BRAZIL WEEK (FEBRUARY 4-10, 2013)
Note: this release was originally purchased as an LP, later replaced by a CD.
I bought this album in 1985 and, expecting something more along the lines of Ritenour's Rio album, I was initially disappointed because the opening track had Portuguese vocals by some guy named Lins who I had never heard of before. Now I can laugh at myself as I realize at that time, I was far more interested in Brazilian-influenced smooth jazz than anything resembling music currently coming from Brazil. The three Lins-penned tunes are so far removed from the other music, that it makes for a very uneven release. It's not the best album, but I've heard far worse. Allmusic's one sentence review simply reads, "Ivan Lins and Ritenour almost save the day." That's a bit harsh, but I rarely give this one a listen.
Press of the time:
- Downbeat (★★★): "this might just be the perfect piece of background music you've been searching for."
- CashBox: "polished Latinish fusion that should appeal to fans of both leaders"
- Billboard: "Brazilian-flavored collection"
Chart peaks:
- US Billboard Top 200 chart: #192
- Billboard Pop CD chart: #26
- Billboard jazz chart: #2
- CashBox album chart: #130
- CashBox CD chart: #24
- CashBox jazz chart: #1
- Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay Chart: #4
Tracks: I'm still not much of a fan of the opening track, but I do like Early A.M. Attitude, Before It's Too Late (Antes Que Seja Tarde), and Beyond The Storm (Depois Dos Temporais). Early A.M. Attitude won a Grammy award for Best Instrumental Arrangement. Track 6 is a bizarre little hodge-podge of a piece titled Cats Of Rio that should probably be avoided.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I remember this particular release appearing in magazines' advertisements promoting emerging digital audio tape (DAT) player/recorders in the late '80s. I always thought this was a curious choice, but it was a digitally mastered recording which was relatively new back then.
Previously revisited for the blog:
Larry & Lee (1995)
Festival (1988)
On The Line (1983)
Out Of The Shadows (1982)
"Rit" (1981)
Rio (1979)
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