Características
Joe Beck was born in Philadelphia and moved to Manhattan as a teenager, where he played in a trio six nights a week. This gave him the opportunity to meet a wide variety of people from the thriving New York music scene. At the age of 18, Stan Getz hired him to record “Jingles” and in 1967 he recorded with Miles Davis. In 1968, at the age of 22, he became a member of the Gil Evans Orchestra. The list of his musical contributions to other artists reads like a “Who's Who” of the music scene: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Miles Davis, Tommy Tedesco, John Abercrombie, Gábor Szabó, Frank Sinatra and Gloria Gaynor are just a small selection from Beck's sideman-producer discography. Joe Beck played guitar on James Brown's singles and albums in 1974 as well. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences honored Beck five times with its Most Valuable Player Award. Beck has also recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, the Milan Philharmonic Orchestra in Italy and the Paris String Ensemble in France. “Brazilian Dreamin'” was produced, mixed and mastered by Tetsuo Hara and recorded on September 27 and 30, 2005, at The Studio in New York City as a trio with Ira Coleman on bass, Thierry Arpino on drums and Gregoire Maret, who contributes harmonica on “And Here's To You” and “Falando De Amor.”
AllMusic's review takes an apt look at “Brazilian Dreamin'”: "Joe Beck looks back on a long career, although he remains an artist who deserves more recognition. These recordings from 2005 will delight fans of Brazilian jazz. Together with Ira Coleman and Thierry Arpino (known for his collaboration with violinist Jean-Luc Ponty), Beck brings out the best in every song with his electric guitar, playing a selection of popular pieces by Antonio Carlos Jobim and his own tasteful originals. Highlights among the Jobim interpretations include the bittersweet “O Grande Amor” and the upbeat “Felicidade.” Beck also offers an imaginative samba arrangement of John Coltrane's “Giant Steps,” which contains a few twists and turns and is played at a slower tempo than usual, allowing it to creep up on the listener. Highly recommended!“
LP 1
Side A1. Manha De Carnaval2. O Grande Amor3. Ela E Carioca4. What Would I Do Without You?
Side B1. Vivo Sonhando2. Zanzibar3. Aquarius
LP 2
Side C1. Falando De Amor2. Brazil3. Giant Steps
Side D1. Felicidade2. And Here's To You3. Manha De Carnaval