Antônio Carlos Jobim
Antonio Carlos Jobim (born Antonio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim, January 25, 1927 in Rio de Janeiro – December 8, 1994 in New York City), also known as Tom Jobim, was a Brazilian composer, arranger, singer, pianist and one of the greatest legends of the bossa nova era. Jobim's compositions have been performed by countless famous performers, including João Gilberto, the creator of the bossa nova genre.
Jobim's roots were planted firmly in the works of Pixinguinha, a legendary musician and composer who, in the 1930s, began the development of modern Brazilian music. He was also influenced by the music of French composer Claude Debussy and by jazz.
Jobim found prominence in Brazil when he teamed up with poet and diplomat Vinicius de Moraes to provide the music for the play Orfeu de Conceição (1956). The most popular song from the show was Se todos fossem iguais a você (Someone to Light Up My Life). Later, when the play was turned into a film, French producer Sacha Gordine didn't want to use any of the existing music from the play. Gordine asked de Morales and Jobim for a new score for Black Orpheus (1959). De Moraes was at this time in Montevideo working for the Itamaraty and so he and Jobim were only able to write three songs, primarily over the telephone. (A Felicidade, Frevo,and O Nosso Amor). The lyrics for his most popular songs were written by de Moraes. Later on, with the release of the Getz/Gilberto album (1963) popularized by the international mega hit of the single "The Girl from Ipanema" sung by the legendary Astrud Gilberto, Jobim acquired international fame. The Astrud Gilberto Album (1964), Astrud Gilberto's first solo album, introduced for the first time to the world compositions by Antonio Carlos Jobim sung in English, which have become, since then, worldwide classics. American jazz singers Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra prominently featured Jobim's songs on their albums Ella Abraça Jobim (1981) and Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim (1967), respectively. Jobim is recognized the world over as one of the most influential composers of the 20th century.
Jobim was buried in the Cemitério São João Batista in Rio de Janeiro. The International Airport of Rio de Janeiro is now named in his honor.
Selected compositions
- "Garota de Ipanema" ("The Girl from Ipanema")
- "Wave"
- "Chovendo na Roseira" ("Children's Games"/aka "Double Rainbow")
- "Samba de Uma Nota Só" ("One Note Samba")
- "Corcovado" ("Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars")
- "Insensatez" ("How Insensitive")
- "Desafinado" ("Off Key")
- "Chega de Saudade" ("No More Blues")
- "Triste"
- "Solidão passageira" ("The blue bird")
- "Fotografia" ("Photograph")
- "Águas de Março" ("Waters of March")
- "Samba do Avião" ("Jet Samba")
- "Amparo"
- "Matita Perê"
- "Passarim"
- "Borzeguim"
Discography
- Meus Primeiros Passos E Compassos
- Black Orpheus(Soundtrack) (1959)
- Getz/Gilberto (1963) (Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto/Astrud Gilberto)
- The Composer Plays (1963)
- The Wonderful World Of Antonio Carlos Jobim (1964)
- The Swinger From Rio (1965) (Sergio Mendes)
- Love, Strings And Jobim (1966)
- A Certain Mr. Jobim (1967)
- Albert Francis Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim (1967)
- Wave (1967)
- Tide (1970)
- Stone Flower (1972)
- Matita Pere (1973)
- Elis & Tom (1974)
- Urubu (1976)
- Gravado Ao Vivo No Canecao (1977)
- Miucha & Tom Jobim (1979)
- Sinatra-Jobim Sessions (1979)
- Terra Brasilis (1980)
- Tom & Edu (1981)
- Gabriela (1983)
- Passarim (1987)
- Rio Revisited (1987)
- Tom Canta Vinicius -- Ao Vivo (1990/2001)
- Tom Jobim (CBPO, 1987; Sony Music, 1995)
- Antonio Brasileiro (1994)
- Antonio Carlos Jobim And Friends - Live (1996)
- Tom Jobim: Raros Compassos (2000)
References
- McGowan, Chris and Pessanha, Ricardo. "The Brazilian Sound: Samba, Bossa Nova and the Popular Music of Brazil." 1998. 2nd edition. Temple University Press. ISBN 1-56639-545-3