pop.
It's not necessarily timeless, but it works, and well.
Produced by the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am, the album's layered mix of samba, bossa nova, R&B and rap proves a worthy effort to introduce a new generation of listeners to the world of Mendes, founder of Latin supergroup Brasil '66.
And the departure from 1996's ballad-heavy "Oceano" is apparent for expert arranger Mendes, who has released more than 30 albums during his 40-year career.
"Mas Que Nada," one of Mendes' earliest hits -- recorded in 1966, and revived in "Austin Powers" -- here transforms into a rhythmic ode led by the Black Eyed Peas, who keep the song and it's familiar chorus "funky fresh."
Best new artist Grammy winner John Legend lends his smooth croon, reminiscent of a young Stevie Wonder, to his "Please Baby Don't" and its percussive samba flavor.
Joined by Mendes' wife and longtime vocalist Gracinha Leporace, Wonder in turn spices up Brazilian standard "Berimbau/ Consolacao," a staccato filled number accented by hand claps and originally written by Vinicius de Moraes and guitarist Baden Powell.
Yes, the Peas' will.i.am raps on roughly half of the album's 15 old and new tracks, but contributions from Justin Timberlake, Jill Scott and Black Thought of the Roots represent the true breadth of contemporary guests paying their dues to Mendes on "Timeless."
R&B chanteuse Indie.Arie, with her easy alto and spiritual leanings, seems most comfortable with the breezy genre.
"Kindness is timeless, love is so easy to give," she chants on the title song, guided by Mendes' melody. "It just takes a moment to show somebody that you care."
And she and everyone else on this record are doing just that for Mendes.
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php...lRUV5eTY4ODUwMjAmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkz
By MIKE ROSS, EDMONTON SUN
TIMELESS
Sergio Mendes
Universal
4 out of 5
OK, you smart-ass haiku reviewers over at Vue, it's obvious this is the "Santana Syndrome" - has-been gets a career jolt from celebrity collaborations - but what's wrong with that?
Besides, there's a bit more to this than meets the jaded ear. There's a bit more to Sergio Mendes, too. First of all, the name of the Brazilian bossa nova king may be on the cover, but it's clear this project belongs to Will.I.am, a.k.a. William Adams of the ubiquitous Black Eyed Peas. He produces, arranges, performs and hogs a good chunk of this spicy serving of Latin-jazz-pop goodness that Austin Powers wouldn't feel like a complete idiot playing in his swinging bachelor pad. In many ways this record is much better than Santana's latest star-studded cash cow.
Mendes, who dropped off the American popular music radar around the time his famous fan was born (1975), is both the vehicle and the guy just along for the ride. The album is more homage than comeback, at times seeming as if Sergio's music is merely a source of samples - a nice source, mind you, and in fact samples from old recordings are mixed in with new performances - to hang Will's new thing on. Well, there's nothing wrong with that, either. Adams appears to have an ego of obnoxious proportions - 40 seconds into this and he's giving the Peas a plug - but he clearly has the talent and the ear to back it up. (I hope hearing him talk doesn't ruin his music for me - that's called the Bono Syndrome.)
He spindles and mutilates some of Sergio's schmaltzy '60s-era lounge classics like Mas Que Nada (which was used in an Austin Powers soundtrack) with such obvious love, enthusiasm and style it's hard not to get pulled into the party. A lot of it is hip-hopified, sometimes too much in tracks like Surfboard, in which Will's ham-fisted rap of "how this fusion will never fail" ironically makes it fail - but only that once. Other raps and remixes, while sure to irk purists, prove this fusion has merit after all. The excellent grooves are almost enough on their own. You can try, but you can't argue with the bossa nova - and that goes double for the samba.
Special guests add their own love: Erykah Badu's sultry pipes in a recast of Henry Mancini's That Heat, Jill Scott on the Bacharachian Let Me, Indie.Arie in the title track and even - who invited this guy? - Justin Timberlake in the more serious Loose Ends. His wan voice actually works with this light soul tune. Triple Grammy winner John Legend shines on his own song, Please Baby Don't, a self-loathing soul tune given the full bossa nova treatment.
And where's Sergio through all this? Playing his piano, of course, probably smiling the whole time, thinking of all the Grammys he's going to win next year.
