Antonio Carlos Jobim Anthology Review

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(More customer reviews)For serious musicians/vocalists this is really very worth getting. At its best, the book has very accurate chords, piano reductions of the scores, and Portugese lyrics. A case in point is Passarim, one of Jobim's more complex, airtight, and difficult pieces. The transcription here really nails it. Corcovado has the orchestral introduction from "Elis & Tom". A few chords are different than that arrangement (for example, Fmaj7 in the 7th bar of the tune instead of Gb7b5, and some in the intro). Maybe they wanted to go with the more accepted practices, or maybe they worked from different lead sheets or Jobim provided one with changes. Who knows? They don't list their sources or transcribers. But the fact that they even published this definitive version rather than any number of embarrasing American covers is an indication of what a class act this book is. Anos Dourados is also very good. Agua de Beber has all the important inner voice leading and the right intro. Voice leading is everything in Jobim. The rhythms are also pretty accurate and in the true cut time Brazilians think in.
In some cases there are inconsistencies or versions not quite up to the level of the above, making me wonder which version they were gotten from (a discography would've helped. For example, Inutil Paisagem (Useless Landscape)has the right chords, but leaves out those wonderful piano background figures that Jobim plays on "Elis & Tom", and on the recording with Sinatra, and that Jobim interpreters in the know always use. That's a real shame. It's an Americanized version, as is Desifinado (English lyric only), written in smaller type for some reason and with chords also not as accurate as other tunes here.
Again, my thought is that different transcribers were used for different tunes---the only explanation for some of the disparities. But this is still a very good book---wonderful at its best. It's best to look at scores (there are some available on the "Clube do Tom" website----a few in Jobim's hand). As masterful and prolific a composer as Jobim needs and deserves an accurate collection of transcriptions. But "until the real thing comes along" this is well worth the attention of serious musicians and Jobim lovers.

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Product Description:
An excellent collection of over 20 of his most-loved songs, including: Girl From Ipanema * How Insensitive * One Note Samba * Desafinado (Out of Tune) * Quiet Night of Quiet Stars * Song of the Sabia * and more.

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