Astrud Gilberto junkies anonymous ...
Gunther Schadow
embarrassing myself I have to out myself: I love Astrud Gilberto.
I hear her every day, every free minute. I don't have much
of her music yet (just most of the Getz stuff, The Album and
Haven't got anything better to do). Until my next Astrud fix
comes per mail order, I hear the same over and over again. I let
her sing me to sleep (with the Haven't got anything better
to do record it's perfect.) I hear her first thing in the morning,
listen to he driving from and to work, and being at home.
Otherwise I am a perfectly sane and normal guy with a happy
personal life. But hearing Astrud is just an infinite joy. She
makes me smile, she brings tears into my eyes, it's a constant
emotional stimulus. Never has music touched me so much and I
don't seem to get tired of it.
Don't worry, I'm not going to do that forever, it's kind of like
an emotional experiment (other people drink or smoke, much less
healthy I guess.)
The fascinating thing is that she is 4 months older than my
mother but her voice (even her more recent stuff) is like a
timeless icon of a young lovely girl that I would fall in love
with right on the spot (and she was pretty, and still is much
a beautyful woman.) Because of her being of a time long before
mine, it is so surreal that this love for her doesn't get in
the way of a normal life, y'know'mean. I guess I'm not the only
one who feels that way.
May be I'm just ignorant (and from reading the archives it isn't
uncontroversial), but still, to me Astrud has the lovelyest
voice I've ever heard on recordings. I guess that you could take
other women off the street and let them sing in a similarly
simple natural beauty (Suzanne Vega being an example.) But then
Astrud is still the first. Given that I belong to probably the
third or forth generation of her admirers, I expect that this
light will live on as long as men populate the earth.
cheers,
-Gunther
BTW: on a taiwanese news group i found someone had posted
English translations of some Jobim lyrics, and I must say that
I missed quite a bit of the beauty of the Bossa Nova songs
by not knowing Portuguese. These guys were real poets! There
might be a book of these translations, I don't know. I'm happy
to share what I have. Now that I can perhaps grasp the lyrics
as they are sung, I will be even more touched by Astrud singing
them.
Has anyone more information about books, biographies of this
group of people? It's fascinating. (One thing I hope to
find out is why Astrud left that group and went on her own
way, why did she divorce from Joao, etc.) Another thing I
wonder is if she really started the Girl from Ipanema thing
without ever having practiced much before. I could imagine
if she hung out with those musicians, they might have had her
try singing before they just happened to sit in the studio.
And, the spirit of her decisively plain singing is not unlike
the style in which Joao found his excellence.
B.J. Major
> Hi, I am coming into this group new and at the risk of totally
> embarrassing myself I have to out myself: I love Astrud Gilberto. I hear
> her every day, every free minute. I don't have much of her music yet
> (just most of the Getz stuff, The Album and Haven't got anything better
> to do). Until my next Astrud fix comes per mail order, I hear the same
> over and over again. I let her sing me to sleep (with the Haven't got
> anything better to do record it's perfect.) I hear her first thing in
> the morning, listen to he driving from and to work, and being at home.
> Otherwise I am a perfectly sane and normal guy with a happy personal
> life. But hearing Astrud is just an infinite joy. She makes me smile,
> she brings tears into my eyes, it's a constant emotional stimulus. Never
> has music touched me so much and I don't seem to get tired of it.
There's nothing to be ashamed of in liking Astrud. Be sure to check out
the album she made with The Walter Wanderley Trio, "A Certain Smile, A
Certain Sadness" which I believe is one of her (and the Trio's) best
albums.
Yes, "Girl From Ipanema" was her first public recording and done so at
the request of producer Creed Taylor. He was looking for someone to
sing some English lyrics to the song and did not want the entire piece
sung by Astrud's then-husband Joao Gilberto--as Creed thought that the
entire song sung in Portuguese would not go over with the American
audience. Bossa Nova vocals were brand new to the U.S. back then. So
he kept Joao's Portuguese start to the song and then Astrud sung the
rest. And the rest, as they say, is history. Before this recording,
she only sang at home to her children. I don't think she had any
inclination to be a singer or "pop star" at all; she just happened to be
at the right place at the right time when the song was being recorded
for Verve.
