Jorge Ben Jor S/D

http://www.dustygroove.com/brazilcd.htm#16872

Yeah, Africa Brasil is the bizness.

Amazingly, his box set, Serie Grandes Nomes--which my friend owns, not me--is great all the way through. (Unlike similar sets by Gilberto Gil, etc.)

TMFTML
http://intonation.blogspot.com

http://www.furious.com/perfect/jorgeben.html

(hope that survives the auto-link munging)

Includes this gem: "In 1989, he changed his name to Jorge Ben Jor; the result of a mix up over royalty payments that went to George Benson instead of Ben."

Er, who do they have working at the BMI accounts payable department? "Uh, Mr. Kingsley, can we have those 45,000 pounds back, it was meant to go to Ben E. King."

As for Jorge Ben, he's doomed outside Brazil to "number three" status, whereas in Brazil (especially Rio) he's the king of modern samba, extremely beloved and popular. (Most of the other big Tropicalistas are from Bahia or--Milton Nascimento, Lo Borges--Minas Gerais, and Rio wasn't especially "cool" back then.) But search out Brazilian Hits and Funky Classics and Serie Sem Limite for two great greatest-hits discs.

And to hear an excellently sloppy 79-minute drunken collab between Ben and Gil from 1975, get your hands on Ogun/Xango, which is amazingly cool despite Gil's persistent pitch problems.

Taj Mahal later recorded a song called "Jorge Ben." True!

does anyone know if this 60s version is still available??

I think he's the best--I like Veloso (read his memoir recently), but he's kind of the Sting of Brazilian music, very nice, melodic, a little too genteel for my taste. Plus he's just so derivative of João Gilberto (yeah, all the post-bossa musicians owe him a lot, but Caetano really takes it too far). Still, Gil and Veloso's '90s collab, "Tropicalia 2," is the best thing either one of them has done in years. I like "Livro" pretty well too. Tom Ze is great--he's in his own category, actually. Mutantes are also very good, but Gil is so much more prolific, with a few duds here and there, but overall, he's consistent. He's certainly more listenable, at his most over-produced, than Paul McCartney... "O Sol De Oslo" was his best album in ages.

-- Neudonym

Is this the same record as "Gil and Jorge"?

Which Veloso are you basing this judgment on?

So--which version of C.V.? All of them, really--I find his voice "beautiful" but inexpressive; he's so concerned with "singing beautifully" that nothing much comes across most of the time (for me, at least). A good example would be the two versions of "Tradicao" on Gil's "Realce" and Gil/Veloso's "Tropicalia 2." The orig. version, by Gil, is maybe a big cheesy--slick Fender Rhodes sound and all--but the vocal has so much character. Whereas the 1993 version, sung by Veloso, and with a really beautiful acoustic guitar arrangement, done more slowly, is nice, but his vocal just expresses...nothing... to me, it lacks character. Gil is more soulful, in my opinion.

I find this affects all his work, at least to my ears. His guitar playing is competent but again, it's just a watered-down version of João's. So I guess it's a matter of taste--I've seen C.V. live, though, and enjoyed it immensely.

Or, for that matter, any of Gil's late-60s/early-70s self-titled albums, which might be better than CV's at that? Some of the weird stuff on Side 2 of Gil's 1969 album out-collage anything being done anywhere; and that's on a record that also includes "Aquele Abraco," which might be the most beautiful pop melody, maybe, ever?

Jorge Ben, though, to un-hijack the thread, doesn't get enough credit for being slightly subversively experimental in his own Flamengo-loving heavy-drinking common-man way. Discuss?

Here's his breakdown: http://www.slipcue.com/music/brazil/ben.html

-- Amateurist

Yeah--I like it, mostly.

Gil: I really love "Aquele Abraço"--what a great song. "Refazenda" too.

I don't know why no one has put out a good two-disc Gil best-of in this country, with translations.

don't really know that much about Jorge Ben beyond "Africa Brasil"--I own this "Personalidade" best-of on Jorge Ben (Jor) but I've never really been able to get into it, seems mostly unformed and crude to me, but I'm probably just u.f. and c. myself.

Sacudin Ben Samba - 'nice' early album. never excited me that much but also never turned it off.

