The only constant about Nguyên Lê’s career is that it’s always evolving. The Paris-born and based musicianhas established himself as a preeminent voice in combiningmyriad global musics with Vietnamese influences in thrillingand groundbreaking ways. His latest release, Streams,continues in that tradition. The album is a collaborationbetween Le and the worldly-minded talents of Americandrummer John Hadfield, Canadian bassist Chris Jenningsand French vibraphonist Illya Amar.
Years go by and João Gilberto's "studio" albums are becoming increasingly rare. João voz e violão (2000), produced by Caetano Veloso, is officially and to this day the artist's last studio album. I fall back on his Ao Vivo. In 1980 the very good João Gilberto Prado de Oliveira and Live in Montreux (1987) were released. In the 90s and 2000s, several Ao Vivo albums by João Gilberto were released, including the excellent Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar (1995). On stage, João Gilberto is faithful to the precepts of Bossa Nova: acoustic guitar without ostentatious orchestral accompaniment, muffled voice, this slight difference between voice and guitar, fairly short titles.
A wonderful live set from Joao Gilberto - very intimate, with a spare, stripped down quality that shows him at his best! The album features Joao on acoustic guitar and vocals - with no other backing, holding up a wealth of emotion and fragile beauty with a few simple moves of his hand and voice, in that incredible way that few other bossa players ever managed to match!
A wonderful live set from Joao Gilberto - very intimate, with a spare, stripped down quality that shows him at his best! The album features Joao on acoustic guitar and vocals - with no other backing, holding up a wealth of emotion and fragile beauty with a few simple moves of his hand and voice, in that incredible way that few other bossa players ever managed to match!