Jazz pianist, composer and arranger Eumir Deodato was one of the most successful Brazilian artists to emerge from the bossa nova scene of the early 1960s... By the decade's end, Deodato emigrated to the United States, where his talents were much in demand, both as an arranger and studio musician. He worked with Frank Sinatra, Astrud Gilberto, and numerous jazz and pop artists. Although he had recorded several albums in Brazil, it was his American debut in the early 1970s that made him famous, notably his radical jazz-fusion reinvention of Richard Strauss's already-bombastic "Also Sprach Zarathustra," which was a huge hit in the United States. Personally, I'm not much of a fan, of either Deodato or the fusion style he pioneered... Hence, the shortage of actual reviews on this page: I've just got other fish to fry. Still, here's a listing of his various albums and projects, with reviews to be added as time permits.
Eumir Deodato "Inutil Passagem" (Forma, 1964)
An album of Antonio Carlos Jobim compositions, rearranged by Deodato.
Eumir Deodato "Samba Nova Concepcao" (Equipe, 1964)
Eumir Deodato "Ideias" (Odeon, 1964)
Os Catedraticos "Impulso! Samba" (Equipe, 1965)
Os Catedraticos "Tremendao" (Equipe, 1965)
Os Catedraticos "Ataque" (Equipe, 1965)
Joao Donato & Eumir Deodato "Donato Deodato" (Muse, 1969)
Eumir Deodato & Os Catedraticos "O Som Dos Catedraticos" (Equipe, 1970/Ubatuqui, 1998)
Mid-'60s Deodato instrumentals, featuring several early compositions by Marcos Valle. (This has the first recorded versions of "The Crickets Sing For Ana Maria" and "Summer Samba"... just without lyrics.) Although recorded in 1964/65, this album wasn't released until 1970, by which time its soft-bossa easy listening sound was pretty passe.
Eumir Deodato "Percepcao" (Odeon, 1972)
Weird stuff. Deodato takes the ornate, orchestral traditions of Radames Gnattali, Lindolfo Gaya and Tom Jobim, and stretches it to absurd heights. It's sort of a mix of highbrow modernism and super-cheesy kitsch, much of if with a piercing, mildly grating edge. I suppose his ability to annoy means that this music does have some sort of heft to it, but if so, it's appeal is a little too cerebral for me; on a purely sensual level, it's pretty damn irritating.
Eumir Deodato "Prelude" (CTI, 1972)
Straight-up funky fusion jazz, with a few dips into milky easy listening. Backing Deodato up are wah-wah-happy electric guitarist John Tropea, bassists Ron Carter and Stanley Clarke, Billy Cobham on drums and Airto Moreira and Ray Barretto slapping the skins... And, yes, you should be very, very embarassed if someone catches you listening to this album, even though I gotta admit the opening track, a driving Chick Corea-ish version of "Also Sprach Zarathustra," is pretty wicked. Well, okay, so that song might be worth it, but the rest of the album is fairly negligible.
Eumir Deodato "Deodato 2" (CTI, 1973)
Eumir Deodato "In Concert/Live At Felt Forum" (CTI, 1973)
Eumir Deodato & Os Catedraticos "73" (Mercury, 1973)
Organ-led instrumental easy listening, by way of Booker T, Hugh Masekela, or even Timmy Thomas. Kitsch devotees and "acid jazz" fans should find a lot to celebrate in this album, but it may rapidly wear thin for others.
Eumir Deodato "Whirlwinds" (MCA, 1974)
Eumir Deodato "Artistry: Live At The Mississippi River Festival" (MCA, 1974)
Eumir Deodato "First Cuckoo" (MCA, 1975)
Eumir Deodato "Very Together" (MCA, 1976)
Eumir Deodato "Love Island" (Warner Brothers, 1978)
Eumir Deodato "Knights Of Fantasy" (Warner Brothers, 1979)
Eumir Deodato "Night Cruiser" (Warner Brothers, 1980)
Eumir Deodato "Happy Hour" (Warner Brothers, 1982)
Eumir Deodato "Motion" (Warner Brothers, 1984)
Eumir Deodato "Somewhere Out There" (Atlantic, 1989)
Eumir Deodato "Skyscrapers" (Irma, 2002)
Eumir Deodato "Deodato Plays Marcos Valle" (Irma, 2002) *
(Produced by Eumir Deodato & Arnaldo DeSouteiro)
Eumir Deodato "Lounge '64" (Irma, 2003)
Eumir Deodato "Bossa Nova Sessions, v.2" (Irma, 2003)
Eumir Deodato "Ao Vivo No Rio" (Biscoito Fino, 2007)
Eumir Deodato "The Best Of Eumir Deodato"
I have no idea when this came out, or what periods of his work it covers...
Eumir Deodato "S.O.S. - Fire In The Sky" (2006)
Remixes of '80s material.
