Sergio Mendes - The Great Arrival - The Beat of Brazil

The hype-laden title undoubtedly refers to Sergio Mendes' move to America two years before this album's release, settling in Los Angeles, where this record was made. Clearly he was out to make it big in the U.S.A., for this album tries to move a bit away from Brazil by spotlighting Mendes' jazz and pop piano against the elaborate charts of Clare Fischer, Bob Florence and Dick Hazard. There are contributions from the best-known Brazilians (Edu Lobo, Jobim of course) as well as up-to-the-minute pop tunes "Monday, Monday" and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" and American songbook material like "Here's That Rainy Day" and "Girl Talk," all served up in airplay-sized packages mostly under three minutes in length. Inevitably, then, Mendes' piano doesn't get much room to breathe, but the charts are quite interesting; Florence's are the most big-band-oriented, Fischer's are the most harmonically challenging, and Hazard's lush offerings are the signposts of Mendes' future with Brasil '66. Though an encouraging step forward, Mendes' first big strike was still several months away. - by Richard S. Ginell, AMG

Early bossa jazz from Sergio Mendes – recorded with his famous Bossa Rio combo, in the years before he moved to America! The album's a classic in Brazilian jazz – a tight album of bossa-inflected jazz tunes played with razor-sharp precision, handled with a style that went on to influence countless other Brazilian groups at the time. Mendes is in the lead on piano, and other players include Edison Machado on drums, Raul De Souza on trombone, and Hector Costita on tenor sax. The whole thing's great – a masterpiece of both jazz and bossa – and it's filled with classic tunes arranged by Jobim, Moacir Santos, and Sergio himself. Titles include "Nana", "Primitivo", "Desafinado", "Ela E Carioca", "Amor Em Paz", "Noa Noa", and "Neurotico". - from dustygroove.com

Artist: Sergio Mendes
Album: The Great Arrival - The Beat of Brazil
Year: 1966-67
Quality: eac-flac, cue, log, artw.
Label: Atlantic/Warner Jazz (2000)
Runtime: 62:30

Tracks:
1.  The Great Arrival (Cheganca) (Edu Lobo/Oduvalso Viana Filho/Norman Gimbel) 2:19
2.  Monday, Monday (John E. Phillips) 2:32
3.  Carnaval (Clare Fischer) 2:40
4.  Cancao Do Amanhecer (Edu Lobo/Vinicius de Moraes/Norman Gimbel) 2:48
5.  Here's That Rainy Day (Johnny Burke/Jimmy Van Heusen) 2:22
6.  Boranda (Edu Lobo) 2:41
7.  Nana (Moacir Santos/Mario Telles) 2:35
8.  Bonita (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Ray Gilbert) 3:24
9.  Morning (Clare Fischer) 2:38
10.  Don't Go Breaking My Heart (Burt Bacharach/Hal David) 2:34
11.  Tristeza De Amar (Maximiliano Sanchez) 3:18
12.  Girl Talk (Neal Hefti/Bobby Troup) 2:26
13.  Nana (Moacir Santos/Mario Telles) 2:24
14.  Amor Em Paz (Once I Loved) (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Norman Gimbel) 2:56
15.  Garota de Ipanema (The Girl From Ipanema) (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Norman Gimbel) 3:16
16.  Coisa No. (Moacir Santos) 2 2:47
17.  Primitivo (Sergio Mendes) 3:58
18.  Ela E Carioca (She's A Carioca) (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Vinicius de Moraes/Ray Gilbert) 2:27
19.  Corcovado (Antonio Carlos Jobim) 4:09
20.  Noa Noa (Sergio Mendes) 2:21
21.  Desafinado (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Newton Mendonca) 3:21
22.  Neurótico (Meirelles) 2:21

Personnel:
Sergio Mendes (Piano)
Joao Palma (Drums) - 1-12
Clare Fischer (Arranger, Conductor) - 3,6,9,12
Bob Florence (Arranger, Conductor) - 1,2,7,10
Dick Hazard (Arranger, Conductor) - 4,5,8,11
Sebastiao Neto (Double Bass) - 13-22
Edison Machado (Drums) - 13-22
Edson Maciel (Slide Trombone) - 13-22
Raulzinho (Valve Trombone) - 13-22
Hector Bisignani (Tenor Saxophone) - 13-22
Aurino Ferreira (Tenor Saxophone) - 13,17
Antonio Carlos Jobim (Arranger) - 13-22
Others unknown