Thursday, April 03, 2014

Agua De Beber - Astrud Gilberto

Samba Week!


Song: Agua De Beber
Artist: Astrud Gilberto
Album: The Astrud Gilberto Album




After the success of Stan Getz Jazz Samba album in 1962, he teamed up with João Gilberto for the album Getz/Gilberto the following year.  João's wife Astrud, despite having never sung outside of their home prior, was used as vocalist on two tracks, "Corcovado" and the opener, "The Girl from Ipanema," which became an international hit, selling over a million copies and single handedly launched her career as a singer.  She collaborated again with Getz in '64 for the more American-leaning Getz Au Go Go, and in 1965 she released her first album, The Astrud Gilberto Album, which highlighted her sweet/fragile voice and returned to the slow, Bossa Nova sound that made "Ipanema" a smash.

The Astrud Gilberto Album is a sweet, vocal Bossa Nova album that sounds like it was tailor made for an audience hungry for an album full of "The Girl from Ipanema"'s.

Astrud divorced João in the mid-sixties and then struck up a romantic relationship with Getz while on tour.  [Scandal!]  She continued to perform throughout the next several decades and notably recorded the Samba classic "Desafinado" with George Michael for the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Rio.  A track I didn't even know existed until friend and reader Geoff tipped me after posting the Getz/Byrd version at the beginning of the week.

An unlikely Bossa Nova/Samba superstar that at the age of 61, co-wrote and recorded the album Jungle in 2001.  She is 74.



Enjoy.

Agua De Beber

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