--bj
bjbear71.com
Patskywriter
definitive astrud gilberto album. it was released around 1966 on verve and i
have no idea whether it's available on CD. if it is, GET IT!
wait a minute wait a minute. no, "the astrud gilberto album" (with antonio
carlos jobím) is the definitive AG album. some of the tunes from that album
appear on the "astrud gilberto silver collection," which is on CD.
pat
Gunther Schadow
> Yes, "Girl From Ipanema" was her first public recording [...]
> And the rest, as they say, is history. Before this recording,
> she only sang at home to her children.
Did she have children with Joao that early? I only know of her two
sons and the thing I was wondering about was that neither of them
seems to bear the last name Gilberto (each has a different last
name.)
But besides, I can think that "singing to her children" describes
very nicely how she sings.
-Gunther
Empcds
>the request of producer Creed Taylor. He was looking for someone to
>sing some English lyrics to the song and did not want the entire piece
>sung by Astrud's then-husband Joao Gilberto--as Creed thought that the
>entire song sung in Portuguese would not go over with the American
>audience. Bossa Nova vocals were brand new to the U.S. back then. So
>he kept Joao's Portuguese start to the song and then Astrud sung the
>rest.
was played on the radio at the time had ALL of Joao's singing edited out. The
song began and ended with the english words sung by Astrud. This version is
included on the double CD, "Bossa Nova: Sua Historia, Sua Gente".
Joe Carter
Night
I think The first version was portugese and english
same thing for Corcovado
those songs were on the LP
the 45 rpm versions of those 2 songs were just in english
now you can find both versions of those 2 songs on the new release CD
the girl from Ipanema (LP) = 5 min 22
Corcovado (LP) = 4 min 14
the girl from Ipanema (45 rpm) = 2 min 46
Corcovado (LP) = 2 min 21
on the 45 rpm version of the girl of Ipanema
you can hear Joao doing the intro, with the Bing bing etc.
after it cut, and it start in english with Astrud
it's the same version, but they cut on the portugese lyrics
and on the long solo of sax by Getz
same thing for Corcovado
For Astrud I never heard about singing for her children
I do not think they had child together
The only daughter of Joao is Bebel, (her mother is Miucha)
For the divorce, I heard that Getz and Astrud had an affair
and it was really ruff during the tour following the LP
And other people can say : Who can live with Joao ?
here's a page about Astrud
http://www.allbrazilianmusic.com/en/artists/Artists.asp?Status=ARTISTA&Nu_Artista=50
and her official site
http://www.astrudgilberto.com/
Louis
http://www3.sympatico.ca/louis.briand/accueil.html
B.J. Major
"Definitive" or "best" albums are purely subjective in the mind/ear of
the listener. What might be the "best" album to one person is not
necessarily the "best" for the other. I was merely suggesting "A
Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness" because it really showcases Astrud's
singing very well and it also showcases the wonderful arrangements
Walter Wanderley was capable of writing (and the Trio was performing).
In other words, the best of both worlds.
BTW, "Beach Samba" has been available on CD from Verve U.S. for quite
some time.
--bj
bjbear71.com
B.J. Major
> B.J. Major wrote:
>
> > Yes, "Girl From Ipanema" was her first public recording [...]
>
> > And the rest, as they say, is history. Before this recording,
> > she only sang at home to her children.
>
>
> Did she have children with Joao that early? I only know of her two
> sons and the thing I was wondering about was that neither of them
> seems to bear the last name Gilberto (each has a different last
> name.)
That's what the biography contained on one of the Verve reissues said
that I read and it would seem to be true, though I don't know how old
her children were at the time.
