The Elusive Girl From Ipanema

[mjzee]

Before 1962, if John Q. Nobody gave any thought to South America at all, it probably didn't range much beyond banana republics, fugitive Nazis and Carmen Miranda. That changed 50 years ago this summer when a tall and tan and young and lovely goddess was born.

She was "The Girl From Ipanema."

Like a handful of other international crossover hits ("Day-O" from Jamaica, "Down Under" from Australia), "The Girl From Ipanema" pretty much put an entire country's music and ethos on the map. In this case, the land was Brazil, the genre was bossa nova, and the atmosphere was uniquely exotic and elusive—a seductive tropical cocktail "just like a samba that swings so cool and sways so gently," as the lyrics go.

More here:

WSJ

[JSngry]

Then:

and now:

[Larry Kart]

Time seems to have been very kind to her.

[AllenLowe]

you are aware that Astrid Gilberto is living in Philly these days? Francis Davis spotted her last year. She married a rich Jewish guy.

Edited June 30, 2012 by AllenLowe

[alocispepraluger102]

sir stanley of getz, during the times you mentioned, was using her for recreational therapy.

:rolleyes:

jobim was lifting stuff from chopin--a lot was going on.

Edited June 30, 2012 by alocispepraluger102

[A Lark Ascending]

Marvellous tune.

Never tire of the Getz/Gilberto version and, to my mind, it bears multiple interpretations (some better than others).

[Larry Kart]

you are aware that Astrid Gilberto is living in Philly these days? Francis Davis spotted her last year. She married a rich Jewish guy.

I'm planning to do that myself.

[jazzbo]

I love the interview Merv Griffin conducted with her in Rio.

[Jim R]

you are aware that Astrid Gilberto is living in Philly these days? Francis Davis spotted her last year. She married a rich Jewish guy.

Not sure you were suggesting this, but that's not Astrud in the photos Jim posted.

That Merv Griffin interview was a kick, Lon.

Bev, you are spot on. In a way it's sad that the song is much maligned due to the fact that it was so over-played, but it was and is a gem.

[AllenLowe]

just mentioning her new digs; I couldn't see Jim's photos -

[A Lark Ascending]

In a way it's sad that the song is much maligned due to the fact that it was so over-played, but it was and is a gem.

There's a bit of a piss-take of TGFI on this 1968 Mike Westbrook record:

Suspect he'd heard just one too many versions at that time, probably in tick-a-tick-a arrangements by foyer bands in Torquay hotels!

Edited July 1, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[sidewinder]

Maybe he heard Archie Shepp !

[A Lark Ascending]

Maybe he heard Archie Shepp !

I'm sure he had. But I get the impression that 'The Girl' was really bugging him. It's played pure elevator.

[sidewinder]

I'm thinking of this one from Shepp's 'Fire Music' of course..

Shepp Ipanema

Must dig out that 'Release' LP again.

[A Lark Ascending]

I'm thinking of this one from Shepp's 'Fire Music' of course..

Shepp Ipanema

Must dig out that 'Release' LP again.

I'll have to play 'Fire Music' a bit later - forgot about that.

Just got 'Release' on now - the opening of the album definitely shows the influence of the free music coming from the state - that ragged hymn/folk song thing that I associate with Ayler. The Ogun/Blue Note/Brotherhood axis went for that big time.

[Teasing the Korean]

The saddest thing about all of those great early Jobim tunes is that the English lyrics were written by hacks.

In the case of Girl from Ipanema, it was even worse, because the lyrics changed the rhythm of the main melodic phrase. The Portuguese is much more syncopated. The English is directly on the beat.

it's always baffled me that so many instrumental versions of the song retain the square English lyric phrasing rather than the more compelling Brasilian phrasing. Whenever I've played the tune, I always play the latter.

Edited July 1, 2012 by Teasing the Korean

[Jim R]

Excellent points, TTK. There's nothing like the real thing, and that applies to the whole genre of Bossa Nova.

[mikeweil]

it's always baffled me that so many instrumental versions of the song retain the square English lyric phrasing rather than the more compelling Brasilian phrasing. Whenever I've played the tune, I always play the latter.

I'm afraid most jazz musicians never heard the original and play a faint rememberance of the Getz records they heard. Or they play these tunes from faulty fake book transscriptions - at least that is what I experienced with musicians over here. I have to work hard with my current band to get a bit closer to the originals. That Brazilian feel and phrasing is much more different from jazz phrasings than one might think, and you don't learn it overnight. Many do not care for those rhythmic intricacies in the melodic phrases.

[seeline]

TTK and mikeweil - all very true.

"balanço" (the kind of "swing" you hear in most Brazilian music) is different to the US/European ideas of swing, though the Brazilians have managed to incorporate our ideas of swing into their music easily enough. That said, they've altered it to suit.

This clip of Elis Regina and Hermeto Pascoal at Montreux - completely unrehearsed - is a favorite of mine... she certainly had fun with the English-language section.

Edited July 1, 2012 by seeline

[seeline]

Excellent points, TTK. There's nothing like the real thing, and that applies to the whole genre of Bossa Nova.

I think it applies to all genres of Brazilian music, though I do agree with you re. bossa nova, Jim!

[johnlitweiler]

"Desafinado" and the "Jazz Samba" album by Getz & Byrd were pretty popular in the US and appeared some months or a year before the girl.

[JSngry]

"Desafinado" and the "Jazz Samba" album by Getz & Byrd were pretty popular in the US and appeared some months or a year before the girl.

ssshhhh....you're disrupting The WSJ's Narrative.

[mjzee]

"Desafinado" and the "Jazz Samba" album by Getz & Byrd were pretty popular in the US and appeared some months or a year before the girl.

They state that in the article: "At the time, bossa nova wasn't exactly unknown in the U.S., as shown by the Grammy-winning success of "Desafinado" from the 1962 album "Jazz Samba" by Stan Getz and Charlie Parker." They obviously mistook Charlie Byrd for Charlie "Bird" Parker.

[seeline]

Charlie Byrd was on a State Department-sponsored tour to Brazil and really *was* ahead of Getz (and others) in bringing word of bossa nova here, as well as in playing it.

He never got much recognition for that, but he never made a big deal about not getting proper credit, either.

In any case... there's so much more to Brazilian music than this song, and so much more to this song than what most non-Brazilians make of it. Even the original lyrics - they're partly about feeling alone and questioning the meaning of existence; then the speaker (singer) says he sees Beauty (not just physical beauty) in the garota (the girl) and... that changes things from fairly depressing to very hopeful.

Just my opinion, but I think this is something that can be seen in Brasil: the creation of beauty (like Carnaval costumes and parades) even in the midst of really terrible circumstances. The lyrics to "A felicidade" (from Black Orpheus) talk about that, too, from within the framework of Carnaval.

Edited July 2, 2012 by seeline

[medjuck]

Charlie Byrd was on a State Department-sponsored tour to Brazil and really *was* ahead of Getz (and others) in bringing word of bossa nova here, as well as in playing it.

He never got much recognition for that, but he never made a big deal about not getting proper credit, either.

IIRC he made a deal about not getting co-leader royalties for the Lp.