[USED:Cond.B] In Tokyo

Personnel: Joao Gilberto (vocals, guitar).
Recording information: Tokyo International Forum Hall A, Tokyo, Japan (09/12/2003).
The remarkable thing about bossa nova giant Joao Gilberto is not merely that he helped to forge the Brazilian style that forever altered the world of music (not to mention the music of the world). It's just as astounding that in his 70th decade, 40 years after he brought bossa nova to the world at large, his powers--as heard on IN TOKYO--sound completely undiminished. This 2003 concert recording finds Gilberto in his most effective setting, accompanied only by his own stunning guitar work. The set is unsurprisingly dominated by Antonio Carlos Jobim tunes, since Gilberto stands as the world's foremost interpreter of the legendary Brazilian composer's songs. To hear Gilberto breathe new life into "Corcovado" and "Wave" with his intimate whisper and gracefully polyrhythmic guitar is to understand why this quiet, humble man's subtle mastery has entranced generations of listeners. Shockingly, he seems to have lost not a single step either vocally or instrumentally since his early-'60s salad days, never needing to rise above his customary hushed tones any more than he did back then.