A Tábua de Esmeralda - probably my favorite of his albums. super duper emotional. at one point it sounds like he's about to cry as he's singing.

i have a few more on vinyl that i don't remember the titles to and can't find the covers to remember, but they are all very good. only complaint is, as someone said upthread, they get a bit samey.

I just received the Força Bruta album which they were pushing at Dusty Groove, but now I see that it is on the um, Dusty Groove label and am a little afraid to put it on.

i dunno. 1970. i bet it's amazing.

Why? That's one of his classic albums.

Actually, I know one tune from the comps, "Mulher brasiliera," and I like that one so we'll see how it goes.

OK, I took a break after the end of disc two of my other purchase, the Benny Moré box, put this on and yeah it's pretty cool. Funky soul, kinda like Bill Withers, I guess. The leadoff track I recognize from a comp too, "Oba lá vem ela."

Ooh it's the top seller at Other Music in NY and Chicago Reader's Peter Margasak is blogging about it. Slipcue.com suggests it's a bit mellow but still gives it the thumbs up.

http://blogs.chicagoreader.com/post-no-bills/2007/07/12/dusty-groove-gets-groovier/

JaXon:
>does anyone have a clue which album the song Comanche from the Black Rio comp comes from? a google/amg/discogs search turns up nothing.

Jorge Ben - Negro e Lindo

thank you, one year later.

It looks like Dusty Groove will be reissuing Ben's eponymous 1969 LP — Rogerio Duprat-directed, with "Take It Easy, My Brother Charles" — in August. I'm excited!

was africa brasil reissued on vinyl? is there a 12" or 45 out there of 'taj mahal'?

I recall grabbing a short one from a comp I think

man that doesnt help there are like 5 versions of taj mahal

does it start with 4 on the floor and a horn section and some cuica?

chill out dude's on his honeymoon

actually it's really crucial and time sensitive that we know exactly which version he played. curmudgeon?

JORGE BEN IS RLY IMPT TO ME

Bear up, m bison

Played Jorge doing "Taj Mahal" on the Spotify playlist at my wedding reception this past weekend....It made me very happy

good drunk song

Back in stock for $13.99 + postage:
https://www.dustygroove.com/item/700774

(along with a few other great JBJ titles)

thanks

Those Dusty Groove reissues that were listed for August no longer show up in search results on the site.

Sorry. Maybe they'll get more back in soon (Japanese editions). Glad I jumped on and bought Africa Brasil while it was available.

Back when I covered Luaka Bop's 21rst Anniversary collection, I started off by thinking out loud about this Ben song, one of my all-time faves by anybody anywhere; any comments on its (and his) back story etc. would be welcome:

Is "Ponta De Lanca Africano (Umbabarauma)" really about where slaves
arrived in Brazil? Or did I just expand a mental legend over the
years, trying to explain and contain the unsettling, unsettled poise
and expanse of Jorge Ben's rolling, grinding samba soul classic?
Literally, it's about soccer, but the key line "um ponta de lan a
Africano" doesn't match the title ("Point of the African Lance",
ouch!), and the line's translation---"an African point man" (also "Um
ponta de lan a decidio", " A man whose mind is made up")—is pretty
pointed too. Word to Brazil's 60s junta, and to its polite society,
which has long tended to insist that Brazilians aren't hung up on
race. But it sounds like big Ben's got all of the above and something
else on his mind, that he's listening to, listening for. Sounds like
he's still listening.
The restless example of Ben (who could have played it safe, with
respectably salt-of-the-earth pop star status established early)
further schooled Beleza Tropical, the reputation-making debut release
on Luaka Bop, the New York City label founded by David Byrne in 1988
Beleza… arrived like a ship from post-bossa nova Brazil, mostly filled
with discreetly fabulous and accomplished descendants of the
tale-telling, refugee gamesters in Boccaccio's Decameron. The crew of
Beleza… can mostly be ID'd as members and fellow travelers of the '60s
Tropicalia movement, who had been exiled or isolated because of yadda yadda; he's the point man get it.

this album! begins with one of the absolutest most alltime-enest jams ever.

wow yeah that slays! never heard this record before

Taj Mahal later recorded a song called "Jorge Ben." True!

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, February 10, 2003 1:45 PM (eighteen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

This is cracking me up.