> But besides, I can think that "singing to her children" describes
> very nicely how she sings.
Agreed.
--bj
bjbear71.com
B.J. Major
> >Actually, you're thinking of the album cut. The official single release
> >that was played on the radio at the time had ALL of Joao's singing edited
> >out. The song began and ended with the english words sung by Astrud.
> >This version is included on the double CD, "Bossa Nova: Sua Historia, Sua
> >Gente".
> >
> >Joe Carter
I don't own the singles, only the album(s) which contain her "Girl From
Ipanema"--so I can't comment on this.
> For Astrud I never heard about singing for her children
> I do not think they had child together
> The only daughter of Joao is Bebel, (her mother is Miucha)
No, Joao and Astrud definitely did have children together. On her
"Beach Samba" album, one of her very young boys sings with her on the
track "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice."
--bj
bjbear71.com
Gunther Schadow
>>For Astrud I never heard about singing for her children
>>I do not think they had child together
>>The only daughter of Joao is Bebel, (her mother is Miucha)
>>
>
> No, Joao and Astrud definitely did have children together. On her
> "Beach Samba" album, one of her very young boys sings with her on the
> track "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice."
This is an interesting mosaic stone in the otherwise extremely
thin and shallow biographic picture we have of Astrud. I would
have bet she did not have children at that time. I am even
confused by the last names of her two confirmed children.
Here, the otherwise defunct gregmar web site days "In 1990 Gregmar
Productions, Inc. was formed by Astrud Gilberto, Marcelo Oliveira,
and Gregory Lasorsa to provide [...]"
None of them is called Gilberto. But on Astrud's official site
the biography calls Marcelo "Marcelo Gilberto". Go figure.
Gregory was born in 1968 as his Band's web site describes. So,
even though he carries a Brazilian last name, it's not
Gilberto and it is not pre 1963.
Marcelo has his Pocketbike business and is much less up
front with his birthdate. Don't think Marcelo is from
before 1963 either. Also the name Lasorsa is clearly Italian.
And that links nicely to the story that Richard Bogle
contributed on rec.music.bluenote in 1996, he wrote:
> I hear this fascinating story once not long ago and cannont vouch for
> its' authenticity. It seems as though while Gilberto and Getz were
> working together, Getz rode her incessantly, making her miserable.
> Little did Getz know that her boyfriend was a mafioso. The next gig was
> in Ireland, the boyfriend and Astrud showed up but Getz didn't.
I will get the "Getz, a Life in Jazz" biography off the library
shortly and will find out more about this. Getz must have been
a really mean guy. Poor Astrud.
Anyway, I do not trust the story of Astrud having had children
before 1963. But still the thought of "singing to her children"
is really beautiful, and it's another way of receiving her sounds
at the end of a day.
However, I do believe her official version of how she got into
singing. Joao knew how beautiful she could sing and he brought
her into the gig with the Getz/Gilberto LP. It's much less of a
story that way, but I find it more credible. I would not be
surprized if Astrud had sung in local gigs the group had in
Rio. What Astrud is so good at is being professional in the
naivete of her singing, I think she deserves more credit for her
professional performance of her style than is usually given to
her at the end of the day, with all that winig about her "weak
voice". It is precisely this alleged "weakness" that I (and I
guess so many others) love so much about her voice, and she
knew that from the start, so it would have been silly had she
started "training" her voice to be voluminous and clear.
I don't get the thought off my mind that Astrud really made
her carreer by her own choices and actions. She is much less that
"girl that was just at the right place at the right time" as it
is often believed. Too bad that so much about her is in the dark,
but I think if I can find some information about the end of
her marriage with Joao, I can confirm that theory. Personally,
she could have been better off staying with Joao, but, the
carreer choices she made was that her own future was in the U.S.
and so she continued with the Getz group rather than going back
home with Joao to her friends and family. It takes quite a bit
of courage to make such a choice.
regards
-Gunther
B.J. Major
> This is an interesting mosaic stone in the otherwise extremely
> thin and shallow biographic picture we have of Astrud. I would
> have bet she did not have children at that time. I am even
> confused by the last names of her two confirmed children.
