JOBIM: Caminho de Pedra (Rocky Road); Desafinado ( Off Key) ; Estrada Branca ( This Happy Madness) ; Stone Flower ; Corcovado ( Quiet Nights); Amparo; Samba de Una Nota So (One Note Samba) ; Modinha ; Canta Mais ( Sing More) : GERSHWIN: Prelude No2 ; Prelude No1 ; Promenade; Summertime; Swanee; s’Wonderful; Merry Andrew; The Man I Love.
Carlos Barbosa – Lima: Concord Concerto CCD42005
Carlos Barbosa-Lima, who passed away in 2022, was one of the guitar world’s rarities being was a virtuoso on classical guitar who then spent a lifetime expanding the instrument’s possibilities, recording some 50 albums and performing all over the world, whilst bringing classical techniques and sensibilities to his arrangements of Gershwin, the Beatles and especially the music of his fellow Brazilian Antônio Carlos Jobim. Here he plays the music for Jobim and Gershwin in some wonderful arrangements, which as any guitarist knows are second to none, and, let’s face it, definitely not easy to play by any stretch of the imagination. The Jobim pieces include the famous Desafinado , and of course the One Note Samba , but even the pieces you may not have heard before are fabulous music, and the arrangements incredibly clever and sound like they were written on the guitar just as he plays them here. I don’t know if the sheet music for them was ever published, but they really ought to have been, as countless players (including me) would love to try them out for themselves!
As for the Gershwin pieces, they are equally as brilliantly played and arranged as the Jobim, beginning with the 1st two of his piano Preludes, that again sound like guitar pieces right from the outset. The Promenade , often called Walking The Dog, is delightfully bouncy and funny at the same time, whilst the following track Summertime is just simply Gershwin at his absolute best .Over the years I have come across several guitar renditions of it, but this is certainly one of the very best. Swanee is lots of fun, and simply races around the fingerboard, whilst S’Wonderful is laid back and full of beautiful moments. The final two pieces, Merry Andrew and The Man I love, complete this beautiful CD in the best way possible, and it really does go to show just what an exceptional player/arranger he was, and so this CD is a must for anyone who loves this music.
Chris Dumigan
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