I just got the s/t from 1969 after having it on mp3 on an old ipod for years and remembered it's one of my favorite albums ever. Just gorgeous. I used to listen to it on the beach over the summer with my wife's family. Like a salve on a hot day.

https://tomhull.com/ocston/blog/

The Gil e Jorge album is just the perfect album to groove to and get lost in on the weekend.

been playing a lot of negro é lindo lately, what an album closer "palomaris" is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lriSjRl77A

xp lol at Taj Mahal "Jorge Ben." All the albums mentioned in this revive are fantastic. I'll add one that I don't see discussed much: 10 Anos Depois (1973), which is a series of medleys of his best-known material from the first 10 years of his career, all performed in the early 70s style of the Ben and A Tábua de Esmeralda albums. Basically Jorge Ben megamix, a non-stop samba-rock party

I know a bunch of his albums but not Negro e Lindo. I'll give it a listen this week.

that’s a good one

força bruta is incredible

I listened to Negro e Lindo while on the beach a couple of weeks ago. Perfect music for cooling off while baking in the hot sun.

I'd say Solta o Pavão is the most slept-on classic Ben album of at least several.

negro e lindo is the one from his ultra classic run that i've yet to add to my collection proper. the muhammad ali tribute is alltime.

i heard solta o pavão in passing once and when i was told what it was it just seemed like, "yeah this is predictably badass in that case." still haven't procured a copy of it, for whatever reason.

i love jorge ben so much, i would fall to pieces if i ever saw him perform live

I saw him live in London in the early 00s. A few times he did that medley thing where he appeared to think 'yeah I can chalk off a few favourites here', which to me sounded a bit cheesy and 'Las Vegas years'. But he was charming and it was of course amazing to see this icon on stage.

A few times he did that medley thing where he appeared to think 'yeah I can chalk off a few favourites here', which to me sounded a bit cheesy and 'Las Vegas years'.

That's a pretty good summary of the entire "10 Anos Depois" album. I thought it'd be fun too have all the jams on 1 record, but they don't do justice to the originals at all.

(for my money, Força Bruta is peak JB)

The hits set his audience want to hear [or what he thinks they want to hear] and the golden period in the late 60s/early 70s including Força Bruta, the self-titled one, A Tabua de Esmeralda, Solta.., etc seem to be two different worlds.

i love jorge ben so much, i would fall to pieces if i ever saw him perform live

I'd say Solta o Pavão is the most slept-on classic Ben album of at least several.

― Dexter Holland's Opus (Deflatormouse),

its got some heaters for sure, "cuidado com o bulldog", "para ouvir no radio", "dorothy" top my list

Never even heard of that one! Will have to give it a spin soon.

Does anyone know what the deal is with Samba Nova and Tropical?

Ben has been in my personal pantheon for decades. After finally filling in some earlier gaps (Big Ben and Negro É Lindo are both so great) in my listening and realizing he could basically do no wrong for an impressively long time, I decided to finally venture past África Brasil. I had tried Salve Simpatia once, didn't love it, and decided AB was a red line.* Anyway, I was surprised to learn that there are two albums between AB and SS, released on Island in the US, but I've never seen them anywhere and they aren't on streaming afaict (I listened to a few seconds of one of them on youtube but the sound quality was painfully bad). Something I read said they used to be the easiest JB albums to find in North America. Generally speaking the uneven availability of his music has been a crime against humanity.

* I've corrected this misperception today by listening to A Banda Do Zé Pretinho, which is great. I'll have to revisit Salve too.

Curious if anyone has any strong 80s + beyond recommendations. There's a description of Bem Vinda Amizade upthread as "balearic" that is intriguing enough that I'll try that soon — anything else worth a listen?

hey rob, gotta admit my late-70s and beyond knowledge doesn't exist. you asked specifically about samba nova though, which i do know: it's a compilation for north america/island records. it's a great way to acquire that material if that's the only way you can get it, but it’s not a proper album.

i don't mean to be tacky and i'm definitely not trying to "promote" my youtube channel, but i did a short thing about the jorge ben stuff i have on physical with a highlight on samba nova if you want to have a look at it.

thanks Austin! good to know about Samba Novo... I wonder if Tropical is also a comp? would explain why they've remained in the past.

ooh I'm very jealous of your Big Ben cd, I wish Dusty Groove had been able to do a full reissue campaign or something. I used to live across the street from their store in Chicago, and while I spent as much money as I could there lol, I am haunted by releases I thought I'd eventually get around to but didn't. In particular I wish I'd known how priceless the dirt cheap manufactured-in-Brazil CDs they had back then (early to mid 00s) would end up being.

re: tropical, m bison otm as usual

I need some info about the different versions of "Taj Mahal" that are out there. IIRC, I have some 80's-90's live versions, a medleyed version on piano, the Africa Brasil version, and something that sounds like it predates all of them and which has one of the most FEROCIOUS percussion breakdowns I have ever heard in my life. I can trace the source records on all the other versions, but I can't find any concrete documentation about this one at all.

