In Tokyo

Performer: Joao Gilberto
Producer: Shigeki Miyata
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Joao Gilberto (vocals, guitar). The remarkable thing about bossa nova giant Joao Gilberto is not merely that he helped to forge the Brazilian style that forever altered the world of music (not to mention the music of the world). It's just as astounding that in his 70th decade, 40 years after he brought bossa nova to the world at large, his powers--as heard on IN TOKYO--sound completely undiminished. This 2003 concert recording finds Gilberto in his most effective setting, accompanied only by his own stunning guitar work. The set is unsurprisingly dominated by Antonio Carlos Jobim tunes, since Gilberto stands as the world's foremost interpreter of the legendary Brazilian composer's songs. To hear Gilberto breathe new life into "Corcovado" and "Wave" with his intimate whisper and gracefully polyrhythmic guitar is to understand why this quiet, humble man's subtle mastery has entranced generations of listeners. Shockingly, he seems to have lost not a single step either vocally or instrumentally since his early-'60s salad days, never needing to rise above his customary hushed tones any more than he did back then.

Down Beat (p.78) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Simply put, this is great music played well. Gilberto and Shigeki Miyata produced IN TOKYO as if it were a studio date, so close and soft is the artist's voice and guitar on everything here."

Joao Gilberto, along with Antonio Carlos Jobim, defined the bossa nova sound. With his whispering vocals and subtle, rhythmically complex guitar work, he was the perfect conduit for Jobim's musical message. His collaborations with his wife Astrud and U.S. saxman Stan Getz sparked a worldwide bossa nova craze in the early 1960s. Decades later, after his daughter Bebel went on to bossa nova/pop crossover success, he remains the primary interpreter of the style.

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