Brasil 65 / Softly

Album review

The great incontrovertible truth of Brazilian vocalists in the '60s is that the more global success they enjoyed, the weaker and more insubstantial their voices. (As a test, simply compare and contrast the chart-topper Astrud Gilberto with the chart-absent Elis Regina.) Wanda de Sah was quite popular, which says most of what you need to know about her vocal prowess, both on the material she recorded with Brasil '65 as well as her solo career. But as with Astrud Gilberto, vocal weakness is hardly a barrier to entry. When given complementary musicians and arrangements -- which were as common as coffee in Brazilian music circles -- a thin, wispy voice could be made to sound positively radiant. DRG's 2008 pairing of Brasil '65 and Softly!, the two albums de Sah appeared on during 1965, reflects her peak year as an artist. Although the first, a Sergio Mendes record, wasn't nearly as popular as its successor, Brasil '66, it's a great record featuring an excellent small group plus invaluable guests like Bud Shank turning in one of the tightest Brazilian pop-jazz records of the time (among considerable competition). The second is a Wanda de Sah solo album, released on Capitol and including very few of her countrymen among the musicians (it was arranged and conducted by Jack Marshall).
© John Bush /TiVo