Astrud Gilberto - The Shadow of Your Smile

Hopefully, another tribute to my favorite parrot, zecalouro, that he hasn't posted in the last 3 weeks :)

Friends, this is what we in the US of A got for Brasilian music, not that it is BAD, no, it is VERY good, but this is only a small slice of the pie, as it were. And such a yummy pie it is! Astrud Gilberto needs no introduction to the many fans of Brasilian music, those of us in the US of A would remember her as the singer of "The Girl from Ipanema", in one of the many variations we heard on the radio up here.

This album is kind of a joint, almost schizophrenic look at Astrud, since some of the arrangements are by the wonderful Joao Donato, some are by the classy Claus Ogerman, and some by the... the... the... unique Don Sebesky, all under the watchful eye of Creed Taylor in 1964 and 1965.

Creed mixed up the tracks, giving us some American standards and some Brasilian standards, which makes this a multi-layered cake of such delicate sweetness, it is hard to resist going back for more and more!

Scans:
The front...
The back...

Cut yourself a piece of The Shadow OF Your Smile, and think kindly of our favorite parrot.