TIMELESS
Sergio Mendes
Universal
4 out of 5
OK, you smart-ass haiku reviewers over at Vue, it's obvious this is the "Santana Syndrome" - has-been gets a career jolt from celebrity collaborations - but what's wrong with that?
Besides, there's a bit more to this than meets the jaded ear. There's a bit more to Sergio Mendes, too. First of all, the name of the Brazilian bossa nova king may be on the cover, but it's clear this project belongs to Will.I.am, a.k.a. William Adams of the ubiquitous Black Eyed Peas. He produces, arranges, performs and hogs a good chunk of this spicy serving of Latin-jazz-pop goodness that Austin Powers wouldn't feel like a complete idiot playing in his swinging bachelor pad. In many ways this record is much better than Santana's latest star-studded cash cow.
Mendes, who dropped off the American popular music radar around the time his famous fan was born (1975), is both the vehicle and the guy just along for the ride. The album is more homage than comeback, at times seeming as if Sergio's music is merely a source of samples - a nice source, mind you, and in fact samples from old recordings are mixed in with new performances - to hang Will's new thing on. Well, there's nothing wrong with that, either. Adams appears to have an ego of obnoxious proportions - 40 seconds into this and he's giving the Peas a plug - but he clearly has the talent and the ear to back it up. (I hope hearing him talk doesn't ruin his music for me - that's called the Bono Syndrome.)
He spindles and mutilates some of Sergio's schmaltzy '60s-era lounge classics like Mas Que Nada (which was used in an Austin Powers soundtrack) with such obvious love, enthusiasm and style it's hard not to get pulled into the party. A lot of it is hip-hopified, sometimes too much in tracks like Surfboard, in which Will's ham-fisted rap of "how this fusion will never fail" ironically makes it fail - but only that once. Other raps and remixes, while sure to irk purists, prove this fusion has merit after all. The excellent grooves are almost enough on their own. You can try, but you can't argue with the bossa nova - and that goes double for the samba.
Special guests add their own love: Erykah Badu's sultry pipes in a recast of Henry Mancini's That Heat, Jill Scott on the Bacharachian Let Me, Indie.Arie in the title track and even - who invited this guy? - Justin Timberlake in the more serious Loose Ends. His wan voice actually works with this light soul tune. Triple Grammy winner John Legend shines on his own song, Please Baby Don't, a self-loathing soul tune given the full bossa nova treatment.
And where's Sergio through all this? Playing his piano, of course, probably smiling the whole time, thinking of all the Grammys he's going to win next year.
TulitaPepsi
Well-Known Member
SERGIO MENDES Timeless (Concord)
Labeled a Sergio Mendes album, Timeless is better described as the fruit of a close collaboration between Mendes — the man who helped put bossa nova on the map in the '60s — and Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas, who produced and guest stars on the record. Here, "hip-hop [gets] mixed up with samba," and as gimmicky as that might sound, it works. It doesn't hurt that first-class artists such as Stevie Wonder and Erykah Badu join in on the fun. Updated versions of classic Brasil '66 tunes form most of the release, with brand new tracks — including John Legend's soulful "Please Baby Don't" — rounding it out. Mendes enthusiasts may warm to the introduction of hip-hop to his oeuvre, but it's BEP fans who will be most at home with this LP. Ariana Moscote Freire
http://www.chartattack.com/DAMN/2006/02/2801.cfm
Labeled a Sergio Mendes album, Timeless is better described as the fruit of a close collaboration between Mendes — the man who helped put bossa nova on the map in the '60s — and Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas, who produced and guest stars on the record. Here, "hip-hop [gets] mixed up with samba," and as gimmicky as that might sound, it works. It doesn't hurt that first-class artists such as Stevie Wonder and Erykah Badu join in on the fun. Updated versions of classic Brasil '66 tunes form most of the release, with brand new tracks — including John Legend's soulful "Please Baby Don't" — rounding it out. Mendes enthusiasts may warm to the introduction of hip-hop to his oeuvre, but it's BEP fans who will be most at home with this LP. Ariana Moscote Freire
http://www.chartattack.com/DAMN/2006/02/2801.cfm
TulitaPepsi
Well-Known Member
Big AP interview with Sergio on MSNBC: "Sergio Mendes feels the hip-hop rhythm":
During a recent chat with Mendes on the patio of his Hollywood Hills home, he talked about the inspiration behind the album, working with will and hopes of a new audience discovering his music.