> Anyway, I do not trust the story of Astrud having had children
> before 1963.
Well, it's true. "Beach Samba"'s LP date is 1967 and her son definitely
sings with her on that track. From the LP's liner notes by Stan Levine:
"'You Didn't Have to Be So Nice' is the only occasion where the
spotlight may have been stolen from Astrud. Her six-year-old son
Marcello, shares the vocal in a charming number...'"
So if the son was 6 in 1967, he was obviously born in 1961.
> However, I do believe her official version of how she got into
> singing. Joao knew how beautiful she could sing and he brought
> her into the gig with the Getz/Gilberto LP. It's much less of a
> story that way, but I find it more credible. I would not be
> surprized if Astrud had sung in local gigs the group had in
> Rio.
For some reason we humans don't like to believe that "lucky" things can
happen to people, (even to people who have talent) but in this case,
it's true. A quote from the booklet's liner notes by Neil Tesser which
came with the multi-disc CD set "Stan Getz, The Girl From Ipanema, The
Bossa Nova Years" on Verve:
..."[Getz's] imprimateur helped Jobim find an enthusiastic audience in
the U.S. and also made a star of a young Brazilian woman, who had never
performed in public, named Astrud Gilberto."
And another quote, also from Mr. Tesser but from the liner notes of the
CD "Beach Samba" on Verve:
"'Joao's young wife, Astrud, accompanied him and acted as his
interpreter; when Getz asked to hear an English translation of
"Ipanema", Astrud chose to sing it...'[...] 'Of course, Joao couldn't
sing in English and Astrud sounded good enough to put on the record.'
The saxophonist prevailed upon Joao to let his wife sing 'a chorus or
two'; the experience represented her recording debut."
Joao knowing how beautiful she could sing had nothing to do with her
presence there at that recording session. She was there because Joao at
the time could speak no English - and although sources I've read do not
disclose how fluent Jobim himself was in English at that time - Astrud's
primary purpose in coming there was to act as a translator for her
husband, nothing more. The fact that she got to sing on the recording
was solely at someone else's request (whether that be Stan Getz or Creed
Taylor--I have read sources attributing the credit to either man) and
her singing obviously augmented her duties at the session.
Also, I've had several people comment to me that what is so appealing
about Astrud's voice is the fact that it sounds so natural, so
"untrained" and that has a peculiar attraction to it for some listeners
- which might not have been there had she studied voice and singing
formally. And I agree with you that it was a courageous move for her to
leave all behind in Brazil and persue a career in the U.S.
--bj
bjbear71.com
Gunther Schadow
> Well, it's true. "Beach Samba"'s LP date is 1967 and her son definitely
> sings with her on that track. From the LP's liner notes by Stan Levine:
>
> "'You Didn't Have to Be So Nice' is the only occasion where the
> spotlight may have been stolen from Astrud. Her six-year-old son
> Marcello, shares the vocal in a charming number...'"
>
> So if the son was 6 in 1967, he was obviously born in 1961.
Wow! O.K. now I believe it. This is wild. Do you know when Joao
and Astrud got married? Did she get Marcelo Oliveira while she was
married to Joao? Or am I confused by a different way of how
last names are being inherited in Brazil? Or did Marcelo have his
last name changed by deed poll or marriage?
>>However, I do believe her official version of how she got into
...
> For some reason we humans don't like to believe that "lucky" things can
> happen to people, (even to people who have talent) but in this case,
> it's true.
O.K. that sounds credible now. Ah, all the little pieces and
snippets need to be collected. I am about to writing this
missing detail up in what might become my Astrud fan-webpage.
