In a word, spectacular!
Gary Dunford | Ontario Canada | 03/08/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"For fans of Jobim, Lins or the shameless open heart and music of Brazil, essential. Very much in the spirit of Terra Brazilia, Jobim's own studio classic. Lovingly recorded in Rio and bubbing with inventive piano, guitar and percussion, Lins & Roberto Menescal have concocted a tribute cd to the melody master like no other.Here are the jewels of the Jobim songbook, dodging potholes (no Ipanema, no Waters of March) dug by too many mediocre cover artists. Lins' amigos will grin to discover who wrote six of the 14 songs here. Dindi is reinvented as a bolero; a duet with sultry Cris Delanno will send you straight to the amazon search program (no other work yet, but there will be). She sings Promessas against Ivan's Este Seu Olhar--truly inspired.Soberana Rosa/She Walks the Earth will make you forget the Sting track that opens "A Love Affair," the 2000 Telarc cd that attempted to break Lins' work to a larger North American audience.The gossamer arrangements--so unlike much studio work--will leave jazz fans gasping. Lins' piano and Menescal's guitar are up front and on the money, often offering sly quotes from Jobim. Sometimes spiderwebs, sometimes steel. There's not a false note in this hour. And the two words changed in the famous American standard may be clever revenge on lyricists who mangle Lins' Portugese words into English. It's charming.Lins' sweet title cut, Jobiniando--comes at the end. If Portugese is familiar to you (or even not) ... it will break your heart. (Three of the songs are in English). When Lins' bouncy melody suddenly falls away, the sweet, aching words carried into the distance only by street singers and percussion ... Jobim's spirit is still very much alive. Carnaval will come again. One of the most powerful moments I've ever heard on a cd. And a postscript: this is great makeout music. I've bought a second copy. Give it to someone who deserves it. Then whisper: Eu sei ue vou te amar. Go on. Don't be shy. Five stars? This is a ten."
Unbelievable finesse.
Sabrina | Los Angeles, CA | 06/25/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the loveliest tribute CD I think I've ever heard. Lins' voice has lowered a bit as he's gotten older, but that only makes these songs more intimate, more intense, more heartfelt. His version of Jobim's "Inutil Paisagem" is wistful, gorgeous, full of regret and resignation -- it's the aural equivalent to those azure-tinted photographs of Mont St. Michel. It's also the best version of this song since Sinatra's hair-raising English version on *his* Jobim tribute album. And as for "Soberana Rosa," which cleverly uses Jobim's "Waters of March" as an underpining and coda -- well, it's a testament to the idea that composers are the only ones who *really* know how to sing their own songs (although I do like Sting's English version on the Lins tribute CD). I love this CD. Lins is a wonderful singer and it's obvious he treasures Tom Jobim's work."
Dreamy, gorgeous, sensual and a classic work
Susan L. Martin | New England | 01/07/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have been hearing and loving the music of Ivan Lins for many years although I didn't know his name.
He wrote some of my favorite melodies, ones that stop you in your tracks with their beauty, reach your
most complex and important emotions and stay in your memory. The recent Barbara Streisand CD contained
a song by Ivan Lins. While I'm not especially a Streisand fan, I loved this song and decided to seek out its author.
What a bonanza of pleasure and joy it has been to discover this wonderful voice, this creative person who
is well known in Latin America. How poor we are to focus on our own music so myopically when here is
someone with decades of achievement. He is now among the greats for me.
Over the past few weeks, I have ordered no less than 10 Ivan Lins CDs, some directly from Brazil.
They transport you to a place where vulnerability and sensuality can blend with a worldly sophistication.
I only wish music promoters had the courage to offer Lins in his own voice, even though he is best heard
in the original Portugese. His original lyrics are far more fascinating than the bland pop adaptations
offered by those to took the beautiful melody and watered down the lyrics and in so doing robbed the
public of something magical and intelligent at the same time.
This album, a tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim, demonstrates the loving reverence in which Jobim is held
by the next generation of Brazilian singers and composers. Lins' tribute works best when he sings his own
classic works, where he has built upon the moment of Bossa Nova to create a music for his (and our) own time."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1
