“Every time I make a new album,” states the legendary Brazilian maestro
Sergio Mendes, “it’s a new musical adventure.” Over the course of a career that
has amassed an astounding track record of 35-plus albums made and millions sold,
Mendes has embarked on many adventures, highlighted by his early ‘60s Bossa Rio
Sextet outings in Brazil, his worldwide breakthrough Brasil’66 group (and its
many iterations), his 1992 Grammy-winning milestone Brasileiro and his brilliant
2006 outing on Concord Records, Timeless, a Brazilian music-meets-hip hop
collaboration with Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am.
For his follow-up to 2008’s Encanto, another “enchanted celebration” of the
Brazilian songbook, Mendes returns with his refreshing and invigorating new
Concord Records collection, Bom Tempo. The melodies are indelible, the explosive
percussion is exciting, the harmony-laced singing exhilarates, and the
arrangements exude both celebration and romance. “This is bom tempo music, good
times music,” says the Brazilian-born, U.S.-based producer- composer
pianist-keyboardist-arranger- who sought to sum up the CD with a succinct
Portuguese title. “It’s all about the good times, good weather, good tempos. The
album is about the diversity, joy and sensuality of Brazilian music—songs I
previously recorded and some that I never have—played by Brazilian and American
musicians.”
While Bom Tempo showcases tunes from the crème de la crème of Brazilian
songwriters (including Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gilberto Gil, Joao Donato,
Carlinhos Brown, Jorge Benjor, Milton Nascimento and Moacir Santos) and a song
from his old friend Stevie Wonder, written especially for Mendes in 1977, the
simmering “The Real Thing” (first recorded on Sergio Mendes and the New Brasil
'77album).
“I think it’s wonderful to see how young people all around the world
appreciate Brazilian music” he says. “I wanted to create a collection of songs
that are mostly up-tempo, fresh and danceable, so that young people can relate
to. I wanted to reintroduce great Brazilian melodies in a different way and
communicate with a new audience.” Case in point: the Benjor Brazilian hit song,
“Pais Tropical,” with a rap interlude.
While many of Mendes’ friends and long time collaborators are present on the
album (including drummers Mike Shapiro and Vinnie Colaiuta, bassists Nathan
Watts and Alphonso Johnson, guitarists Paul Jackson Jr. and Kleber Jorge,
percussionist Gibi, vocalist Gracinha Leporace —the bandleader’s wife—and
songwriter-arranger-vocalist Carlinhos Brown, who was integral to the success of
the Brasileiro album), newcomers are also in the mix.
Most prominent is Milton Nascimento, who contributes his own “Caxanga,” a
moody, mysterious children’s song that he had only recorded once. He sings the
lead vocal in his singular style and plays the acoustic guitar. “This is very
special,” says Mendes. “Even though we are more or less contemporaries, this is
the first time we’ve worked together. Milton is one of my favorite Brazilian
singer/composers, no doubt about it. Coincidentally, I went to a show Milton
performed in Los Angeles, and we went out to dinner afterwards. I told him about
the new record and how I’d love to have him be a part of it. The next day, he
called me up and said, ‘Sergio, I have a surprise for you.’ He brought this song
in and it worked out perfectly.”
Seu Jorge is one of the most promising, hot, new Brazilian singers (American
audiences may be familiar with his acting debut in the Bill Murray film “The
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou”). “It has always been my pleasure to introduce
new Brazilian talent in my albums, and we do have so many gifted artists in
Brazil. Seu Jorge’s participation brings the kind of freshness which has always
been associated with my projects.”
There are important new faces in Mendes’ Bom Tempo. One of them is horn
player Scott Mayo, who not only plays saxophones and woodwinds instruments, but
also arranged the horn section for the tracks. “He brought tremendous energy to
the project. He also invited some of his friends, including trombonist Andrew
Lippman, and trumpeter Bill Churchville - they add so much color to the songs.”
Mendes also had the pleasure of working with very talented guitarist Jack
Majdecki. “He has been doing lead sheets for me for a long time, but this is the
first time he has actually played with me – what a joy to work with him.”
