Jazz Calendar

While Brazil has enjoyed its share of huge international pop music festivals, the country, without question, is most remembered as the source of Bossa Nova, the smooth, sensuous distillation of the samba, wrought by the composer, Antonio Carlos Jobim with his international mega-hit, "The Girl from Ipanema."

The song became the catalyst for a whole new movement of Brazilian-inspired music. In the United States, the music was closely associated with jazz, especially after Stan Getz recorded this song with Brazilian Astrud Gilberto. It would be accurate to suggest that Jobim, with his wonderfully catchy and romantic music, helped turn the cultural spotlight on Brazil during the 1950s and 1960s when the bossa nova "craze" first took hold, only to go on to become established as a permanent part of the American musical landscape. It has inspired and influenced several generations of performers, ranging from Frank Sinatra to Sting, and beyond. Sinatra, in fact, was once quoted to the effect that "working with my good friend, Jobim, was an absolute joy. We were raised in different countries, but we share the same deep love and respect for great talent . . . musicians, lyricists, composers and fellow singers."

Superstar Seu Jorge is known throughout the globe as an ebullient and funky--'dance your heart out' performer, appearing with large ensembles with electric guitars and percussionists of many persuasions and on big stages such as at The Montreux Jazz Festival and Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival.

This show in Boston on October 6, promises to be of a much more intimate nature, where audience members will get to see him in an up-close and much more personal setting.

The idea for this show and the tour started almost by accident at a birthday party! Daniel Jobim, who is Antoniou Carlos Jobim's grandson, was waiting in front of the house where it was to take place, when suddenly Seu Jorge arrived in a taxi. The two musicians had a surprise reunion! A few days later, Daniel received a message: 'Comendador wants to talk to you!'

"Seu Jorge invited me to do a video call. I accepted right away! We are very good friends and I was very happy," explains Daniel about the beginning of the project.

"I was also very happy to begin the tour in Porto Alegre. Porto Alegre is the Jobin capital," he laughs. "Tom's family came from São Gabriel and also Santa Maria. We have many relatives in Porto Alegre," says Daniel.

In the Jobim repertoire, Tom sings about love and of Rio de Janeiro especially in his collaborations with Vinicius de Moraes and many others in songs. "Corcovado," "Garota de Ipanema," "Luíza," "Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar," "Ligia" and "A Felicidade" are among his numerous hits.

As for the tunes chosen for the show, Daniel quickly says: "The selection of songs was something quite easy, according to each one's heart, we chose the songs that Seu Jorge likes to sing. It is very good, because the show flows very naturally and this will be reflected on stage. These are songs that we like and are familiar to us."

For Seu Jorge, interpreting Tom's songs is filled with warm feelings: "Singing this repertoire is an incredible gift for me and at the same time it's an enormous challenge! Love is back. Tom Jobim lives on," declares the musician.