Taj Mahal later recorded a song called "Jorge Ben." True!

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, February 10, 2003 12:45 PM (7 years ago)

lol 7 years ago, but this HAS to be the cut off of the Tropical LP (1977) (and that breakdown is massive as fukk)

― david foster ballaz (m bison), Saturday, March 13, 2010 8:39 PM (fifteen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

the song "georgia" off said LP is str8 fire 100% beautiful

― david foster ballaz (m bison), Saturday, March 13, 2010 8:40 PM (fifteen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

Which version?

― it's not a fedora, it's a trill bae (m bison), Wednesday, July 9, 2014 2:36 PM (eleven years ago) bookmarkflaglink

I recall grabbing a short one from a comp I think

― curmudgeon, Thursday, July 10, 2014 4:33 AM (eleven years ago) bookmarkflaglink

man that doesnt help there are like 5 versions of taj mahal

― it's not a fedora, it's a trill bae (m bison), Thursday, July 10, 2014 4

It was from Puro Suingue

nice

Ok then otm bison, is Tropical all original or a comp or what?

alright if this description is correct, then I get it (and will listen to it on youtube at some point, sounds fantastic):

https://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/102730/jorge-ben/tropical-colored-lp

• coloured yellow vinyl edition
Tropical is Jorge Ben’s fifteenth album, a “muscular” mix of previously unreleased material and rearranged covers such as “Taj Mahal” and “País tropical”. The openness to more Pop, more Western arrangements, foreshadows his future work oriented towards the stereotypical World-Dance of the 1980s.

Tropical was originally intended for the market outside Brazil, and was not distributed there until 1977. A very fine confirming his immense talent and ability to adapt to the zeitgeist by intelligently breathing new life into “old” tunes that have been listened to over and over again. An era defining recording from Brazil with a unique groove and infectious energy.

PERSONNEL:

Jorge Ben - (lead vocals, guitar)
Chris Mercer - (tenor sax)
Barry St. John, Joy Yates, Liza Strike - (backing vocals)
João Roberto Vandaluz - (piano, organ)
Ann Odell - (synthesizer)
Eduardo Magalhaes De Carvalho - (bass)
Gustavo Schroeter - (drums, percussion)
João Batista Pereira - (percussion)

bem vinda amizade is a classic IMO. oé oé, luiz wagner guitarreiro, todo dia era dia de indio (that got famous with baby do brasil). cant go wrong

ok yeah Bem-Vinda Amizade is excellent! I can both hear and not hear the "balearic" descriptor. It's not as breezy as I expected based on that. tbf I'm never sure I understand what balearic signifies, but I thought that meant it would sound more languid like Veloso's Bicho or late 70s Gil. The 80s synth & production touches are def there — and if you're allergic to that, this probably won't work for you — but it's so rhythmic and hard at time. It's quintessentially Ben, but I gotta wonder if David Byrne heard this when it came out

hey rob if you want to trade anything for that big ben, drop me a message via ilx mail.

aw thanks Austin, that's nice of you. I live in Canada so tbh it may not be worth our while, but I'll send you a message

been listening to Bem-Vinda Amizade a lot recently - thanks thread!

any thoughts on this lovely comp?

https://www.discogs.com/release/3016785-Jorge-Ben-A-Arte-De-Jorge-Ben

still feel like I'm just scratching the surface but this helps as a gateway

the whole "A Arte De" series is good, i have Baden Powell's and treasure it

That looks like a great selection, sleeve. Following any of the songs you like to their original albums would be very rewarding of course, but if I'm not mistaken it stops around 1972, so if you haven't heard A Tábua de Esmeralda, that would be delightful new territory.

that album is all killer no filler, gorgeous stuff