AP: You hadn't come out with a record in 10 years. Why?
Mendes: I was touring, playing all over the world, in the United States ... but I had no kind of motivation to make a record. I made 32 albums, man! (laughs) You know? Give me a break! It was a long break, 10 years. And then I met will, and said `What? Let's go.' That's the kind of thing that's exciting to me. That was really the motivation to do this. So I felt there was something very unique and bold that I'd like to embrace and I'm glad I did.
AP: Did you ever doubt that you would make another album?
Mendes: In the back of my mind, I thought I'd probably do it, but I have to find a motivation to handle the flavor. I'm a very curious person and I love to learn, so I need that energy with working with somebody who likes the same thing. I thought I would eventually do one but I didn't know when, and I wasn't rushing to do one either.
AP: For this project, you went back to some of your classics _ how does it feel to revisit them?
Mendes: It feels great because it's done in a different way. It's like reintroducing a great song. (It's like) you go back and you play `Night and Day' or if you play `Stardust,' ... and you have somebody young like will with young energy and a whole new different aesthetic as how to put that together, which he did. Not only the arrangement, but the editing and the architecture of the song. How do you present that to a kid, to a young audience that never heard that kind of music? He is a master of that. And for me, it's a show _ wow, that sounds fresh. Because you're playing the song ... but the treatment is different.
AP: Was this a specific attempt to get a younger audience?
Mendes: Just by working with will.i.am, of course, naturally, his whole fan base would come to listen and say, `What's will doing working with Sergio Mendes?' It feels great because here I am working with him or John Legend or Erykah Badu, and there's my wife singing, my drummer has been with me for 15 years. Getting together and making great music is such a joy, such a pleasure.
AP: A lot of times when there's a collaboration of an icon with younger artists, the mishmash of sounds doesn't always gel. How do you think your album compares to some of the collaborative albums by some of your peers?
Mendes: It was always fresh, and it was always a great exchange between the old and the new. Nothing was forced. The natural process of the two of us getting together out of our own liking of each other, of our own really respect, I think that's what makes the sincerity of the project. It's not a manipulative record company thinking, you know, well, let's put A and B together. This is like two musicians from different generations, different cultures, different countries, getting together and saying, you know what, let's bring our worlds together.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11628277/
During a recent chat with Mendes on the patio of his Hollywood Hills home, he talked about the inspiration behind the album, working with will and hopes of a new audience discovering his music.
AP: You hadn't come out with a record in 10 years. Why?
Mendes: I was touring, playing all over the world, in the United States ... but I had no kind of motivation to make a record. I made 32 albums, man! (laughs) You know? Give me a break! It was a long break, 10 years. And then I met will, and said `What? Let's go.' That's the kind of thing that's exciting to me. That was really the motivation to do this. So I felt there was something very unique and bold that I'd like to embrace and I'm glad I did.
AP: Did you ever doubt that you would make another album?
Mendes: In the back of my mind, I thought I'd probably do it, but I have to find a motivation to handle the flavor. I'm a very curious person and I love to learn, so I need that energy with working with somebody who likes the same thing. I thought I would eventually do one but I didn't know when, and I wasn't rushing to do one either.
AP: For this project, you went back to some of your classics _ how does it feel to revisit them?
Mendes: It feels great because it's done in a different way. It's like reintroducing a great song. (It's like) you go back and you play `Night and Day' or if you play `Stardust,' ... and you have somebody young like will with young energy and a whole new different aesthetic as how to put that together, which he did. Not only the arrangement, but the editing and the architecture of the song. How do you present that to a kid, to a young audience that never heard that kind of music? He is a master of that. And for me, it's a show _ wow, that sounds fresh. Because you're playing the song ... but the treatment is different.
AP: Was this a specific attempt to get a younger audience?
Mendes: Just by working with will.i.am, of course, naturally, his whole fan base would come to listen and say, `What's will doing working with Sergio Mendes?' It feels great because here I am working with him or John Legend or Erykah Badu, and there's my wife singing, my drummer has been with me for 15 years. Getting together and making great music is such a joy, such a pleasure.
