Encanto [Digipak]

Performer: Sergio Mendes
Artist: Fergie; Siedah Garrett; Will.I.Am; Ledisi; Carlinhos Brown; Natalie Cole; Jovanotti; Herb Alpert; Lani Hall; Juanes; Gracinha Leporace; Vanessa De Mata
Producer: Sergio Mendes; Will.I.Am
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: When it came to popularizing Brazilian pop in America (and the world) during the 1960s, Sergio Mendes was in the forefront. While the torch has been passed on to younger performers, Mendes remains freshly contemporary as a listen to ENCANTO will attest. Mendes still knows how to deftly combine the sounds of his roots with contemporary pop and dance music--ENCANTO features sleek, enchanting Brazilian-American pop with assistance from singer Fergie (a version of "The Look Of Love" in homage to Brasil 66), ex-Weather Report bassist Alphonso Johnson, and trumpeter Herb Alpert. There's just a touch of urban/hip-hop flavor here, enough to give the proceedings that modern edge. Though he's always been at the front of the show, Sergio Mendes has often gotten by with the help of his friends. As in 1965, so in 2008. The newest update of Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 -- feel free to call it Brasil '08 -- has a varied cast, led by co-producer will.i.am, who adapts his style well to urban and Brazilian forms. It also includes will.i.am's Black Eyed Peas bandmate Fergie, doing "The Look of Love" in a version that may never reach the heights of the original, but never becomes as embarrassing as "My Humps." Surprisingly, it's a good performance from Fergie; although she never approaches the sultriness of Dusty Springfield's original, her quick-paced singing on the verses is some kind of career highlight. Elsewhere, Mendes deserves most of the credit, especially since will.i.am only bookends the album (he produces the first two tracks and the last two). Encanto makes room for a parade of excellent musicians, including Carlinhos Brown, Ledisi, Natalie Cole, and Herb Alpert. (Not to be left out is the rhythm section, anchored by bass veterans Alphonso Johnson or Liminha.) The material breezes over quite a few Brazilian classics of the bossa nova era, and gives them just enough freshness to sound new. "Waters of March," with Johnson's nimble bass, makes room for a fine Ledisi vocal (granted, it's difficult to fail on that song). Mendes takes several solos on acoustic piano or Rhodes, best on the Herb Alpert feature "Dreamer." Overall, Encanto is a difficult record to judge; from the cover and the first two tracks, it appears to be urban all the way. The bulk of the album, however, is modern Brazilian jazz-fusion with an array of excellent musicians. Hopefully, its two potential audiences -- dance or hip-hop fans and Latin jazz listeners -- aren't steered away from it by thinking it's only concerned with one or the other. ~ John Bush

Vibe (p.60) - "Will.i.am's arrangements achieve a colorful cheer on tracks like 'Agua de Beber' and the skittering, Fergie-starring 'The Look of Love'..." Global Rhythm (Publication) (p.48) - "[T]he whole thing keeps its dominant foot in Brazil and allows for vital chip-ins from such compatriots as Carlinhos Brown and newcomer Vanessa da Mata."

Sergio Mendes is a Brazilian pianist/composer who created a highly accessible mix of Latin jazz, bossa nova, and AM-radio soft pop. This sound earned him and his group, Brasil '66 (originally Brasil '65 and later Brasil '77), a string of huge hit records in the '60s, and Mendes has remained an influential figure in world and lounge music circles.

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