Astrud Gilberto

i found two used Astrud Gilberto lps today at the record store, took them home, put the first one on ( "The Shadow of Your Smile" ) and.. fell into a trance..


such a brilliant voice.. the subtle understated vocalization of these melodies.. each one as soulful as a prayer.. like silver threads woven between the sensuous saxophone lines of her accompanyist, Stan Getz.. her unmistakeable "Rio" accent made even the most familiar lyrics sound new and poignant.. if a flower could sing, it would sound like Astrud Gilberto..

when she first began to gain popularity everyone wondered... where did she come from? (from Rio of course...) ...according to wikipedia, her first recording was "on the influential album Getz/Gilberto featuring João Gilberto, Stan Getz, and Antonio Carlos Jobim. She had never performed professionally, and sang on the recordings at the suggestion of her husband, João Gilberto (they divorced in the mid-1960s)." She states in an interview posted on her website, remembering the session where she sang "the Girl from Ipanema", "I'll never forget that while we were listening back to the just recorded song at the studio's control room, Stan said to me, with a very dramatic expression: "This song is going to make you famous"."

i wonder what's she doing now since 2001's "Jungle" Cd? she has apparently "taken a break" from touring but never officially retired... (ps: I found the answers here)

below, a rare video version of "the Girl from Ipanema" complete with a 60's glamor gal fan club audience.. and best of all, it's Christmas!



(in this movie, the cornball classic teen flick "Get Yourself a College Girl", Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz both appeared as themselves. The film also featured appearances by the Animals,The Standells , the Rhythm Masters, Jimmy Smith, Roberta Linn, The Dave Clark Five, and a major role played by Nancy Sinatra )