AP: A lot of times when there's a collaboration of an icon with younger artists, the mishmash of sounds doesn't always gel. How do you think your album compares to some of the collaborative albums by some of your peers?
Mendes: It was always fresh, and it was always a great exchange between the old and the new. Nothing was forced. The natural process of the two of us getting together out of our own liking of each other, of our own really respect, I think that's what makes the sincerity of the project. It's not a manipulative record company thinking, you know, well, let's put A and B together. This is like two musicians from different generations, different cultures, different countries, getting together and saying, you know what, let's bring our worlds together.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11628277/
TulitaPepsi
Well-Known Member
Sergio Mendes
Timeless
Label: Concord Records
If you like: Sergio Mendes
Song to download: "Loose Ends"
At first blush, Sergio Mendes' new CD, Timeless, seems a desperate attempt for Mendes, a 65-year-old Brazilian musician, to find fresh legs - much as Carlos Santana has done with his career-rejuvenating collaborations with hot performers.
That assumption would be wrong; Mendes is far from desperate. This album is an assured blend of bossa nova, samba, R&B and hip-hop that manages not to sound cheesy. Mendes has made timeless music in a career that spans more than 40 years - he was the top-selling Brazilian artist in the United States during the latter part of the 1960s. His commercial success cooled in later years, but Timeless finds Mendes re-energized and open to new ideas with no sacrifice of identity.
Hip-hop beats don't overwhelm the album's live-band feel, and the album really takes off when will.i.am of The Black-Eyed Peas - who raps way too much - finally steps out of the way. Some old songs are made fresh; others are entirely new. Regardless, Mendes is making wonderful music.
If this is desperation, it shouldn't sound this good.
- Michael Hewlett
relish staff writer
http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/S...J_RelishArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137834453918
Timeless
Label: Concord Records
If you like: Sergio Mendes
Song to download: "Loose Ends"
At first blush, Sergio Mendes' new CD, Timeless, seems a desperate attempt for Mendes, a 65-year-old Brazilian musician, to find fresh legs - much as Carlos Santana has done with his career-rejuvenating collaborations with hot performers.
That assumption would be wrong; Mendes is far from desperate. This album is an assured blend of bossa nova, samba, R&B and hip-hop that manages not to sound cheesy. Mendes has made timeless music in a career that spans more than 40 years - he was the top-selling Brazilian artist in the United States during the latter part of the 1960s. His commercial success cooled in later years, but Timeless finds Mendes re-energized and open to new ideas with no sacrifice of identity.
Hip-hop beats don't overwhelm the album's live-band feel, and the album really takes off when will.i.am of The Black-Eyed Peas - who raps way too much - finally steps out of the way. Some old songs are made fresh; others are entirely new. Regardless, Mendes is making wonderful music.
If this is desperation, it shouldn't sound this good.
- Michael Hewlett
relish staff writer
http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/S...J_RelishArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137834453918
TulitaPepsi
Well-Known Member
Reviews like this won't help the album, and I guess eventually there would one that manages to be snottily condescending to Sergio AND Herb ("kitsch tropicalia"? Whaaa?!?)
But boy-oh-boy, does he go after W.I.A.! And I have to admit, I laughed at the reviewers latter comments....
Sergio Mendes
Timeless
(Concord)
Reviewed by Nathan Rabin
March 7th, 2006
When Carlos Santana rose from the commercial dead with a little help from his superstar friends and a whole lot of calculation on the part of his label, he gave hope to all legends several decades past their prime. The strategy behind Santana's comeback has been copied by a number of aging stars, most recently venerable Latin musician Sergio Mendes, who hooks up with red-hot Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.I.Am and a rolodex full of Am's famous and talented friends for Timeless.
