JazzWax

Backgrounder: Antonio Carlos Jobim's 'Wave'

The ever beautiful Getz/Gilberto may have been the album that popularized the bossa nova when released in 1964, but Antonio Carlos Jobim's Wave (1967) was, for me, its instrumental peer. Both albums were produced by Creed Taylor, the former on Verve and the latter on Creed's new CTI imprint at A&M Records.

This Jobim masterpiece was arranged by Claus Ogerman and recorded in 1967 on May 22, 23 and 24 and on June 15. Jobim played guitar, piano and harpsichord. Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., the musicians featured on the sessions included Urbie Green, Jimmy Cleveland (tb) Ray Beckenstein, Romeo Penque, Jerome Richardson (fl,pic) Joseph Singer (fhr) Antonio Carlos Jobim (p,harpsichord,g) Ron Carter (b) Dom Um Romao, Bobby Rosengarden, Claudio Slon (d,perc) + strings, Claus Ogerman (cond) Bernard Eichen, Lewis Eley, Paul Gershman, Emanuel "Manny" Green, Louis Haber, Julius Held, Leo Kruczek, Harry Lookofsky, Joseph Malignaggi, Gene Orloff, Raoul Poliakin, Irving Spice, Louis Stone (vln) Abe Kessler, Charles McCracken, George Ricci, Harvey Shapiro (cello).

For my conversation with Creed about this album, go here. For the story behind the cover, see my interview with Pete Turner, the photographer, here.

Here's Antonio Carlos Jobim's Wave in full, without ads...

Other ad-free Backgrounders in my series:

• Zoot Sims Plays Bossa Nova, go here.
• Lee Morgan: Lee-Way, go here.
• Bossa Nova for Swinging Lovers, go here.
• Leon Spencer: Louisiana Slim, go here.
• Bossa Nova Modern Quartet: Bossa Nova Jazz Samba, go here.
• Bill Evans & Luiz Eça: Piano Four Hands, go here.
• Ray Brown Trio: Don't Get Sassy, go here.
• Os Tatuis: Os Tatuis, go here.
• Waltel Branco: Mancini Tambem É Samba, go here.
• Jack Wilson Plays Brazilian Mancini, go here.
• Conjunto Copacabana Bossa: Bossa, go here.
• Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Swings Lightly, go here.
• Charles Earland: Charles Earland, go here.
• Kenny Burrell: Crash! w/ Jack McDuff, go here.
• Jack McDuff: The Heatin' System, go here.
• Horace Sliver: Horace-Scope, go here.

Video: Joan Chamorro and the WDR Big Band

Earlier this week, Kurt Kolstad sent along an email that included a link to the following clip. In May, Germany's WDR Big Band performed Darn That Dream, arranged and conducted by Joan Chamorro (above), the musical director of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band in Barcelona, Spain. Alba Esteban (below) of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, performed the baritone saxophone solo with grace and beauty. Frankly, it's one of the most endearing ballad solos on the instrument that I've heard in some time.

Joan knows how much JazzWax loves him. I last posted about Joan here. I first met Joan and posted about the band he leads while in Barcelona on behalf of the U.S. State Department in 2013 (go here).

Here's the amazing clip...

Update: Tammy Burdett, 'Fancy Free'

Back in February, filmmaker Kristian St. Clair wrote to tell me about a new project he was working on. His last one was a spectacular documentary called This Is Gary McFarland. In his email, Kristian also let me know that there were a bunch of clips up on YouTube from a Seattle TV show in the early 1960s that likely featured the earliest known videos and first gigs of guitarists Larry Coryell and Ralph Towner appearing with the Individuals, a local jazz combo.

I took a look. Coryell and Towner were amazing (go here), but my eye went to the young woman in the group on the upright bass. She played with confidence and sang a few songs, including originals. Who was this woman, listed as Tammy Burdett? Curious, I tracked down Tammy on the West Coast and sent her an email asking if I could interview her. Tammy was game and sent along two self-produced CDs of her singing original songs in 2003, 2007 and 2011. She also sent along a package of photos I had asked for to illustrate my planned interview post. The CDs were recorded as demos to showcase her songs for interested singers. All of the words and music and arrangements were by Tammy.

I gave her two CDs a listen and was blown away. The songs were well crafted, superbly arranged and Tammy's voice was terrific. There was a swinging optimism and freshness about her jazz sound, and her original songs were wonderful and could easily have been written for a 1960s or '70s Greenwich Village musical about two young 20-somethings falling in love. Tammy began receiving JazzWax, and we quickly became daily pen-pals.

Meanwhile, I posted my interview with Tammy in March (go here). Sadly, readers couldn't access her music. The CDs she had sent were out of print. So I brought Tammy's music to the attention of Jordi Pujol of Fresh Sound in Spain. Jordi wrote back and said he, too, was as blown away. Her swinging jazz style was unique and overwhelmingly appealing, and her songs were vivid and catchy. Jordi said he wanted to put out Tammy's two self-produced CDs as a single Fresh Sound release. I told Tammy, who was thunderstruck and over the moon. I put Jordi in touch with Tammy.

Now, Fresh Sound has released Fancy Free, Tammy Burdett's two CDs as one. The CD sounds absolutely terrific. There isn't a bad song on here, which should be exciting news for jazz vocalists looking for fresh material that no one else has recorded. Naturally, Tammy is flabbergasted by all that has happened in the past six months. Which just goes to prove that good things still happen to good people.

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Tammy Burdett's Fancy Free (Fresh Sound) here.

JazzWax tracks: Here's You Bring Out the Lover in Me...

You Bring Out the Lover in Me

And here's Bright Lights...

Bright Lights

Bonus: Here's Tammy in 1966 with Ralph Tower on piano and guitar and Chuck Mahaffay on reeds and drums on Seattle's Buddy Webber Show...