In the early spring of 2008, I planned to see João Gilberto in Boston. That is until he cancelled at the last minute. Gilberto had a reputation for such things throughout his career. Some I've interviewed have said he had agoraphobia—a psychological fear of being outside. Others have claimed he was hyper-finicky about things he wanted, especially regarding the sound system, and if he didn't get them, he was a no-show.
My next opportunity to see him in concert came later on his tour, in June. when he was scheduled to appear at New York's Carnegie Hall. I bought two tickets and hoped for the best. This time he showed up, and my friend and I were astonished. As I recall, all he required was a chair (or was it a stool?), a microphone on a stand and a monitor speaker in front of his feet so he could hear himself sing and play.
I can't recall whether he placed his feet on top of that speaker, but I do recall there was an audio problem to work out early on. Everyone braced for a walk-off. But he was understanding and remained.
Gilberto's singing voice was whispery soft and intense, and his guitar chords and rhythm were intoxicating.The concert was a great success, and Gilberto seemed pleased by the audience's adulation.
Today, I'm going to give you taste of that intimate experience, except it took place 10 years earlier. In 1998, Gilberto performed in São Paulo, Brazil, and the concert was recorded. Before he died in 2019, Gilberto chose this recording to kick off Brazil's Reliquary project, launched by the government's Social Service of Commerce (Sesc), which restores the audio of historical shows taped in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
The album, João Gilberto: Reliquary, João Gilberto (Ao Vivo no Sesc 1998), was released last year and is astonishing. It sounds as if he's playing in the room where you're listening to the music. The album features 36 beautiful compositions.
Here, without ad interruptions is João Gilberto: “Reliquary: João Gilberto (Ao Vivo no Sesc 1998). To access the music, click the first track and you'll be able to listen to the entire album without doing a thing or hearing a single ad.
My next opportunity to see him in concert came later on his tour, in June. when he was scheduled to appear at New York's Carnegie Hall. I bought two tickets and hoped for the best. This time he showed up, and my friend and I were astonished. As I recall, all he required was a chair (or was it a stool?), a microphone on a stand and a monitor speaker in front of his feet so he could hear himself sing and play.
I can't recall whether he placed his feet on top of that speaker, but I do recall there was an audio problem to work out early on. Everyone braced for a walk-off. But he was understanding and remained.
Gilberto's singing voice was whispery soft and intense, and his guitar chords and rhythm were intoxicating.The concert was a great success, and Gilberto seemed pleased by the audience's adulation.
Today, I'm going to give you taste of that intimate experience, except it took place 10 years earlier. In 1998, Gilberto performed in São Paulo, Brazil, and the concert was recorded. Before he died in 2019, Gilberto chose this recording to kick off Brazil's Reliquary project, launched by the government's Social Service of Commerce (Sesc), which restores the audio of historical shows taped in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
The album, João Gilberto: Reliquary, João Gilberto (Ao Vivo no Sesc 1998), was released last year and is astonishing. It sounds as if he's playing in the room where you're listening to the music. The album features 36 beautiful compositions.
Here, without ad interruptions is João Gilberto: “Reliquary: João Gilberto (Ao Vivo no Sesc 1998). To access the music, click the first track and you'll be able to listen to the entire album without doing a thing or hearing a single ad.
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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