Right now it's all draft. I want to collect as many facts and
corroborating information as possible. There is so much half
truths out there (and my own assumptions had been misguided
enough.)
> Also, I've had several people comment to me that what is so appealing
> about Astrud's voice is the fact that it sounds so natural, so
> "untrained" and that has a peculiar attraction to it for some listeners
> - which might not have been there had she studied voice and singing
> formally.
Of course. However, as we see in Joao, he is trained but has a
positively chosen style. At least after 5 years of performance,
I would say that Astrud had cultivated her style. So may be it
was an accident in the beginning, but not after 5 or 10 years.
And I am still not convinced that she never ever had any kind of
semi-private performances before (not on records, but for fun.)
> And I agree with you that it was a courageous move for her to
> leave all behind in Brazil and persue a career in the U.S.
Although I was terribly mislead here again with my assumptions.
I only learned yesterday from Laura's Joao Gilberto web site that
he too stayed in the U.S. from 1961 into 1980! So they both
were in the U.S. but both went separate ways. Given the birth
of her (not Joao's?) son in 1961 one wonders what kind of marriage
this was to begin with ... I'm not judgemental at all, just trying
to get a picture of her experiences.
obrigado,
-Gunther
Jim Braun
"Gunther Schadow" <gun...@gusw.net> wrote in message news:3D112241...@gusw.net...
> Here, the otherwise defunct gregmar web site days "In 1990 Gregmar
>
> Productions, Inc. was formed by Astrud Gilberto, Marcelo Oliveira,
>
> and Gregory Lasorsa to provide [...]"
>
>
> None of them is called Gilberto. But on Astrud's official site
> the biography calls Marcelo "Marcelo Gilberto". Go figure.
João Gilberto's full name is João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira.
--
[Jim Braun (jimbraun @ hevanet . com) - Portland, Oregon, USA]
Gunther Schadow
> "Gunther Schadow" <gun...@gusw.net> wrote in message news:3D112241...@gusw.net...
>
>
>>Here, the otherwise defunct gregmar web site days "In 1990 Gregmar
>>
>>Productions, Inc. was formed by Astrud Gilberto, Marcelo Oliveira,
>>
>>and Gregory Lasorsa to provide [...]"
>>
>>
>>None of them is called Gilberto. But on Astrud's official site
>>the biography calls Marcelo "Marcelo Gilberto". Go figure.
>>
>
> João Gilberto's full name is João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira.
There we go. That closes the case! Gee, why does all of this
take so much effort :-).
thanks,
-Gunther
B.J. Major
> B.J. Major wrote:
>
>
> > Well, it's true. "Beach Samba"'s LP date is 1967 and her son definitely
> > sings with her on that track. From the LP's liner notes by Stan Levine:
> >
> > "'You Didn't Have to Be So Nice' is the only occasion where the
> > spotlight may have been stolen from Astrud. Her six-year-old son
> > Marcello, shares the vocal in a charming number...'"
>
> >
> > So if the son was 6 in 1967, he was obviously born in 1961.
>
> Wow! O.K. now I believe it. This is wild. Do you know when Joao
> and Astrud got married? Did she get Marcelo Oliveira while she was
> married to Joao? Or am I confused by a different way of how
> last names are being inherited in Brazil? Or did Marcelo have his
> last name changed by deed poll or marriage?
Gunther, I just sent an email to you in reply to this message. Thanks!!
--bj
bjbear71.com
NuBossa
>A quote from the booklet's liner notes by Neil Tesser which
>came with the multi-disc CD set "Stan Getz, The Girl From Ipanema, The
>Bossa Nova Years" on Verve:
>
>..."[Getz's] imprimateur helped Jobim find an enthusiastic audience in
>the U.S. and also made a star of a young Brazilian woman, who had never
>performed in public, named Astrud Gilberto."
According to Ruy Castro's history of Bossa Nova (translated into English about
1-2 years ago), Astrud did sing at least once in public, accompanied by Joao on
guitar, at the last major bossa nova show in Rio.
