Daniel Jobim at WDNA 88.9 FM Miami, Friday
Daniel Jobim, singer, pianist, producer, and the grandson of Antonio Carlos Jobim, made an intimate, low-key appearance at WDNA 88.9 FM, the Miami jazz radio station, Friday. The event, which took place at the station’s gallery and performance area, was presented by WDNA and the recently announced Beachtone Jazz Festival.
Jobim is no piano virtuoso and his voice has a limited range, but that is precisely part of his charm. Bossa nova once proposed a kind of elegant, sophisticated artlessness (check the ironic lyrics of “Desafinado,” Out of Tune, a manifesto of sorts) and Jobim, an unpretentious performer whose singing effortlessly evokes his grandfather’s, suggests the embodiment of the idea.
He went through some of his grandfather’s classics simply and directly, intriguingly often in their English version — perhaps a considerate nod to place and audience. The set included “Samba de Una Nota So,” “So Danço Samba,” “Luiza,” Ligia,” “Corcovado,” “Aguas de Março,” the inevitable “Girl From Ipanema,” and “Chega de Saudade,” the song that might have started all the trouble.
“He brought it to Joao Gilberto, but told him he didn’t think it was that good,” recalled Jobim in one of his brief asides. “But Joao tried it and said ‘No, no it’s good, it’s good’.”
It was the title track of Gilberto’s debut album in 1959 (he also included two other Jobim pieces, “Desafinado” and “Brigas, Nunca Mais”) considered the first bossa nova recording.
Great music and smart lyrics presented simply, without special effects, dancers or auto-tuners at the ready might sound to some like a risky proposition these days — but that’s only true if the songs or the performer are just not good enough.
Daniel Jobim’s no-frills concert Friday suggested not only a tribute to his grandfather’s work but also a celebration of a certain way of performing and sharing music.
More, please.
Jazz With an Accent 
I love the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim and have been listening and learning his songs for many years now. I sing and play guitar but perform and write songs about my country Australia. Very different music to bossa. But I always include a few of the great Jobim songs whenever I perform at concerts and festivals. The Bossa is not that popular in Australia but a few of us kerp the spirit of it alive by singing the beautiful songs. I love the interesting chord patterns which are not easy but so beautiful. It is so different to Australian music which is very English/Irish/Scotish influenced. Indigenous music is Australia is unique and quite popular. My music is influenced by that Australian tradition. Jobim is world famous and recently I have been playing with musicians from Indonesia who say Jobims music is very popular in that country. His music will last forever. I still cherish the albums and cd’s of his great music. Thank you Mr. Jobim for your beautiful songs and music.
Thank you for taking the time to read the post and write a comment. While I don’t agree with the bromide “music is the universal language” (listening to Mozart’s Don Giovanni doesn’t prepare you for Chinese opera; Afro-Cuban drumming doesn’t help you to understand Indian timekeeping …) I deeply believe music speaks to us in ways we don’t fully comprehend. So Jobim reaches you in Australia and Indonesian musicians and a German guy dead hundreds of years ago, Bach, still moves us. If you could, please send me a link to your music. I’d like to hear it. And thank you.