"Bim Bom" @ Dusty Groove

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Ithamara Koorax & Juarez Moreira -- Bim Bom -- The Complete Joao Gilberto Songbook ... CD
Motema, 2009. New Copy .... $11.99
A lovely little tribute to the genius of Joao Gilberto -- and quite possibly the best album we've ever heard from vocalist Ithamara Koorax! The set's quite spare -- just Ithamara's vocals and a bit of guitar to back her up -- and the stripped-down setting hardly gives Koorax any room to hide -- putting her right out front in the mix, to carry the tunes both in terms of rhythm and melody! She handles both beautifully, with a depth of singing that goes beyond what we've already heard in her other great records -- and her interpretation of the tunes goes way past any simple bossa cliches, into a deeply personal space that really comes through on some of the album's English language tracks. Titles include "Bim Bom", "Minha Saudade", "Valsa", "Voce Esteve", "Acapulco", "Undiu", "Joao Marcelo", "Glass Beads", and "An Embrace To Bonfa".