After bouncing around Philips, Atlantic, and Capitol playing Brazilian jazz or searching for an ideal blend of Brazilian and American pop, Sergio Mendes struck gold on his first try at A&M (then not much more than the home of Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass and the Baja Marimba Band). He came up with a marvelously sleek, sexy formula: dual American female voices singing in English and Portuguese over a nifty three-man bossa nova rhythm/vocal section and Mendes' distinctly jazz-oriented piano, performing tight, infectious arrangements of carefully chosen tunes from Brazil, the U.S., and the U.K. The hit was Jorge Ben's "Mas Que Nada," given a catchy, tight bossa nova arrangement with the voice of Lani Hall soaring above the swinging rhythm section. But other tracks leap out as well; the obvious rouser is the Brazilian go-go treatment of the Beatles' "Day Tripper," but the sultry treatment of Henry Mancini's "Slow Hot Wind" and the rapid-fire "Tim Dom Dom" also deserve mention.
by Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist
1 Mas Que Nada 2:41
Jorge Ben
2 One Note Samba/Spanish Flea 1:49
Antônio Carlos Jobim / Julius Wechter
3 The Joker 2:42
Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley
4 Going out of My Head 3:07
Teddy Randazzo / Bob Weinstein
5 Tim Dom Dom 1:56
João Mello
6 Day Tripper 3:07
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
7 Agua de Beber (Water to Drink) 2:32
Norman Gimbel / Antônio Carlos Jobim
8 Slow Hot Wind 2:34
Norman Gimbel / Henry Mancini
9 O Pato (The Duck) 2:00
Jayme Silva / Neuza Teixeira
10 Berimbau 3:16
Ray Gilbert / Baden Powell
Credits
Bass, Vocals – Bob Matthews
Drums – João Palma
Percussion, Vocals – José Soares
Producer – Herb Alpert
Vocals – Janis Hansen, Lani Hall
Vocals, Keyboards, Arranged By – Sérgio Mendes
HERB ALPERT PRESENTS SERGIO MENDES & BRASIL '66 [1966]
RM [2006] Verve / CBR320 / scans
O Púbis da Rosa
