To continue last week's topic of what bossa nova should have been, another brilliant case in point: Stan Getz's recording of 'Aguas de Marco'. This one came off the 'perhaps perhaps perhaps' compilation (an album which I fully expected to be full of disgusting sleaze and which was in fact probably full of disgusting sleaze except for a couple of gems - it had Mack the Knife too) so I'm entirely unsure of the personnel except that Stan Getz is on the tenor.
The arrangement on this track certainly deserves the most praise: again the disgusting double-kick-pedal drum beat is avoided, a beat that has become the unfortunate cliche of bossa nova after its inception. Instead a variety of hand drums, cowbells and shakers are substituted for brilliant effect: bossa nova done this way sounds far more ethnic (as opposed to slutty).
The lyrics are sung first in portugese, then in english; the guitarist here deserves much praise as well for showing unparalleled mastery over the bossa nova beat - while never departing from the basic beat he manages a palette of textures just by varying minutiae like the duration of every chord or a subtle change in voicing. Take note of the different texture during the portugese verse (upbeat, sprightly) as compared to the english verse (laid-back, wistful)
Of course none of this analysis would count for anything if not for the bedrock of any music: solid, beautiful songwriting. This one's another Jobim masterpiece, more impressionistic than Ipanema; the descending progression and the rapid fire images suggest a rural, tropical life. Jobim's lyrics are wistful or even sad as they describe the details of a simple life: 'A knot in the wood, the song of a thrush' 'A scratch, a lump/It is nothing at all'.
The singer's voice seems to reflect sadness but it seems in the scheme of things (as painted by Jobim) the sadness is part of some cosmic cycle : she sings 'And the riverbank talks of the waters of march/It's the promise of life/It's the joy in your heart.'
When Getz comes in with his solo it seems all things must be right with the world again: no need for smashing cymbals and exploding snare drums: the drummer simply ramps it up to quavers on the ride cymbal, the band changes key and that is enough intensity for Getz as he embarks on his solo. Getz's tenor sounds pensive; romantic yet restrained and is the perfect foil for the singers. This solo's longer than the one on Ipanema and develops a lot more: his motivic playing is evident around 3.14 where he riffs off a 5 note arpeggiated motif (4 notes descending, one ascending) providing an interesting tension which contrasts plenty with the expressive, drawn out high notes previously played. It strikes me as particularly appropriate for the bossa nova mood because it reflects the same complex, yet restrained beauty. The end of his solo mirrors its beginning: while he starts with a 3 note descending arpeggio, his solo ends with a set of ascending 3-note arpeggios. The inversion is not lost on the listener; it feels complete and perfect.
adam
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