Beach Samba
Astrud Gilberto
1967
Rankings
Why This Album Matters
Released in 1967, Beach Samba is a studio album by the acclaimed Astrud Gilberto, featuring arrangements by Eumir Deodato and Don Sebesky. Although some critics consider it one of the artist's less impactful works for Verve in the 60s due to its more pop inclination, the album still offers an auditory experience that blends bossa nova with North American orchestral pop sensibilities. On this record, Gilberto's smooth, playful, and ethereal voice is the highlight, supported by lush instrumentation that includes notable collaborators such as Ron Carter, Toots Thielemans, Marcos Valle, and Claudio Slon. It is a work that, despite its pop orientation, manages to capture the relaxing and pleasant essence of beachy bossa nova.
Recording
Beach Samba was produced by Creed Taylor. The technical team included Brooks Arthur, Val Valentin, and Rudy Van Gelder as engineers. For reissues, Michael Lang coordinated, Suha Gur mastered, Aric Lach Morrison assisted with production, and Peter Pullman carried out the editing. The design was handled by Jack Anesh and David Krieger, with photography by Jerry Schatzberg and Chuck Stewart.
Songs
The track selection on Beach Samba is notable for its more pop approach, although some of these choices stand out positively. Among them, Tim Hardin's beautiful "Misty Roses" is particularly praised. Another highlight is the song "Não Bate O Coração", where Astrud Gilberto lets loose with confident and daring scats, a style she rarely explored before or after this album. The record also includes compositions by names such as Chico Buarque, Luiz Bonfá, and Marcos Valle.
Legacy
The album's critical reception, according to AllMusic's review by Richie Unterberger, awarded it three stars, noting its more pop inclination. However, Beach Samba achieved lasting recognition, being included in the influential book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
Tracks
Credits
Don Sebesky, Eumir Deodato
Creed Taylor
Astrud Gilberto
Julio Ruggiero, Ron Carter
Alan Shulman, Charles McCracken, George Ricci, Harvey Shapiro, Maurice Bialkin, Maurice Brown, Seymour Barab
Bobby Rosengarden, Claudio Slon, Grady Tate
Hubert Laws, Seldon Powell
Earl Chapin, Jim Buffington, Ray Alonge, Tony Miranda
Barry Galbraith, Marcos Valle, Toots Thielemans
Toots Thielemans
Margaret Ross
Ben Aronov
Alan Douglas, Dom Um Romao, Jack Jennings
Ben Aronov, Warren Bernhardt
Tony Studd, Urbie Green, Warren Covington, Wayne Andre
Bernie Glow, Ernie Royal, Jimmy Nottingham, Marvin Stamm
John Barber
George Devens
David Mankovitz, David Schwartz, Harold Coletta, Richard Dickler
Arnold Eidus, Gene Orloff, George Ockner, Harry Katzman, Leo Kruczek
Toots Thielemans
Bill Hammond, Hubert Laws, Phil Bodner, Stan Webb
Val Valentin
Brooks Arthur
Rudy Van Gelder
David Krieger, Jack Anesh
Stan Levine
Jerry Schatzberg
Podcasts
1001 Album Club · Birch
Again we have another Samba / Bossa Nova Gilberto Album? Some of us find the 60's pop great and some of us wish the Gilberto's would just go away.
Analyses
Beach Samba – Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
Astrud Gilberto - Beach Samba - Review - 1001 Albums You Must Hear ...
1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie.net
The featured classic album is "Beach Samba" by Astrud Gilberto (Verve Records, 1967) - "a more pop-oriented song selection"
Beach Samba - Astrud Gilberto - Reviews - 1001 Albums
1001albumsgenerator.com
Beach Samba is a 1967 studio album by Astrud Gilberto, arranged by Eumir Deodato and Don Sebesky. Astrud Gilberto was born Astrud Evangelina Weinert, the daughter of a Brazilian mother and a German father, in Salvador in the Brazilian state of Bahia, on March 29, 1940.
Astrud Gilberto - Beach Samba | The Skeptical Audiophile
ontherecord.co
An outstanding copy of Beach Samba, with solid Double Plus (A++) sound or BETTER from top to bottom The soundstage is huge, and the overall quality of the recording is big and bold like you will not believe Creed Taylor (the CTI man) produced, Don Sebesky and Deodato did the arrangements, and Val Valentin engineered - what's not to like? "This 1967 Verve LP has the breezy bossa novas and ...
Beach Samba - Astrud Gilberto | The Greatest Music
thegreatestmusic.org
Explore our in-depth review and ranking of Beach Samba by Astrud Gilberto. Features, track listings, and why it's one of the greatest albums in Bossa Nova history.
