Lounge mix for summer

Let's start with some Mancini, Monica Mancini, doing a very John Barry/James Bond take on her papa's song "Charade" (also the newest song, 2004, featured within this post):

"Telefone"

Happy happy joy joy!

"Tristeza (Goodbye Sadness)"

From her 1967 album Beach Samba, "Tristeza (Goodbye Sadness)" is a song which could have been written just for Astrud Gilberto, as it fits very well her nice, yet limited vocal range. I'm also quite fond of the organ on this one.

"(Take Me to) Aruanda"

There are singers who are, for many of us, an acquired taste. The tone and timbre of their voices are things for which one is challenged to endure as they squirm and writhe through the first few, nascent listenings. Willie Nelson, Tom Waits, Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Cash - these are/were singers who would probably not even get past the local audition stage of American Idol (and that can't be a good sign!). But if one is patient, and survives early exposure, the overall, musical quality of their voices (no doubt profoundly helped by the quality of the strong material they recorded/record) eventually come through, and there can be great payoff and rewards for the listener.

"Bim Bom"

"Bim Bom" is considered the first bossa nova song. It was composed by João Gilberto around 1956. The song wasn't recorded until July 1958 when Gilberto released it under Odeon Records along with his version of the first produced bossa nova album, Chega de Saudade.