Spreading the Bossa Love: My Turn
I don’t know how all of this happened. Few weeks ago, I
wrote a review that gives the first Sitti album a low rating. Then last week, I
wrote a comprehensive take on why the second album is better. Suddenly, I got
invited to join the Sitti fan club, and now I’m sucked into its yahoogroups
(the address of which I will not disclose here. Go figure it out yourself.)
Anyway, there’s been quite a discussion about me before I joined,
but since my life has been moving as rapidly as an Oscar Peterson [on steroid] song,
I didn’t bother reading much of it. I joined the group with a pinch of salt,
prepared to take quite a beating from people who believe I gave Sitti quite a
beating – now please calm down, I mean figuratively.
Turns out, the members of the Sitti fan club - who use the
catchy name SittiZens - are quite benign. They gave me quite a warm welcome. And while I’m not sure I’m thrilled at the
idea of receiving tons of emails, in this case I don’t mind at all. Most of
the members are having great times discussing about their admirations toward
Sitti and spreading their love for Bossa Nova. I’m not too involved, but it’s
fun seeing newly converted Bossa Nova crew diffusing the genre. And it’s fun
talking to them too, as they’re a nice and cheerful bunch.
But since I’m now a member of that group, I feel the need to
do the same task of spreading the Bossa Nova love. Although I’ve always
preferred Cool Jazz, Bops, and Swing Jazz, I do in fact have quite a fondness
for Bossa Nova music as well. And I believe that by appreciating Bossa Nova, it
wouldn’t be very hard to be converted into a jazz junkie. So while everyone is
telling stories about Sitti, Astrud, Joao, and Jobim, I present to you my
recommendation. But before that, make sure your eyes are not bleary, because I
will first post a picture.
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"Huh-what? Am I seeing things correctly? Are you
sure you’re not mistaken?"
Those are likely your reactions; but yes, I recommend the
official soundtrack of the cartoon special entitled A Boy Named Charlie
Brown. Now for those of you who have just tuned in, there are two things
that you should know about me: 1. I’ve posted an "impressions" entry
for this album more than half a year ago, back when I still wasn’t writing
about music; and 2. I’m one big Peanuts fanatic, and Snoopy will, hands
down, be my favorite cartoon character, ever. But since this isn’t one big
Peanuts-admiration article, let’s get back to speaking about the contents of
the album.
The album includes performances from a standard-format trio
- a pianist (Vince Guaraldi), a bassist (Monty Budwig), and a drummer/percussionist
(Colin Bailey). While it could’ve been like all other soundtracks, there are
many things that made this album VERY important. For one, Vince Guaraldi wasn’t
very well known, not until he composed the music and performed for this cartoon
special. While the choice of trio may appear insipid, Vince Guaraldi Trio was able to give the Peanuts characters and circumstances their genuine voice, making the songs quite a whimsical and delightful tour de force. During the time when the feature documentary was aired on CBS, it
introduced a lot of kids and adults to jazz. Lastly, it laid the
groundwork for which Snoopy music should sound like: joyous, lighthearted,
sophisticated and fun. For a sample of Snoopy music, go to the Official Peanuts Website and explore the animated e-card
section (you need to have Flash player installed, blah blah blah).
While you’re at it, send some e-cards to your friends to brighten up their day.
So why am I recommending this to the Bossa Nova crowd? In some songs, the influence of Bossa
Nova is unmistakable. In fact, Pebble Beach sound like something that
would’ve delighted Jobim, and the same goes for Linus and Lucy - a remarkable
musical portrayal of the siblings. The song Linus and Lucy became such a
phenomenon that it became a standard, later covered by the likes of George
Winston. The remaining songs fall more on the territory of cool jazz, yet they’re
equally fun to listen to, especially since they play on such whimsical tunes, and that they give an accurate portrayal to
the Peanuts cast.
And while it may sound like I’m strictly speaking for one esoteric
crowd, the fact is that A Boy Named Charlie Brown is a very easily accessible
album. Whether or not you’re a jazz or bossa nova buff, and whether or not you
like Peanuts, there’s no reason to ignore this album, because it’s got
something to please everyone. And if you’re a Peanuts fanatic, it might
even reveal the kid in you. Score: 5 out of 5.