In addition, Mendes introduces to the party young and talented singers Katie
Hampton (who has been in Mendes’ band for the last 2 years) and Nayanna Holley,
new band addition H2O, a rapper from Oakland, CA and Brazilian musician Mika
Mutti, a great, original Brazilian Rhythm Designer, also from Bahia.
Bom Tempo opens with a spirited, chant-like take on the Gil/Donato
song “Emorio”, featuring Holley and Brown on lead vocals. The latter contributes
a funky rap that pays tribute to Brazil’s songwriters. In the Afro-Brazilian mix
are allusions to such Mendes’ hits as “Mas Que Nada” and “The Frog.”
The second track, another dance-oriented jewel, “Maracatu Atomico,” was a
first-time rendering, complete with a great horn section and percussive beat,
based on the Afro-Brazilian maracatu rhythm.
Another song on the CD with the rhythm, “Maracatu (Nation of Love)” is a
samba-infused beauty featuring a gorgeous Jorge/Leporace conversation-like duet
and luminous horns. At the close of the song, in the fade, there is a duet by
bassist Alphonso Johnson and Mendes, with scats by Seu Jorge, which Mendes
jokingly calls “30-seconds of ear candy at the end.” This maracatu song was
composed by Moacir Santos, who also penned the romantic tune on the CD, “Orpheus
(Quiet Carnival),” that Mendes and Leporace sing.
Moacir, says Mendes, was one of his mentors. “He lived in Rio and worked at
the National Radio, “stated Mendes. “He always had a special way of writing and
orchestrating. He had his own style. I took music lessons from him when I was
17, and he wrote some of the arrangements on my first Bossa Rio Sextet album,
along with Antonio Carlos Jobim. He was one of the most prolific
composer/arrangers of Brazilian music. Mendes considers Moacir “the Duke
Ellington of Brazilian music.”
On Bom Tempo, there are new interpretations of some Brazilian classics,
including a fresh spin on “Ye-Me-Le”, with a cool rap performed by new band
member H2O and a remake of “Magalenha” (from Brasileiro) that features great
steel guitar, rap and body percussion contributions from Brown. Says Mendes:
“Carlinhos was in Los Angeles for two weeks, so we decided to work on a new,
special version of the song he wrote. I said, let’s do a 2010 version that not
only exhibits great Brazilian music but also pays tribute to the World Cup games
this year. Because those soccer games will be played in Cape Town, South Africa,
I had the idea of using some Zulu words as part of the song.”
New additions to the Mendes recording songbook on Bom Tempo include a
brand-new Brown composition, the grooved, romantic “You and I,” sung in English
by the songwriter and Holley; and two Jobim gems featuring Leporace: the
soothing “Caminhos Cruzados,” with a cool and minimalist quartet (Mendes,
Johnson, Shapiro and Majdecki) playing in an intimate setting, and “Só Tinha De
Ser Com Voce,” a swinging uptempo piece. “Jobim was another mentor and a dear
friend to me,” says Mendes. “On “So Tinha…” Scott arranged the horns to have an
infectious, Carnaval-like feel.
Proud of his Brazilian heritage and aware of the magic and seduction of his
homeland’s music, which keeps attracting young audiences through the years, all
over the world, Mendes notes “It started with Jobim, being played by Stan Getz
and Charlie Byrd with Astrud and Joao Gilberto; then it was myself with
Cannonball Adderley; Ron Carter, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald recording with
Jobim, and later David Byrne putting those compilation albums of a variety of
Brazilian musicians playing all kinds of styles. He adds, “More recently (with
Timeless and Encanto) the attraction continues, with will.i.am , John Legend,
India.Arie, Fergie, and so many more, who love the music so much and were
instrumental in helping to expose it to people in their audience. Even for Bom
Tempo, when I met the 20-year-old DJ guys Bimbo Jones in London, they were
totally into watching YouTube videos of Brasil ’66. It just goes to show you
that Brazilian music has a universal appeal and it IS timeless… ” And so is
Sergio Mendes.
