Jazz arranger Claus Ogerman brings an impressive modernism to bear on this album, with some truly tweaky, challenging string arrangements. At times brooding, jagged and even a bit foreboding, Ogerman's contributions seem strongly influenced by 20th Century avant-classical music. The second half of this album devolves into syrupy mush, though, so tread lightly. Issued in the U.S. under the title Tom Jobim, this is one of his most striking and powerful albums. The matita-perê is a bird - one of the many birds whose song and feather Jobim could recognize from a distance, nature aficionado that he was.
Not particularly handsome or rare, the matita-perê has a special place in Brazilian rainforest: it is said that its two-note, bittersweet song, sung only at dusk, speaks of fate and the mysteries of the wild. This two-note signature cuts across this majestic collection of mostly instrumental pieces - recorded in New York on January of 1973 - which includes the stunning 'The Mantiqueira Range' and a mini-suite composed for the soundtrack of director Paulo César Sarraceni's 'Crônica da Casa Assasinada'. Jobim himself takes care of vocals on some tracks - offering, for instance, his own take on the classic 'Águas de Março'.

Tracklist:

01 Águas de Março (Waters of March) 3:57 (Tom Jobim)
02 Ana Luiza 5:27 (Tom Jobim)
03 Matita Perê 7:13 (Tom Jobim/Paulo César Pinheiro)
04 Tempo Do Mar 5:10 (Tom Jobim)
05 The Mantiqueira Range 3:32 (Paulo Jobim)
06 Crônica da Casa Assassinada: Trem para Cordisburgo/Chora, Coracão/O Jardim Abandonado/ Milagre e Palhaços 9:58 (Tom Jobim; lyrics of "Chora, Coracão" by Vinicius de Moraes)
07 Rancho das Nuvens 4:04 (Tom Jobim)
08 Nuvens Douradas 3:16 (Tom Jobim)

Recorded January 1973 in New York

Antonio Carlos Jobim - piano, guitar, vocals
João Palma & Airton Moreira - rhythm, percussion

(other musicians not mentioned by name)

Arrangements: Dorival Caymmi
Arrangements & Conduction: Claus Ogerman