A&M Records Near Mint (NM) Condition
When this album was produced in 1969, alto saxophonist Paul Desmond, who had become famous during his long tenure with pianist Dave Brubeck's quartet in the Fifties and Sixties, had left that group and gone out on his own. With his laid-back, sensuous sound, his subtle and lithe rhythmic variations, Desmond was ideally suited to interpret Brazilian standards. The brainchild of Sergio Mendes who had scored tremendous hits with his group Brasil 66 From the Hot Afternoon was provided a lush orchestral backing and settings by Don Sebesky, and rhythmic support by the great team of Ron Carter on bass and Airto Moreira on drums and percussion. The Brazilian Airto, with his souffl of textured rhythms, is a perfect match for Desmond's saxophone. And the guitars of Dorio Ferreira and Edu Lobo provide an ideal cushion for Desmond's sly yet warm sound. Several of Lobo's compositions are featured on the album, notably "Crystal Illusions," as are works by another emerging master of the era, a teenaged newcomer named Milton Nascimento.
The supporting cast is stellar and the material has been carefully chosen from the songbook of the Brazilian generation that followed the bossa nova masters like Antonio Carlos Jobim. But it is Paul Desmond's dry-ice wit that holds everything together, giving a flavorful balance to the essential sweetness of the Brazilian pop sound. The saxophonist spins out this wryly gentle reverie on love and loss with deceptive ease.
Original recordings produced by Creed Taylor
Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder
Basic tracks- alto saxophone, guitar, bass, and drums- recorded recorded 1969 at Van Gelder Recording Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey; tracks 6, 7, and 10 on June 24 and 25; tracks 1-5, 8, and 9-16 on August 13 and 14; orchestra parts overdubbed later.
Side 1.
1. October
2. Round 'n' Round
3. Faithful Brother
4. To Say Goodbye
5. From the Hot Afternoon
Side 2.
1. Circles
2. Martha & Romao
3. Catavento
4. Latin Chant
5. Crystal Illusions
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