|
|
 |
Introducing Seu Jorge
|
| Click Here to go back. |
Randomville, Introducing Seu Jorge >>
By Craig Moy
You may know him as the Brazilian guy in The Life Aquatic who's too busy playing "Space Oddity" to notice that ruthless pirates are coming to plunder Bill Murray's ship. He also played a bunch of other David Bowie songs over the course of that esoteric film. And you probably liked them.
But, truth be told, covering Bowie isn't exactly a difficult proposition.
The hardest part - the actual song writing - has already been done. It would be almost impossible for anyone to ruin "Life on Mars" with just an acoustic guitar and voice.
As it happens, however, Seu Jorge is hardly a one-trick musical pony. Cru, his second album of (mostly) Portuguese-language acoustic pop is a fine example of the kind of sun-drenched balladry North Americans have apparently come to expect from our brethren in the Southern hemisphere.
Oddly enough, it takes a third of the record for Jorge to really establish this gentle mood. Album opener "Tive Razao" is a tightly paced dance number that recalls the best work of Brazilian supergroup Tribalistas and, given repeated listenings, becomes quite rewarding. On the other hand, tracks two and three are frustratingly haphazard. The latter, "Chatterton," sounds as if it were a throwaway jam from a Dave Matthews or Paul Simon recording session.
Once the music shifts to more traditional singer-songwriter material, Jorge gains confidence. "Fiore de la Citta" is immediately heart-rending, while the album's de facto centrepiece, the Elvis Presley hit "Don't," is even more beautiful. It even finds a suitable use for the often-gimmicky talking drum (though a few other tunes feature this percussion instrument as well, with decidedly lesser results).
As a guitarist, Jorge's furtive pluck-and-strum playing is serviceable, and he certainly knows his bossa-nova clavé patterns. But he's no Joao Gilberto or Sebastiao Tapajos.
Rather, what sets Jorge apart from other singer-songwriter types is his
wonderful voice. He has a great range, switching from a low, crooning tenor to a surprisingly robust falsetto without any apparent difficulty.
Similarly, Jorge's interpretive sensitivity is on full display. The album
is, for the most part, a showcase of the singer's soft and silky side, but
at times he conjures up a growl that surely makes the ladies swoon. If that weren't enough, Jorge's naturalistic phrasing adds a further dimension to songs such as "Eu Sou Favela" and "Fiore de la Citta," where the singer deftly walks the line between prepared melody and graceful improvisation.
While all this tender crooning may not be your preferred soundtrack for a hot day in the surf of Copacabana, put on Cru as you sit on the porch and watch the sun set. Then you'll discover why Seu Jorge was hired to play on that ship of filmic destiny, the Bellafonte.
08/30/05 >> go there
|
| Click Here to go back. |
|
 |
|
|
|
