Once upon a time, she was the wife of guitarist Joao Gilberto and became one of the most famous vocalists of the bossa nova era... Recruited as an amateur singer during one of her husband's recording sessions, Astrud Gilberto (1940-2023) intuitively projected a cosmopolitan cool that resonated with the times... Her blase, lilting vocals were featured on the legendary 1963 Stan Getz version of "The Girl From Ipanema," a song that became a global hit that popularized Brazilian music and transformed Astrud into an iconic global celebrity. She eventually emigrated to the US and went on to record numerous albums on the Verve label, performing modernist cool jazz as well as contemporary Brazilian popular music. Here's a quick look at her work...
Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto/Astrud Gilberto "Getz/Gilberto" (Verve Records, 1963) (LP)
(Produced by Creed Taylor)
THE classic jazz-bossa nova crossover album, against which all others are measured. Almost shockingly intimate, with every tremble of the saxophone reed intact, this 1963 collaboration with Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto contains the #1 hit version of "The Girl from Ipanema" which is the one most folks in the States are familiar with, and which helped make Astrud Gilberto a household name in America. Her hubby Joao's guitar work and whispery vocals are the ultimate in melodic cool. Tom Jobim plays piano, in one of his sweetest performances, and percussion by Milton Banana is a study in economy. Highly, highly recommended.
Astrud Gilberto & Stan Getz "Getz Au-Go-Go" (Verve Records, 1964) (LP)
(Produced by Creed Taylor)
Astrud Gilberto "The Astrud Gilberto Album" (Verve Records, 1965) (LP)
(Produced by Creed Taylor)
Astrud Gilberto "The Shadow Of Your Smile" (Verve Records, 1965) (LP)
(Produced by Creed Taylor)
Astrud Gilberto "Look To The Rainbow" (Verve Records, 1966) (LP)
(Produced by Creed Taylor)
A remarkable jazz-tinged collaboration which definitely proved that Astrud's success with the Getz-Gilberto ensemble was no mere fluke. Arranger Gil Evans -- one of the architects of Miles Davis's "cool jazz" atonality -- here applies his palette to the Brazilian canon, with rather amazing results. Even decades later, these remain some of the most creative, challenging reinterpretations of various well-trod bossa nova themes -- standards such as "Felicidade," "Berimbau," "Bim Bom" and "Ela Carioca" are variously slowed to a crawl, inverted, bent sideways and chromatically flattened, in that odd, mathematical-yet-soulful way that Evans had. Best of all, though, is the fact that Gilberto is the perfect foil for this style of jazz, with her blase, unemotive vocals matching and complementing the cool tone of Evans's arrangements. This disc makes one of the best cases for Astrud's reputation as a singer, her voice chiming in as another instrument at Evans' command. This album definitely rises above the horizons of most '60s soft-pop and loungecore, into a subtle, original new sound. Worth checking out... one of Astrud Gilberto's best!
Astrud Gilberto & Walter Wanderley "A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness" (Verve Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Creed Taylor)
Astrud teams up with loungecore organist Walter Wanderley for this mellow bossa-pop outing. The songs are mainly bossa standards, translated into English and sung with a charmingly awkward flatness by the ever-blase Gilberto. Wanderley's roller-rinky organ toot-tootles along, a little at odds with her delivery, but pleasant and compelling in its own way. Nice for the translated lyrics, and the cheerful summery vibe.
Astrud Gilberto "Beach Samba" (Verve Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Creed Taylor)
Astrud Gilberto "Windy" (Verve Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Pete Spargo)
Astrud Gilberto "I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do" (Verve Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Brooks Arthur)
Astrud Gilberto "September 17, 1969" (Verve Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Brooks Arthur)
Astrud Gilberto & Stanley Turrentine "Gilberto With Stanley Turrentine" (Verve Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Creed Taylor)
Astrud Gilberto "Astrud Gilberto Now" (Perception Records, 1972) (LP)
Astrud Gilberto "That Girl From Ipanema" (Audio Fidelity Records, 1977) (LP)
Astrud Gilberto "...Plus The James Last Orchestra" (Verve Records, 1987)
Musically, this one is no great shakes... I mean, this is okay for what it is -- it's probably a real winner if you like smooth-jazz mellowness and have an ear for lush, somewhat directionless orchestrations. I don't. At least not to this degree... But what is noteworthy here are the Brazilian collaborators Gilberto has on board... Paulo Jobim, for one, as well as guitarist Romero Lubambo and drummer Duduka Fonseca. Jobim plays guitar on three tracks, all of which he co-wrote with lyricist Ronaldo Bastos... This disc may be a bit lavish and louche, but it did cast a spotlight on some major talent, including a few up-and-coming artists.
Astrud Gilberto "Live In New York" (Pony Canyon Records, 1989) (LP)
Astrud Gilberto "Temperance" (Pony Canyon Records, 1997) (LP)
Astrud Gilberto "Jungle" (Magya Production, 2002) (LP)
Astrud Gilberto "The Silver Collection" (Verve Records, 1987)
Icy-cool vocals and lovely lush arrangements. Nice selection, including several tracks sung in English. It does mysteriously omit "Girl From Ipanema," but you can't have everything, can you? A swell best-of set!
Astrud Gilberto "Verve Jazz Masters" (Verve Records, 1994)
Astrud Gilberto "Jazz 'Round Midnight: Astrud Gilberto" (Verve Records, 1996)
Astrud Gilberto "The Girl From Ipanema" (Prime Cuts, 1997)
Astrud Gilberto "Talkin' Verve" (Verve Records, 1998)
Astrud Gilberto "Astrud Gilberto's Finest Hour" (Verve Records, 2001)
Astrud Gilberto "Astrud For Lovers" (Verve Records, 2004)
Astrud Gilberto "Gold" (Verve Records, 2008)