Gunther, Castro's book is a good source for some interesting info, including
how much Astrud received for the singing "The Girl"...I think it was around
$120 and no royalties. But she did get an international career out of it
that's still going.
Tom
jac...@yahoo.com
Philadelphia and this article was the cover story of the Philadelphia
Weekly paper June 5, 2002
http://www.brainsoap.com/archives/article.asp?ArtID=245
Jack
jac...@yahoo.com
http://www.brainsoap.com/archives/article.asp?ArtID=2456
In article <jackjez-2906...@1cust43.tnt2.vineland.nj.da.uu.net>,
B.J. Major
> You all might find this interesting. Apparently Astrud now lives in
> Philadelphia and this article was the cover story of the Philadelphia
> Weekly paper June 5, 2002
>
>
> http://www.brainsoap.com/archives/article.asp?ArtID=245
>
>
> Jack
I live in a suburb literally right next to the Philadelphia city
boundary. I'll check out your article, but I have no knowledge of her
living in Philadelphia. The last article I had read put her somewhere
near the Pocono mountains/Delaware Water Gap area, some distance from
here.
--bj
bjbear71.com
B.J. Major
> You all might find this interesting. Apparently Astrud now lives in
> Philadelphia and this article was the cover story of the Philadelphia
> Weekly paper June 5, 2002 . . .[url]
I just read this article. I even printed out a copy of it. And,
although I did not expect to read the exact residence address of Astrud,
the author really does not confirm in any way that she lives in
Philadelphia AT ALL. The article focuses more on her recording history
than almost anything else. And that apparently she shares Joao's
"thing" for cats.
At the very end of the article Mr. Sweeney says ". . .standing outside
the Center City building where I have heard tell Astrud Gilberto
resides." This isn't a confirmation of anything!!! She may live there
in that building, she may not. Just more fuel to add to the rumor fire.
The article also didn't say anything about her being spotted or seen
anywhere in public in Philadelphia. That would have at least lent some
credibility to his declaration that "she's in the area", with the cover
of the Weekly stating "And now she's here."
And what's the name of this album that she supposedly recorded in South
Philadelphia?? Too many questions and no concrete answers. This is one
of those pieces where you come away with knowing less than you knew
before you read the article....!
--bj
bjbear71.com
Daniella Thompson
> the author really does not confirm in any way that she lives in
> Philadelphia AT ALL.
In april 1999, Kimson Plaut announced to this newsgroup that Astrud was
now living in Philadelphia:
> And what's the name of this album that she supposedly recorded in South
> Philadelphia??
Astrud Gilberto: 'Jungle'
<http://www.artistdirect.com/store/artist/album/0,,1658317,00.html>
--
Daniella
_______
Daniella Thompson on Brazil:
The Magazine of
Brazilian Music & Culture
http://daniv.blogspot.com
Musica Brasiliensis
http://brazzil.com/daniv
B.J. Major
> In april 1999, Kimson Plaut announced to this newsgroup that Astrud was
> now living in Philadelphia:
>
>
<http://groups.google.com/groups?q=astrud+philadelphia+kimson&hl=en&lr=&
ie=UTF-8&client=googlet&selm=19990430171356.18708.00000820%40ng-ca1.aol.
com&rnum=1>
Ok, then. I didn't see that post at all because I didn't start reading
this newsgroup until mid-2000.
Thanks for the info!!
--bj
bjbear71.com
rEPtilICus
Check out this online catalog for the best available cd's; lp's; books
on Brazilian popular music past and
present.
Who did not get started with Astrud Gilberto? I remember when The Girl
from Ipanema first hit the radio
and it still sounds good today. I have about 400 cd's of Brazilian music
and I got my start from her.
I love that lady.
icop...@gmail.com
Gregory LASORSA was born in 1968 from second marriage of Astrud with Nicholas (Nick) Lasorsa.