Tom Jobim, Vinícius De Moraes, João Gilberto & Os Cariocas: Um Encontro No Au Bon Gourmet
In August 1962, Brazilian producer Aloysio de Oliveira brought together the founding trio of Bossa Nova for the first time, creating a landmark moment in music history. For six weeks, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinícius de Moraes and João Gilberto shared the stage at the Au Bon Gourmet nightclub in Copacabana, one of Rio de Janeiro’s most celebrated musical districts. Joined by the acclaimed vocal group Os Cariocas, with Milton Banana on drums and Otávio Bailly on double bass, the ensemble delivered a series of performances that captivated audiences and helped define the sound of a generation.
Far more than a document of immense historical importance, this recording offers a rare glimpse of the pioneering figures of bossa nova at their creative peak with favourites including Samba De Uma Nota Só, Garota De Ipanema and Corcovado. It showcases Antonio Carlos Jobim’s lyrical, harmonically sophisticated piano-playing, João Gilberto’s intimate guitar style and the captivating artistry of Vinícius de Moraes, whose poetic sensibility and charm permeate every performance.
While the recording was made live under modest, makeshift conditions and lacks the polished fidelity of a studio production, its technical limitations quickly fade into the background. In their place emerges the remarkable spontaneity and musical rapport of the ensemble, preserving with striking authenticity one of the defining moments in the history of Brazilian popular music.
Discography
Só Danço Samba; Samba De Uma Nota Só; Corcovado; Samba Da Bênçao; Amor Em Paz; Bosa Nova E Bossa Velha; Samba Do Avião (18.37) – O Astronauta; Samba Da Minha Terra; Insensatez; Garota De Ipanema; Devagar Com A Louça; Só Danço Samba; Medley: Garota De Ipanema / Só Danço Samba / Se Todos Fossem / Iguais A Você (16.40)
Gilberto (v, g); Antônio Carlos Jobim (v, p); De Moraes (v); Os Cariocas (v); Otávio Bailly (b); Milton Banana (d). Rio de Janeiro, August 1962.
Jazz Samba Records 709130
Miles Davis: Sketches Of Spain
Sketches Of Spain emerged during the melodic phase of Miles Davis’s career, reflecting a significant shift in his artistic direction. As one of his least improvisation-focused recordings, the album places greater emphasis on orchestration, thematic development and carefully structured arrangements than on the spontaneous soloing traditionally associated with jazz. In doing so, it transcends many of the conventional boundaries of the genre, incorporating elements of classical music and Spanish folk traditions to create a distinctive and highly innovative musical work.
The creative partnership between Miles Davis and Gil Evans represents one of the most influential collaborations in 20th-century jazz. Having first established their musical chemistry on Birth Of The Cool (1957) and later refined on albums such as Miles Ahead (1957), the duo continued to expand the expressive possibilities of jazz through ambitious orchestral projects. Their reinterpretation of Porgy and Bess (1959) and, subsequently, Sketches Of Spain (1960) demonstrated a move towards richly orchestrated, melody-driven works that broadened the appeal of Davis’s music. Drawing inspiration from Spanish folk traditions and classical repertoire, Sketches Of Spain fuses post-bop jazz with elements of classical music, world music and folk idioms.
Evans and Davis became captivated by the challenge of discovering a musical meeting point between the earthy expressiveness of American blues and the haunting, melancholic beauty of Spanish flamenco. That ambition reaches its most compelling expression in their reimagining of passages from Rodrigo’s Concierto De Aranjuez, a performance that serves as the emotional centrepiece of the album. Throughout the recording, Davis’s trumpet is remarkably expressive, its tone sombre, reflective and deeply lyrical, conveying an extraordinary sense of yearning and restraint. His extended improvisation on Evans’ Solea stands among one of his finest achievements, unfolding with effortless imagination and emotional depth.
This reissue is released by Number One Essentials accompanied with one bonus track and is part of their “records you can’t live without’ collection and is impressively presented with its original striking red and yellow album cover.
Discography
Concierto De Aranjuez; Will O’ The Wisp (20.17) – The Pan Piper; Saeta; Solea; Song For Our Country (24.43)
Davis (t, flh); Gil Evans (arr, cond); Bernie Glow, Taft Jordan, Louis Mucci, Ernie Royal, Johnny Coles (t); Dick Hixson, Frank Rehak (tb); John Barrows, Jimmy Buffington, Earl Chapin, Joe Singer, Tony Miranda (flh); Jimmy McAllister, Bill Barber (tu); Romeo Penque (o); Harold Feldman (o, bcl); Jack Knitzer (bsn); Al Block, Eddie Caine, Harold Feldman (f); Danny Bank (bcl); Janet Putnam (hp); Paul Chambers (b); Jimmy Cobb (d); Elvin Jones, José Mangual (pc). New York, November 1959 and March 1960.
Number One Essentials 291052
