Now

The world's first exposure to Astrud Gilberto's melodious, cool yet sensuous voice was on the 1963 Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto international hit "The Girl From Ipanema", a song that was instrumental in popularising Brazilian bossa nova on an international scale. Gilberto's influence (she alternates singing in Portuguese and English) can be discerned in the divergent styles of Stereolab, Everything but the Girl, and Sade. NOW was originally issued in 1972, after she'd left Verve Records--here, she incorporates influences of funk (a la Isaac Hayes) and the then-burgeoning style of jazz fusion into her languid, dreamy style. Performed by a stellar crew of musicians (including Ron Carter, Deodato, and Billy Cobham), NOW is classy, summery, late-night mood music that nonetheless maintains a warm, lively groove throughout.|

Two years after her underrated album on CTI Records, Astrud Gilbertos follow-up is her first attempt to be taken seriously, not as a singer -- she had that covered -- but as a songwriter, at a time when simply singing standards was seen as lacking. Her four songs on this ten-song album show she has a way with a melody, though obviously influenced by countrymen Milton Nascimento and Jorge Ben, and her producer Eumir Deodato. "Gingele" and "Zigy Zigy Za" are exactly the kind of riff-based tropicalismo that Ben and company were making popular around this time. "Take It Easy My Brother Charlie" is probably her best song here (covered over 20 years later by Kahimi Karie); its an original by Gilberto and associate producer David Jordan, not the similarly titled song by Ben. Very few concessions are made to America; only "Daybreak (Walking Out of Yesterday)" comes from the pop world, with instrumentation and sound coming from south of the equator. ~ Ted Mills

ヴァーヴ時代後にひっそりとリリースされた、アストラッド・ジルベルトの72年盤。時代的にも試行錯誤したであろう本作のなかでも“Zigy Zigy Za”は成功例。まさにジャケのブルーのような（くすんだ）爽快感が堪能できます。全体的にはなんとも暖かくて、メロウで素朴な楽曲が多く、一聴地味ながらも（?）、末永くお付き合いできる一枚となっている。見事なアレンジは、御大エウミール・デオダートの手によるもの。
bounce (C)薄井久直