Mendes and Will.I.Am actually have a great deal in common. Both are proponents of sonic fusion, hopping merrily from genre to genre and sound to sound with little regard for purists. And neither is averse to blatantly chasing album sales and radio play. Many of Mendes' biggest hits were covers of pop songs, while the last two Black Eyed Peas albums consist entirely of commercial jingles masquerading as songs. And though Will.I.Am is best known these days for being an atrocious rapper, garish dresser, and obnoxious celebrity, he's still a gifted multi-instrumentalist and talented producer. Both sides of Will.I.Am's musical personality get a workout on Timeless. He produced the album, and he thankfully only ruins seven of the disc's 15 songs with his terrible rapping. Actually, that's not entirely fair. The surprisingly eloquent anti-war track "Loose Ends" works in spite of his contribution, due to Justin Timberlake's hook and Pharoahe Monch bringing the lyrical heat. So does "Yes, Yes Y'all," thanks to Black Thought and Chali 2Na. But Will.I.Am's inane inducements to party and have fun are thankfully nowhere to be found on the disc's best track, "Please Baby Don't," a lovely, elegant little showcase for John Legend's sophisticated ladies'-man persona.
At its best, Timeless has an airy, effervescent quality, a beguiling smoothness. At its worst, it sounds like a lackluster Will.I.Am solo album that just happens to have Sergio Mendes sitting in on keys. Mendes rose to stateside fame in the '60s by giving mildly adventurous listeners something to listen to once they graduated beyond the kitsch tropicalia of labelmate Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. Kids don't listen much to Alpert or The Tijuana Brass these days, so Mendes' aggressively undemanding comeback seems destined for a long run as pleasant background music in coffeehouses throughout the land.
A.V. Club Rating: B-
http://www.avclub.com/content/node/46079
But boy-oh-boy, does he go after W.I.A.! And I have to admit, I laughed at the reviewers latter comments....
Sergio Mendes
Timeless
(Concord)
Reviewed by Nathan Rabin
March 7th, 2006
When Carlos Santana rose from the commercial dead with a little help from his superstar friends and a whole lot of calculation on the part of his label, he gave hope to all legends several decades past their prime. The strategy behind Santana's comeback has been copied by a number of aging stars, most recently venerable Latin musician Sergio Mendes, who hooks up with red-hot Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.I.Am and a rolodex full of Am's famous and talented friends for Timeless.
Mendes and Will.I.Am actually have a great deal in common. Both are proponents of sonic fusion, hopping merrily from genre to genre and sound to sound with little regard for purists. And neither is averse to blatantly chasing album sales and radio play. Many of Mendes' biggest hits were covers of pop songs, while the last two Black Eyed Peas albums consist entirely of commercial jingles masquerading as songs. And though Will.I.Am is best known these days for being an atrocious rapper, garish dresser, and obnoxious celebrity, he's still a gifted multi-instrumentalist and talented producer. Both sides of Will.I.Am's musical personality get a workout on Timeless. He produced the album, and he thankfully only ruins seven of the disc's 15 songs with his terrible rapping. Actually, that's not entirely fair. The surprisingly eloquent anti-war track "Loose Ends" works in spite of his contribution, due to Justin Timberlake's hook and Pharoahe Monch bringing the lyrical heat. So does "Yes, Yes Y'all," thanks to Black Thought and Chali 2Na. But Will.I.Am's inane inducements to party and have fun are thankfully nowhere to be found on the disc's best track, "Please Baby Don't," a lovely, elegant little showcase for John Legend's sophisticated ladies'-man persona.
At its best, Timeless has an airy, effervescent quality, a beguiling smoothness. At its worst, it sounds like a lackluster Will.I.Am solo album that just happens to have Sergio Mendes sitting in on keys. Mendes rose to stateside fame in the '60s by giving mildly adventurous listeners something to listen to once they graduated beyond the kitsch tropicalia of labelmate Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. Kids don't listen much to Alpert or The Tijuana Brass these days, so Mendes' aggressively undemanding comeback seems destined for a long run as pleasant background music in coffeehouses throughout the land.
A.V. Club Rating: B-
http://www.avclub.com/content/node/46079
http://news.inq7.net/entertainment/index.php?index=1&story_id=69609
Blame it on the bossa nova!
First posted 05:50pm (Mla time) Mar 16, 2006
By
Inquirer
ON ANY GIVEN DAY, AN FM radio listener in these parts is sure to chance upon a Sergio Mendes recording.
That's because radio programmers feel that these tunes--"The Look of Love," "Where is the Love," "Hey Look at the Sun" and "Waters of March," among others--though not Mendes originals, have been delivered in a specific style that makes people feel good.
Mendes first became famous worldwide as band leader of the Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66--named after his country and the year his record label, A&M, released the album that yielded the hit "Mas Que Nada," featuring the distinctive vocals of American Lani Hall.
