Inédito
Tom Jobim
1995
Why This Album Matters
Inédito, also known as Tom Jobim Inédito and later as The Unknown upon its release in the United States, is a singular album in Tom Jobim's vast discography. Originally conceived as an exclusive gift for Odebrecht clients in 1987, the year of the maestro's 60th birthday, it stands out as an affectionate and intimate retrospective of Jobim's career. Unlike many of his more grandiose works, this record captures the essence of his genius in a relaxed and personal setting, reflecting his own predilection for the work. The album offers a rich sonic tapestry that blends some of Jobim's most celebrated compositions, such as "Wave", "Chega de Saudade" and "Garota de Ipanema", with lesser-known and previously unreleased material from his recordings. Tom Jobim stated that Inédito was the album he most enjoyed recording and that he considered it one of the best of his career, which underscores the intrinsic importance of this work to the artist himself.
Context
The year 1987 marked Antônio Carlos Jobim's 60th birthday, and to celebrate the occasion, the Brazilian business conglomerate Odebrecht commissioned a limited-edition album. This special commission granted Jobim full financial and artistic control over the project, a privilege that allowed the maestro to explore his repertoire with complete creative freedom. During this period, Jobim was simultaneously involved in the recordings of Inédito and Passarim, his first album in seven years, demonstrating a phase of intense productivity. The supervision of the Inédito project was entrusted to Vera de Alencar, a personal friend of Jobim and museologist of his musical archive, and to Jairo Severiano, a renowned Brazilian music historian, ensuring special care with the retrieval and curation of the repertoire.
Recording
The recording of Inédito was a singular and deeply personal process. Tom Jobim stipulated that the sessions should take place at his own residence, in the Jardim Botânico neighbourhood, in Rio de Janeiro. His piano room was transformed into a studio, with Carlos de Andrade acting as sound engineer, which gave the album an atmosphere of intimacy and authenticity. The tracks were recorded between 13 May and 30 August 1987, frequently at unusual times, as Jairo Severiano recalled: "We would start around eleven o'clock at night, when there was no longer any movement in the streets and no risk of noise leakage, and we would not finish before two in the morning". This choice of timing aimed to capture the silence and tranquility, characteristics that Jobim himself valued, noting that "in this house of mine, you can hear a frog 200 metres away". For the instrumental accompaniment, Jobim relied on Banda Nova, his touring and recording group, which included close friends and family, such as his wife Ana Jobim, his daughter Elizabeth Jobim and his son Paulo Jobim, as well as Jaques Morelenbaum and Paula Morelenbaum, Danilo Caymmi and his wife Simone. This formation of family and intimate friends, combined with the absence of "usual industry pressures", according to Paulo Jobim, resulted in a relaxed and organic sound.
Songs
The repertoire of Inédito is a rich retrospective of Jobim's work, featuring 24 tracks that harmonise bossa nova classics with lesser-known or never-before-recorded compositions. Among the most emblematic songs are "Wave", "Chega de Saudade", "Sabiá", "Samba do Avião", "Garota de Ipanema", "Retrato em Branco e Preto", "Eu Não Existo Sem Você", "Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar", "Falando de Amor", "Inútil Paisagem", "Águas de Março", "Samba de Uma Nota Só", "Desafinado" and "A Felicidade". The album also unearths gems such as "Modinha" (both the one by Heitor Villa-Lobos and Manuel Bandeira, and the one by Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes), "Por Causa de Você", "Sucedeu Assim" and "Canção em Modo Menor". Jobim's compositions, known for their sophisticated melody and complex harmony, are presented with fresh and inventive arrangements, varying from orchestral renditions by the band to incredibly minimalist arrangements, often with Jobim alone at the piano. A notable characteristic is how Jobim shares lead vocals with members of Banda Nova, such as Paulo Jobim, Danilo Caymmi, and the various female vocalists, including Paula Morelenbaum, Ana and Elizabeth Jobim, and Maúcha Adnet, creating rich choral harmonies and an intimate ensemble sound. The inclusion of influences from West Coast jazz, European modernism, and composers such as Debussy and Pixinguinha, enriches the musical texture, revealing the "fabulous range" of Jobim's vision, who masterfully fused the erudite and the popular.
Legacy
Inédito was unanimously acclaimed by critics upon its public release. The Daily Telegraph described it as "a lost gem by Brazil's greatest composer", with critic Mark Hudson praising its "extraordinary, still little-known" re-release for "shedding new light on this fascinating figure and on bossa nova as a whole". Hudson highlighted the album's "fabulous range", which exposes Jobim's diverse influences, from West Coast jazz and European modernism to composers like Claude Debussy and Pixinguinha, emphasising the "complex mix of the high and the low, the refined and the slightly silly" that makes Jobim and bossa nova so appealing. John Lannert, of Billboard, rated the album as "a critical masterpiece", while The Wall Street Journal called it "a fully realised gem", capable of capturing the "breadth and depth of Jobim's remarkable oeuvre". Richard Ginell, of AllMusic, observed that the "feeling of saudade is at the heart of Jobim's birthday present to himself", and recommended the album to all its admirers. Initially released in a limited edition of 4,000 copies for schools, bookshops, museums and Odebrecht clients in 1987, the album only became available to the public in 1995, after Jobim's death, through an agreement between his family and the conglomerate via BMG. In 2006, it was released in the United States under the title The Unknown, ensuring that this intimate work, deeply valued by the maestro himself, reached a global audience.
Rankings
Tracks
Credits
Edson José Alves
Teresa Lima
José Ramos Tinhorão
Podcasts
Sons e Histórias · Daniel Queiroz
No episódio de hoje, o podcast Sons & Histórias recebe o jornalista Ricardo Mota para uma conversa descontraída sobre o álbum Inédito (1987), uma das obras mais emocionantes e íntimas de Tom Jobim. Gravado em sua própria casa, no Jardim Botânico, e lançado comercialmente apenas após sua morte, esse disco é considerado por muitos como o mais pessoal do maestro. Com arranjos delicados de Paulo Jobim
Analyses
Inédito – Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
Tom Jobim - Inédito - ProJazz.net
projazz.net
Inédito (AKA The Unknown and originally titled Tom Jobim for its original 1987 Release) was a privately commissioned studio album by Antônio Carlos Jobim, released in 1987 in a limited edition to commemorate his 60th birthday, and re-released in 1995 for the general public.
CD instrumental revela Tom Jobim inédito - 28/11/1995 - Folha de S.Paulo
www1.folha.uol.com.br
Próximo Texto Índice CD instrumental revela Tom Jobim inédito LUIZ ANTÔNIO RYFF DA REPORTAGEM LOCAL Coluna Joyce Pascowitch Índice
Discografia Básica, "Inédito" de Tom Jobim - Bossa Jazz Brasil - A ...
bossajazzbrasil.com
Há 25 anos era lançado o álbum Tom Jobim "Inédito", uma homenagem ao maestro que morrera um ano antes. O disco saiu originalmente em 1987, em edição limitada para celebrar 60 anos de Tom. No repertório estão "Wave", "Samba do Avião", "Chega de Saudade", "Garota de Ipanema", entre outras. Foto: Ana Jobim
Discogs
Inédito – Discogs
discogs.com