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Astrud Gilberto
Astrud Gilberto - vocalist, recording artist, composer.
Astrud Gilberto, known as "The Girl from Ipanema" and often referred to as "The Queen of Bossa-Nova," is an artist with roots firmly planted in Brazilian music. Her music has become an interesting combination of the sensual rhythms of Brazil and American Pop and Jazz.
Born in the Northeast of Brazil, in the state of Bahia, one of three sisters of a German father and a Brazilian mother, Astrud grew up in Rio de Janeiro. She immigrated to the United States in the early 1960s, where she resides since then.
Astrud was first introduced to the World at large in 1964 through "The Girl From Ipanema," the Grammy-winning recording with Stan Getz and her then-husband João Gilberto (the father of Bossa Nova). The fact that Astrud seldom grants interviews made it possible for many untruthful versions on how her guest appearance in the Getz & Gilberto album came about to be printed here and there, such as that she was "discovered" by Creed Taylor, or by Stan Getz, or yet, by Jobim, when the only truth is that she was invited to participate in the album by João Gilberto, who has great admiration for her singing talents.
Astrud's recordings exposed the nations of the World to the sensuality of Brazilian music and to her unique vocal interpretations of American music, such as "The Shadow of your Smile," "It Might as well be Spring," "Fly Me to the Moon," "Look to the Rainbow" (from her album of the same title, with Gil Evans), "Love Story", etc...
Following the hit with "Ipanema" her recording career quickly took off. Her first solo effort, "The Astrud Gilberto Album" was an immediate best-seller and was itself nominated as album of the year. Her next albums were all chart-toppers and were released on a yearly schedule. Her talents were much in demand in other areas as well as she appeared in two motion pictures, "The Hanged Man" and "Get Yourself a College Girl" and also recorded the soundtrack for "The Deadly Affair" arranged by Quincy Jones. She made appearances in all of the popular US television shows of the time, and had TV specials built around her in Europe, Japan and Africa. For many years she was the voice of Eastern Airlines, having recorded award-winning commercials.
In the early seventies Astrud revealed another facet of her talents, her songwriting, which was introduced on the albums "Astrud Gilberto Now" (1972) and "That Girl From Ipanema" (1977). On the "That Girl from Ipanema" album Astrud recorded one of her songs, "Far Away" (with lyrics by Hal Shaper) as a duet with the legendary Chet Baker. As she has revealed in interviews, this was one of the most rewarding events of her career, since Chet has been one of Astrud's idols dating back to her teenage years. In 1976, one of her compositions, "Live Today" (co-written with Jerome Schur), received an award at the Tokyo Music Festival.
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Astrud Gilberto: Temperance
by William Grim
Temperance is not available in the United States, which is a real shame because this is one of Astrud Gilberto's best albums in years.
First of all, the album is worth its price just for the recording of "How High the Moon," which features the New York Voices providing close harmonic support. The other eleven songs on the album were all composed by Astrud Gilberto herself. While her songwriting abilities are not in the same league as her ...
Continue ReadingAstrud Gilberto: Jungle
by Todd S. Jenkins
An enchanting new set that is sure to please her longtime fans. Aside from a catastrophic (but thankfully short) sidestep into disco in the mid-70s, Ms. Gilberto has not deviated much from the formula that made her world-famous in the bossa-nova era. Her voice, instantly recognizable from a number of Stan Getz crossover classics, has changed very little and retains most of its original warmth and charm. She composed all but two of the tracks here, and while all the ...
Continue ReadingSummer Samba: Astrud Gilberto in Italy, 1967
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
By 1967, Brazilian bossa-nova singer Astrud Gilberto had become a solo artist. She was finally out from under the menacing tyranny and harassment of tenor saxophonist Stan Getz. Astrud had been fronting Getz's groups ever since the album Getz/Gilberto came out in March 1964 and became a massive hit. When Getz/Gilberto was recorded in 1963, Verve producer Creed Taylor had her sing English lyrics to two songs off the LP—The Girl From Ipanema and Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars). ...
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Astrud Gilberto (1940-2023)
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
Astrud Gilberto, who as the wife of Brazilian singer João Gilberto was urged to record The Girl From Ipanema" and Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars" in English in March 1963 because he didn't speak the language and whose hit vocals helped send the bossa nova into the pop stratosphere and her into stardom, died on June 5. She was 83. Astrud Gilberto would go on to record numerous bossa nova and pop albums. Rather than return to Brazil with her ...
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Astrud Gilberto: 30 Years of Videos
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
We began the week with my post on Astrud Gilberto's last three Verve albums. Let's end with videos of the Brazilian singer in action from 1965 to 1983. As you will see, you really can't have too much Astrud Gilberto: Here's Gilberto in 1965 singing Agua de Beber... Here's Gilberto in 1966 singing Bim Bom... Here's Gilberto in Italy in 1967 singing or (lip-syncing) Samba de Verão in Italian... Here's Gilberto in 1972 singing (or lip-syncing) Goodbye Sadness... Here's Gilberto ...
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Astrud Gilberto: Gilberto Golden
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
In 1969, Verve released the label's last three albums by singer Astrud Gilberto. The first two were I Haven't Got Anything Better to Do and September 17, 1969. Al Gorgoni arranged the former and all of the latter except for Let's Have The Morning After (Instead of the Night Before), which was arranged by Michael Leonard. The two albums were recorded in New York—the former in February and the latter in September and November. Both albums are sensual and the ...
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Astrud Gilberto: Holland '65
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
In the summer of '65, Astrud Gilberto made a fast trip to the Netherlands to appear on Dutch TV. The showSee Jazzwas produced by pianist and host Pim Jacobs. Flush off the release of Getz/Gilberto and the success of her single of The Girl From Ipanema, Gilberto sang a long list of songs with a bossa nova beat backed by Pim Jacobs (piano), Wim Overgaauw (guitar), Ruud Jacobs (bass), Ruud Brink (tenor saxophone) and Don Un-Romeo (drums). According to the ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Astrud Gilberto
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Astrud Gilberto's birthday today!
JAZZ MUSICIAN OF THE DAY Astrud Gilberto
Astrud Gilberto - vocalist, recording artist, composer Astrud Gilberto, known as The Girl from Ipanema" and often referred to as The Queen of Bossa-Nova," is an artist with roots firmly planted in Brazilian music... more
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