Stone Flower
The American producer Creed Taylor produced some of the best recordings Antonio Carlos Jobim ever made. Taylor's lush strings, evocative woodwinds, and selection of top-notch jazz musicians were a perfect match for Jobim's spare, bossa nova-flavored compositions. This 1970 recording features Jobim backed by bassist Ron Carter, trombonist Urbie Green, flutist Hubert Law, and soprano saxophonist Joe Farrell. Several classics, such as "Children's Games," the lilting "Tereza My Love," and the two soft samba/swing renditions of Ary Barroso's "Brazil," are lovingly draped in the velvet arrangements of the then-young Brazilian sensation Eumir Deodato. Jobim's dry and achy vocals, along with his acoustic and rarely heard electric-piano playing, add the right sonic seasoning to this delightful disk.--Eugene Holley Jr.