Search - Toots Thielemans :: Aquarela Do Brasil

STUNNING! A SIX STAR TOUR DE FORCE!!!

RBSProds | Deep in the heart of Texas | 05/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"On a scale of 1 to 5, "Aquarela Do Brasil" is a SIX!! One of the great MPB performances of all time, with Toots Thielemans adding soaring beautiful harmonica/guitar solos between some truly amazing vocals by Elis Regina. Plus Toots gives three solid solo performances, including an Elis tribute.



Recorded in 1969, during a "howling snowstorm" in Stockholm Sweden of all places, the Brazilian Super-Diva, Elis Regina, and the acclaimed jazz master, Toots Thielemans, conjured up a steaming, mid-summer Brazilian beach in the studio. Elis is on fire throughout and clearly having alot of fun! Her musical quintet, Elis Cinco, is brilliant and audibly enthusiastic. Singing with a wide range of emotions and tossing off gymnastic phrases with ease, Elis is incredible! She wields her voice like a knief, cutting quickly and deeply into each song. Toots is equally brilliant and the entire ensemble plays like old musical friends. I speak no Portuguese but this music is as clear as a crystal.



Normally I pick out a "Piece D'Resistance" in every CD, but this CD is so uniformly brilliant that there are too many outstanding performances by both artists to pick one. The sensuous, sultry "Barquinho" (Little Boat) is cast as an overpowering ballad performance that will slow your breathing. "Voce", the tongue twisting "Corrida de Jangada", and the sizzling "Wave" (with Elis' patented "sozinho" Afro-Brazilian tagline at the end) are new again. She totally personalizes "Aquarela Do Brasil" using the 'bridge' only and then adds the batucada "Nega do Cabelo Duro" to it, infusing it with humor and the sound of "crickets": very unique performance. And the octave-jumping tour de force of "Cantu de Ossanha" is spine-tingling great singing like no one else can do it.



I bought this CD primarily out of curiosity about the combination of Toots & Elis. I had recently bought the excellent Chez Toots CD and noticed this CD in his discography. I popped it in the CD player and wandered away. The next morning the CD player woke me up with "Wave" and I was captivated and totally amazed for the next hour. As a jazz, classical, and pop music fan, I KNOW singers and this singer was someone very, very special. She understood nuance, emotion, improvisation, the blues (ok, "saudade", if you must), how to deliver a knockout punch and leave us wanting more. It's no wonder they called her 'Furacão' (The Hurricane). Now I'm collecting more Elis recordings and have just purchased the self-titled first CD cut by her multiple Grammy-winning daughter, "Maria Rita". With this CD, Elis (over twenty years after her tragic accidental death) has stolen my musical heart. She ranks in the company of the greatest singers ever: Ella, Sarah, Maria Callas, Judy, and LadyDay. I think she realized she was really a jazz singer at heart interpreting MBP. Believe me, this CD should be required listening for ALL music fans who love GREAT MUSIC. Definitely, a SIX !



Snowstorm? What snowstorm? LOL

(Audio CD. For another stunning performance, listen to Montreux Jazz Festival"

(A+) Great for drivetime!

Andrew Mendez | White Bear Lake, MN USA | 04/21/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I spend quite a bit of time commuting, so I carry a heavy cache of CDs with me to pass the drivetime. I'll probably turn this CD into pulp, I play it so much. There's a good mix of tempos among the tracks. I especially enjoy "Aquarela Do Brasil," "Visao," and "Honeysuckle Rose." The talents of Toots and Elis make for a wonderful blend of sound. If you want a good CD for drivetime (as well as elsewhere), this CD is definitely it!"

Don't let the cover fool you

Ichabod Heron | Westchester, NY United States | 07/19/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A classic case where one should never judge the content by its cover. Inside I found one of the most stunning vocal performances ever - purely in terms of Elis's vocals, this album may even surpass 'Tom and Elis'. Her rendition of 'Aquarela do Brasil,' transitioning to 'Nega do Cabelo Duro,' perhaps will remain one of my favorites for years to come. Enough said, head straight for the checkout."