Maysa Matarazzo (1936-1977) was one of the most famous female vocalists in Brazil during the 1950s; in the bossa nova era she became a conduit for pianist Roberto Menescal's explorations of the new style, and was an important early interpreter of Antonio Carlos Jobim's work. Personally, I've never been a fan of Maysa's vocals -- she strikes me as too overwrought and slushy, and generally I don't care for her arrangements. That being said, she is highly regarded among the bossa nova in-crowd, and some of her stuff is pretty nice... So here's a quick (if somewhat reluctant) look at some of her records...
Maysa "Convite Para Ouvir Maysa" (RGE, 1956)
Maysa "Maysa" (RGE, 1957)
Maysa "Convite Para Ouvir Maysa, v.2" (RGE, 1958)
Maysa "Convite Para Ouvir Maysa, v.3" (RGE, 1958)
Maysa "Convite Para Ouvir Maysa, v.4" (RGE, 1959)
Maysa "Maysa E Maysa... E Maysa... E Maysa" (RGE, 1959)
Maysa "Voltei" (RGE, 1960)
Maysa "Maysa Canta Sucessos" (RGE, 1960)
Maysa "Maysa, Amor... E Maysa" (RGE, 1960)
Maysa "Barquinho" (Columbia, 1961)
(Arrangements by Luiz Eca & Roberto Menescal)
A swinging beat gets dragged down by Maysa's slushy delivery, although this is catchier than some of her other albums. The band backing her is an all-star ensemble from the early bossa nova scene, including Roberto Menescal and Roberto Boscoli, who co-wrote most of the songs on this album. It's not bad, by any means, but even with some of the best talent in Brazil at her disposal, after a while the tempo starts to sag... Maysa's sense of timing is a bit odd and her vocals are a bit overripe and languid.
Maysa "Cancao Do Amor Mais Triste" (RGE, 1962)
Maysa "Maysa" (Elenco/Polygram, 1964)
(Produced by Aloysio De Oliveira)
As much Teresa Brewer-y pop-jazz vocals as bossa nova cool, this live show founders over Maysa Matarazzo's slushy, husky vocals. The strength of this live performance comes from the smooth, competent backup by Eumir Deodato's combo. Sound quality is pretty stellar, too, considering that this was a concert, but the overall feel is too goopy for me. Plus, she really bugs me.
Maysa "Maysa" (RCA, 1966)
(Produced by Hugo Pereira Nunes)
I gotta admit it, this album ain't bad. I mean, her hair looks terrible, but that has nothing to do with the music inside, which is a dense, challenging mix of modern jazz styles. The opening track offers a cool, dark sound, reminiscent of Miles Davis's pre-fusion atonalities; then the band moves on to tightly crafted big band-ish material, inspired perhaps by the likes of Stan Kenton and other classical-influenced jazz modernists. Maysa's vocals are notably stronger and more concise than on her early work... She even busts out with some French chanson that sounds just like the real thing! Erlon Chaves and Chico de Moraes are the principal arrangers, and their hands are steady and sure... So far this is the best of her albums that I've heard, definitely worth checking out.
Maysa "Maysa" (Copacabana, 1969)
Maysa "Canecao Apresenta Maysa" (Copacabana, 1969)
Maysa "So Numa Multidao De Amores" (EMI, 2008)
Maysa "Maysa" (Evento/Odeon, 1975)
Maysa "Serie Bis - Cantores Do Radio" (EMI, 2000)
Maysa Matarazzo was one of the most famous female vocalists in Brazil during the 1950s; in the bossa nova era she became the conduit for pianist Roberto Menescal's explorations of the new style, and was an important early interpreter of Antonio Carlos Jobim's work. Personally, I've never been a fan of Maysa's vocals -- she strikes me as too overwrought and slushy, and generally I don't care for her arrangements. That being said, this 2-CD set is the best retrospective of her work that I've heard. It's well-programmed and engaging, covering a wide swath of her career, from 1960 to her death in the 1970s. It omits her early work on the RGE label (which is not part of the EMI empire...) yet gives a pretty complete picture of her style and inclinations. If you want to check Maysa out, this is where I'd recommend you start. (For more information about her career, check out Ruy Castro's charming book, Bossa Nova, which is reviewed in my World Music book reviews section.)
Maysa "Tom Jobim Por Maysa" (2005)
Maysa "Novo Millennium" (Universal, 2005)
Maysa "A Bossa Nova Por Maysa" (Pampa Music, 1992)
Maysa "So Numa Multidao De Amores" (EMI, 2008)
Maysa "Grandes Sucessos" (Som Livre, 2002)
Maysa "Demais" (2007)
Maysa "Maysa Por Ela Mesma" (2007)
Maysa "Grandes Vozes" (2007)
Maysa "Maxximum" (Sony-BMG, 2006)
Maysa "Esta Chama Que Nao Vai Passar" (2008)
A tribute album featuring tracks from Alcione, Maria Bethania, Zelia Duncan, Ney Matogrosso and others.