From then on, Mendes' musical touring act would be regarded as a launching pad of talented vocalists and a great interpreter of songs. He himself has written several originals, notably another Pinoy FM radio staple, "Waiting for Love."
The cynical might dismiss Mendes as a 65-year-old has-been plucked out of retirement for old fans to reminisce on retro music. That would be terribly wrong. The late 1990s lounge music revival created a resurgence of respect for his extensive body of work, especially his bossa nova period.
In fact, he has a brand-new CD, "Timeless," which highlights collaborations with the likes of Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am.
At the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Wednesday, the Araneta Group of Companies presented Mendes to promote his one-night concert tomorrow at the Big Dome.
Jet-lagged, the man tried hard not to be annoyed by our questions, which forced him to recall moments in a career that began in the clubs of Rio de Janeiro in the late '50s, and being mentored by Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Tell us about the club scene in Rio when you started.
Those were wonderful times! I played at the Copacabana and other clubs.
What's so special about bossa nova that made it popular worldwide?
The music has great melodies. Memorable, timeless melodies.
Who do you consider as timeless artists?
Jobim, Cole Porter, the Beatles--master songwriters of timeless melodies. Also, Billie Holiday. Listening to her sing makes you lose all sense of time.
Your very first major US tour was with Frank Sinatra.
Yes, in 1968 and again [we toured] in the 1980s. It was a great experience. He's my favorite singer of all time.
Who are your favorite female singers?
Lani Hall, of course. Dianne Reeves. And my wife! For me she's the greatest! Her name is Graciniah.
Your band launched big talents. Anyone who stands out?
Again, Lani Hall, and Joe Pizzulo, who sang the lead in "Never Gonna Let You Go."
How come you never sang in your albums?
I'm really a piano player. The keyboards, that's my thing.
Blame it on the bossa nova!
First posted 05:50pm (Mla time) Mar 16, 2006
By
Inquirer
ON ANY GIVEN DAY, AN FM radio listener in these parts is sure to chance upon a Sergio Mendes recording.
That's because radio programmers feel that these tunes--"The Look of Love," "Where is the Love," "Hey Look at the Sun" and "Waters of March," among others--though not Mendes originals, have been delivered in a specific style that makes people feel good.
Mendes first became famous worldwide as band leader of the Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66--named after his country and the year his record label, A&M, released the album that yielded the hit "Mas Que Nada," featuring the distinctive vocals of American Lani Hall.
From then on, Mendes' musical touring act would be regarded as a launching pad of talented vocalists and a great interpreter of songs. He himself has written several originals, notably another Pinoy FM radio staple, "Waiting for Love."
The cynical might dismiss Mendes as a 65-year-old has-been plucked out of retirement for old fans to reminisce on retro music. That would be terribly wrong. The late 1990s lounge music revival created a resurgence of respect for his extensive body of work, especially his bossa nova period.
In fact, he has a brand-new CD, "Timeless," which highlights collaborations with the likes of Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am.
At the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Wednesday, the Araneta Group of Companies presented Mendes to promote his one-night concert tomorrow at the Big Dome.
Jet-lagged, the man tried hard not to be annoyed by our questions, which forced him to recall moments in a career that began in the clubs of Rio de Janeiro in the late '50s, and being mentored by Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Tell us about the club scene in Rio when you started.
Those were wonderful times! I played at the Copacabana and other clubs.
What's so special about bossa nova that made it popular worldwide?
The music has great melodies. Memorable, timeless melodies.
Who do you consider as timeless artists?
Jobim, Cole Porter, the Beatles--master songwriters of timeless melodies. Also, Billie Holiday. Listening to her sing makes you lose all sense of time.
Your very first major US tour was with Frank Sinatra.
Yes, in 1968 and again [we toured] in the 1980s. It was a great experience. He's my favorite singer of all time.
Who are your favorite female singers?
Lani Hall, of course. Dianne Reeves. And my wife! For me she's the greatest! Her name is Graciniah.
Your band launched big talents. Anyone who stands out?
Again, Lani Hall, and Joe Pizzulo, who sang the lead in "Never Gonna Let You Go."
How come you never sang in your albums?
I'm really a piano player. The keyboards, that's my thing.
Nice interview though. Thanks for posting it.
- Status
