CD of the Day - "Lalo Schifrin: Piano, Strings and Bossa Nova"

CD of the Day
Lalo Schifrin: "Piano, Strings and Bossa Nova" (Verve) 2008

Digipack CD reissue of Lalo's album recorded in New York on October 24-25, 1962 (the recording date is omitted on this CD, selected for Verve's "Originals" series).
This reissue, supervised by Harry Weinger, reproduces the cover art of the original LP release on the MGM label (MGM SE 4110), in 1963. Later on, it would be reissued on the Verve label, as Verve V6-8785, in 1969, under the title "Insensatez".
Includes the original liner notes by Leonard Feather, who also contributes with one original tune from 1959, "Time For Love" (not to be confused with Johnny Mandel's "A Time For Love").
Besides Lalo Schifrin on acoustic piano, the rhythm section includes Jim Hall (guitar), Chris White (bass), Rudy Collins (drums) and Brazilian artists Carmen Costa (yes, the singer!) & José Paulo, who were married at that time and living in NY. Carmen plays cabassa, while José takes care of the pandeiro. The string section is comprised of nine violins, four violas, two cellos, and harp.
Produced by Creed Taylor and, of course, arranged & conducted by Schifrin, the album could be called "Easy Listening Bossa Nova". The repertoire features songs by Antonio Carlos Jobim ("Insensatez"), Carlos Lyra ("Você e Eu"), Johnny Alf ("Rapaz de Bem", which was included on the compilation "A Trip To Brazil Vol.3: Back To Bossa", produced by Arnaldo DeSouteiro for Verve in 2002) and two numbers by Djalma Ferreira ("Murmúrio", "Samba do Perroquet"), plus bossa versions of Leonard Bernstein's "Maria" and Harry Woods/Mort Dixon's "Four Leaf Clover" (inspired by João Gilberto's 1960 version).
There are also four Lalo originals: the opening "The Wave", "Silvia" (named to his wife at that time), "Rio After Dark" and "Lalo's Bossa Nova", aka "Samba Para Dos" (sic), written at the request of Quincy Jones, "who wanted a blues-rooted bossa nova for his band," according to Feather's notes.