The formula and ingredients might be the same, and yet the magic happens every single time. Every. Single. Time! On Friday, September 12 2003, João Gilberto was alone with his guitar on the stage of room A at the Tokyo International Forum. Venerated in Japan, the four concerts that the Brazilian master gave in the capital and Yokohama were in fact his first! At 71 years old, the father of Bossa Nova was more a hermit than ever, releasing very little music (let us note that the exquisite João Voz e Violão was published three years earlier) and avoiding the stage. For his Japanese first, his voice seemed nestled behind a slight veil, with some hesitating rhythms. But his art was itself intact. His sensual crooning, minimalist chords, unique rhythm and the general simplicity of his music are still as fresh ever. On Jobim classics (Meditação, Corcovado, Wave, Este Seu Olhar, Lígia) or other, rarer songs, João Gilberto is still as moving as they were so many years ago. This Tokyo concert – intimate as can be – doesn’t stand up to the summer of 1985 Live in Montreux, on Elektra/Musician Records, but it’s a wonder to listen to on repeat. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz