João Gilberto was born in 1931 in Brazil in the state of Bahia in Brazil, where he learned to play the guitar. He began his singing career on radio in Rio de Janeiro, and in 1957 he met Antonio Carlos Jobim. It was a decisive encounter, because Jobim would give him the chance to accompany Elizeth Cardoso and write songs for her. A new spirit was taking hold in the bars and clubs of Rio, where Vinicius de Moraes, Tom Jobim, Dorival Caymmi, Elizeth Cardoso, Maysa and Baden Powell — and soon João Gilberto — were developing a new style that embraced the vibrations of a whole young generation of Brazilians. The name of this new life force was Bossa Nova, the name given to music that featured relaxed rhythms and mingled sadness with new hope. It was this newness that João incarnated right from his first album entitled Chega de saudade (released in 1959). It was an immensely successful record, and its popularity spread far beyond Brazil. In the USA, the Bossa Nova wave touched every musician in jazz, from Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd to Quincy Jones, Herbie Mann and others including Lalo Schifrin (cf. the Masters of Jazz album Jazz Bossa Nova). The three albums that Joao Gilberto recorded between 1958 and 1962 formed the foundations of the style was later recognized throughout the world as Bossa Nova.
EN : It is the fusion of Gospel, Blues and Jazz that gives birth to new rhythms during the 50’s in the United States. Black artists are the first ones to associate upbeat tempo with jazz and blues. But it is a revolution of the minds that gives to the 50’s its frenetic momentum that rocks the old world into the modern world. Every single area is touched by the revolution : music and painting, obviously, but also and maybe mainly society at large, ways of consuming, the new industrial era, urban life, advertising, marketing and design. The movement develops in every dimension. Rock’n’Roll is the permanent mark left by the youth of that time, embracing the new world and giving it the rhythm that fits.
The Masters of Rock collection traces back the history of these great Rock’n’Roll figures without whom Rock and music in general would not be what they are today. And just like a natural phenomenon, Rock was born at the same time as the LP, absolute revolution in the music world which marked every generation since 1950 and until today. The world could not go round without the collection that pays homage to Vinyl Records and Rock’nRoll : Masters of Rock
The Essential Works of Masters of Rock gathers every founding creation of today’s music.
FR : C’est la fusion du Gospel, du Blues et du Jazz qui donne naissance à de nouveaux rythmes au cours des années cinquante aux Etats Unis. Ce sont les artistes noirs qui les premiers associent des rythmes up tempo au jazz et au blues. Mais c’est une révolution des esprits qui donne aux années 50 cette frénésie qui fait basculer le monde ancien dans le monde moderne. Tous les domaines sont touchés par la révolution : la musique et la peinture bien sûr, mais aussi et peut être même en premier, la société, la consommation, la nouvelle ère industrielle, la vie urbaine, la publicité, le marketing, le design. Le mouvement se développe dans toutes les dimensions. Le Rock’n’Roll est la trace indélébile laissée par la jeunesse de cette période, qui embrasse le nouveau monde et lui donne le rythme qui lui sied. Masters of Rock retrace le parcours des grandes figures du Rock’n’Roll sans lesquelles le Rock et la musique d’aujourd’hui ne seraient pas ce qu’ils sont. Et comme un phénomène naturel, le Rock est né en même temps que le microsillon, révolution absolue dans le domaine musicale, qui a marqué toutes les générations de 1950 à 2000. Le monde ne pouvait plus tourner rond sans la collection qui rend hommage au Vinyl et au Rock’n’Roll : Masters of Rock
The Essential Works of Masters of Rock réunissent les créations fondatrices de la musique d’aujourd’hui.