Brasil '66 Reunion??

[Brasil_66_Fan]

Listening to Equinox with my new AKG headphones (65th birthday present from the kids) while the wife's watching a movie, I had a crazy thought - would there be any chance at all for a 50th(!) anniversary tour of Sergio and the original Brasil '66 members (Lani, Janis, Jose, Bob & Joao) next year??? I'd sign up in a heartbeat, even if I had to fly there! Not sure of the health of them all, but the thought of it sure boggles my mind. Maybe an organized campaign would help.......?

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

Sergio recently posted on Facebook, asking fans to make suggestions for his next album. Maybe you could get a movement going!

 

[Brasil_66_Fan]

Great idea; tried to reply to Sergio's suggestion in Face book, but since I've hardly ever been on it, don't know how to load it in! Getting one of my kids to help out. Another thought is to have Sergio's current group perform rearrangements of early stuff (For Me, Berimbau, Agua De Beber, Look Around, etc.) as a 50th Anniversary compilation if getting the original group back together is impractical....

 

[Brasil_Nut]

Question is: would Janis or Karen be willing to come back for old time's sake? Lani and Gracinha sang together at the Hollywood Bowl for the 40th. They were dead-on Brasil '66!!

Interesting idea!!

Jon...the "Brasil Nut"

 

[Mike Blakesley]

They could do something like the Doobie Brothers do: Their group is always open to any members, current or past, to perform. Sergio could put the word out about a 50th anniversary concert and see who signs up! Of course some of the Brasil '66 2.0 member are no longer with us. Imagine if all the various vocalists showed up!

 

[Rudy]

I did suggest (not via fb, thank you very much) that he revisit the early 60s jazz angle. Those are my favorites of his recordings, to be honest.

 

[Rudy]

...but yeah, I agree, even some kind of nod to Brasil '66, which kicked his career up several notches, would really be a nice thing to happen. Even if it were the later Brasil '66, I wouldn't mind, or even a mash-up of both groups.

 

[Brasil_66_Fan]

I hope that whatever his next project is, that he gets back to his 'Primal Roots' and ditches the rap stuff. There's a bit of criticism on line regarding his recent concerts that people attended, expecting to wax nostalgic in Sergio's vintage songs but hearing rap versions of 'Look of Love' instead. Not my cup of tea either.....

BTW, I did enter a comment into Sergio's Facebook page (after asking my son how) on the 18th, but no response yet.

 

[Brasil_Nut]

I also hope that Sergio moves away from the Rap movement. There are ways and ways of moving with the times, and there's so much more to modern Jazz/Pop than Rap. I hope he'll revisit those Jazz/Pop roots with his upcoming sound. The rap was fine. It served its purpose. Now, it's time to get back to what he's known for: beautiful arrangements and his distinctive sound. He has an amazing vocal (not to mention band) line-up, Brasil '66 (revisited) or not, it would be (So Nice...pardon the pun) to see him get back to the classic "Mendes" sound.

Jon...the "Brasil Nut"

 

[Rudy]

Agreed--that rap thing was a good diversion for him (it seems like it rejuvenated him, musically), but it ran its course.

One reason I like him in smaller group settings, such as the Brasil '65 album, is that I get to hear a lot more of his piano work. On those pre-Brasil '66 albums, his playing really has a distinctive style that nobody else had. You heard echoes of it in Brasil '66, but not as front and center as those earlier albums of his. His later albums have been great fun though, don't get me wrong!

 

[lj]

Yes, that would be awesome for old time sake if the original Brasil 66 band got together again. I did some internet research which suggests that the guys are still around. Per the link below, bassist Bob Matthews appeared at the 2007 Monterrey jazz festival and has had a busy career performing with the jazz bands of Woody Herman and Willie Bobo, and has backed up the likes of Tony Bennett, Al Jarreau etc.

http://www.talkbass.com/threads/bob-matthews-monterey-jazz-festival.366857/

 

[lj]

Here is a video of drummer Joao Palma from 2014 in Rio de Janeiro.

 

[lj]

Lastly, here's some recording info about percussionist Jose Soares.

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jose-soares-mn0001237173/credits

 

[Hardbossa]

Even if they (João Palma, José Soares, Bob Matthews and Janis Hansen) were in good health and able to perform, I am not sure if they would like to rejoin after all of them had been suddenly (and possibly traumatically)
fired by Sergio Mendes in 1968.

 

[Hardbossa]

Sergio recently posted on Facebook, asking fans to make suggestions for his next album. Maybe you could get a movement going!

I would suggest that he produce a Tom Jobim Song book album with Lani Hall and a small combo to highlight her voice.

 

[Rudy]

 

[Mike Blakesley]

One reason I like him in smaller group settings, such as the Brasil '65 album, is that I get to hear a lot more of his piano work.

Me too. If I could have any "Sergio-related" wish, I would wish for an album with:

Sergio playing acoustic piano or electric, but no "synths"
No rap or "dance beats" (unless they're bossa beats, but not that boom-boom-boom that he's done so much of lately)
Lani and Gracinha on vocals

I've liked his recent music but there's been a lot of sameness to it. The Encanto album was fantastic for the most part -- if he continued along that line I'd be a happy camper, although I wasn't fond of the will.i.am parts.

 

[Rudy]

I need to get back to writing up those old Mendes albums on here--even though they had almost no interest or replies in the forum, they do clarify which albums came in roughly which order, point out the duplicates/alternate titles for the same albums, etc.

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

I have most of them and like them a lot. I'd have to stop & think about what's what, re-titling, etc. Funny thing, they've been coming up a lot lately in shuffle play on my 80 GB iPod which is docked to my whole house music system. It's amazing how many times Sergio goes back to re-make certain titles!

 

[Trevor]

My two cents:
While a reunion sounds good in theory, I really don't want remakes of the same song. What I think is cool is when Siedah sang a new version of "Fool on the Hill". (Ivete Sangalo with Chove Chuva was nice, but she had not been part of Sergio's group before that) That is what would be great. Imagine Lani Hall singing "Waiting for Love". Janis doing "Waters of March". Well, you get the idea.

No offense to H2O, but he is tiring and not will.i.am. So many top 40 songs with a rapper stuck in the middle somewhere.

Sergio seems to wear out a good idea. Joe Pizzulo has hits with a duet and Alibis. Brasil'86 becomes a duet album with Joe Pizzulo songs. I think that this Scott Mayo might be the next Joe Pizzulo. You know?

I would like to hear a remake of a Edu Lobo song. Crystal Illusions, Upa Neguinho, Zanzibar, For Me, etc.

Tristeza, Roda, Cinnamon and Clove (B'66), Night and Day - these are classics that could be remade.

I was looking forward to the remakes of Ye-Me-Le and Pais Tropical - but I was disappointed by the meaningless rap. Pais Tropical's middle part was taken out. Ye-Me-Le's chorus was dumbified (simplified).

Yeah, Encanto is the best in this new series. Magic is a strong second. Timeless was a strong beginning. Bom Tempo fell kinda flat.

Thanks for letting me get that off of my chest.
Thank you for also looking beyond the lack of accents in the portuguese words.

 

[TulitaPepsi]

Sergio recently posted this photo on FB with no comment...a clue for the new album? An all-Jobim album maybe????
I posted the suggestion for "Dindi" with Lani & Herb.....

 

[Mike Blakesley]

That would be great - he could do "Girl from Ipanema" with vocals, which I don't think he's done on a studio album to my knowledge. I'm kind of surprised he never did that with B'66 given how famous the song was.

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

Just bought our tickets for Sergio's February 3rd show, here in Connecticut, being billed as "The 50th Anniversary of Brasil '66" Tour.

 

[Rudy]

Since Sergio rarely visits Michigan, I just might have to do something like a trip to Connecticut to see him. We'll see what happens, though. This early in the game, tour dates can be added. I'm thinking more of the summer concerts in the area, where smaller venues (Meadowbrook, Freedom Hill, Chene Park, etc.) suited to the size of his audience would be perfect. He would also be a hit at the jazz festival over Labor Day weekend as well.

 

[lj]

Here is a very recent video from December 2015 with the Joao Palma Trio performing with the brilliant Brazilian jazz singer Ithamara Koorax. They are performing at the legendary Bottles Bar in Rio de Janeiro, which reopened several years ago with the sponsorship of Heineken. Ithamara has incredible vocal range and is noted for hitting the high note. The advertisement for the show from the Beco das Garrafas (Bottles Bar) website referred to Joao as a "lendario" (legend). It noted his work with Jobim, Sergio Mendes, Frank Sinatra, Paul Desmond and Astrud Gilberto. If only we could get this drumming legend together with the rest of the Brasil 66 Alumni for a reunion show.