1. Peu Pia
2. Far Away
3. Corcovado
4. It Might as Well be Spring
5. One Note Samba
6. The Telephone Song
7. Voce E Eu
8. Only Trust Your Heart
9. The Girl from Ipanema
10. We'll Make Today Last
11. Love For Sale
12. Wanting You
13. The Puppy Song
14. Mama eu Quero/Chica Chica Boom Chick
Tracks 3 to 8 feature the Stan Getz Quartet (Stan Getz - Tenor sax, Gary Burton - Vibes, Gene Cherico - Bass, Joe Hunt - Drums) recorded at Caf‚ Au Go Go, 19 August, 1964
In the remaining tracks, Astrud is recorded with an orchestra in a production by Vincent Montana Jr., in London in 1987. Chet Baker - Trumpet plays on track 2.
This is an album with six tracks on which Astrud is accompanied by Stan Getz and by an unknown orchestra on eight! Apart from these facts the sleeve-note tells little else.
Astrud Gilberto has a unique voice, which is instantly identifiable. She is not an Ella Fitzgerald or a Sarah Vaughan, but her singing always gives me great pleasure to listen to. The six tracks with the Stan Getz Quartet are particularly appealing: his horn and her voice complement each other beautifully. He must have liked her singing too, because he was not very sympathetic to anyone whose performance he did not like! For most saxophone players, Stan Getz is the man we all admire and I find his playing so much more attractive than the John Coltrane school of "a million notes per tune".
It is a shame that we don't know more about the big-band tracks, because there are some fine arrangements nicely played. If anyone knows why Chet Baker plays on one track only, I would love to know! His playing on Far Away is exceptional.
All in all a very enjoyable album, a worthy addition to the collection of anyone who is a fan of Astrud Gilberto, Stan Getz or both.
Don Mather
CD Reviews
JD 1222
