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FARO 127CD
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2008 release. The Ipanemas' fifth album Call Of The Gods is a gorgeous slice of Brazilian vintage magic and clearly invokes the spirit of their 1962 debut Os Ipanemas. Back then they forged their own unique sound by infusing bossa nova with African traditions, jazz instrumentation and the lyrical themes of Samba-Canção (sung samba). Call Of The Gods exquisitely captures their self-styled "Afro-bossa" sound of the 1960s, conjuring up that golden age Rio de Janeiro feel. The Ipanemas are a direct link to the old samba roots of the street bars in bohemian Lapa, the 1950s Copacabana jazz joints, and the emerging bossa wave - Wilson Das Neves and Neco come from the source and made a sound all their own. Crucially, the album is driven throughout by the deep spiritual kick of the Afro-Brazilian religion and Candomble music, whose Gods inspire the title and so much more - as Wilson says, "Brazilian music is religion". This album swings with grace and pure class, thanks to the rich experience only The Ipanemas can bring. The Ipanemas, aka Os Ipanemas, are led by Brazilian septuagenarians Wilson Das Neves and Neco. Both have had extraordinary careers spanning five decades as key players at the heart of Brazilian musical history. Wilson Das Neves, now also a vocalist, has long been one of the most sought-after drummers in Brazil and Neco's bossa guitar genius can be traced to countless cult classics. They have recorded and toured with so many greats including Elis Regina, Tom Jobim, Wilson Simonal, Jorge Ben, Chico Buarque and Elza Soares. Wilson also features with Rio's new samba big band Orquestra Imperial. Intrinsically innovative at the time of its release, their eponymous debut recording is now considered an absolute classic. In a remarkable twist, the follow up wasn't recorded until almost 40 years later in 2001 with The Return Of The Ipanemas for Far Out Recordings. As a landmark recording by sensational veteran musicians, the album was acclaimed by the press, with The Independent and Music Week calling The Ipanemas Brazil's closest equivalent to Cuba's Buena Vista Social Club. Afro Bossa was recorded two years later, followed by Samba Is Our Gift (FARO 106CD) in 2006 which confirmed that "their sound remains extraordinarily fresh - exhilaratingly spacious and aerodynamic" --The Daily Telegraph. Call Of The Gods is their best album yet.
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FARO 151CD
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2010 release. Brazil's greatest Afro-bossa band, The Ipanemas, conjure up wickedly rich and charm laden vintage sambas on this fifth recording for Far Out Recordings. Three generations of Rio de Janeiro musicians combine to evoke a nostalgic and raw tribute to their diverse musical city. Wilson Das Neves's crooning, melancholic notes combine with special guest diva Aurea Martins's hypnotic vocals while glorious trombone and afro percussion add to the deep pleasures. Five decades after Brazilian music was transformed with cult debut Os Ipanemas (2004), Das Neves and the Ipanemas return to honor the memory of genius guitarist Neco in the only way they know - playing samba from the heart. Along with Wilson's vocal and Ivan 'Mamao' Conti's drumming it's the trombone that defines the Ipanemas sound. Vitor Santos is regarded as one of Brazil's finest horn players in Brazilian music, which is clear the instant his first notes breeze out in opener "Que Beleza De Nega". With the deep bass of Jorge Helder, stunning arrangements, intricate song writing, and magical layered musicianship Que Beleza is a quality record that stands alongside their previous work. The addition of lady crooner Áurea Martins has added yet more Brazilian musical heritage to the band. Martins brings a vocal full of life and a serious roots edge to four tracks on the album in memorable back and forth duets with Wilson including standouts "Festa Indigesta", "Lembranças", and heavy, warped Afro closer "Eparrei". Their cult debut Os Ipanemas is as important to Brazilian music as any other album - the combination of rich African heaviness and tight Latin grooves helped to revolutionize often previously conservative Brazilian music. Over the intervening decades Wilson pursued a solo recording career while he and Neco recorded with all the greats including Tom Jobim, Ed Lincoln, Wilson Simonal, Jorge Ben, Michael Legrand, Roberto Carlos and Chico Buarque. In 1999, Davis and Azymuth drummer Conti (who regards Das Neves as his first teacher) tracked down Das Neves and later Neco and set about recording the second Ipanemas album 35 years after the first. Far Out Recordings's 50th recording would be known as The Return of The Ipanemas - the modern day Rio super group of the Ipanemas was born.
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FARO 106CD
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2006 release. Far Out Recordings present The Ipanemas's latest opus, Samba Is Our Gift. Combining Afro-Brazilian-bossa grooves with classic vocal samba, Samba Is Our Gift is a step back in time to 1960s Rio de Janeiro, and as is dedicated to its namesake, samba, the national past-time of Brazil. The Ipanemas are Wilson Das Neves and Neco. Wilson is one of Brazil's most prolific drummers whilst Neco is an unassuming genius of bossa nova guitar. Wilson and Neco were instrumental in breaking bossa nova in Brazil back in the 1950s, and in the decades since then they have recorded with all the Brazilian legends including Elis Regina, Tom Jobim, Wilson Simonal, Chico Buarque and Elza Soares. Their debut album Os Ipanemas was recorded in Rio in 1964 for CBS, yet, the follow up wasn't recorded until almost 40 years later in 2001 with The Return Of The Ipanemas for Far Out Recordings. This was so popular, that a follow up Afro Bossa was recorded two years later, yet it is in Samba Is Our Gift, their third album for Far Out Recordings, where they deliver their most impressive, diverse and arresting album to date. The Afro-sambas that are the Ipanemas trademark sound are ever present, yet there are also four fine examples of samba-cancao ("sung-samba") featuring Wilson on vocals. Incredibly, Wilson only stepped out of the shadows of the drum-kit and up to the mic in 1997, yet here is a man who, at the drop of a note, can take us back to the glory days of samba-cancao. Yet, it is not only Wilson's amazing vocals that have helped take this album to the next level, but also the arrangements which sound much more confident that on previous efforts - the use of strings on tracks such as "Valsamba" and "Imperial" really do take us back to the golden days of the great Brazilian orchestras where Neco and Wilson learnt their trades. This is the tour de force of Samba Is Our Gift - its ability to invoke this sense of sixties Rio de Janeiro, of hip jazz spots and late-night jam sessions. Samba Is Our Gift sees them revisiting this wildly creative time, yet now playing this music with the musical experience of seasoned veterans. There is never likely to be a group of musicians capable of causing such a spell ever again.
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