Eager to get on the
Mendes bandwagon at the height of his hitmaking string with A&M, Philips issued this set of recordings from its Brazilian affiliate in 1968. We hear
Mendes as a jazz-slanted proponent of the bossa nova, taking on a typical assortment of standards like "One Note Samba," "Desafinado," "Manha de Carnaval," "Corcovado" and a few lesser-known tunes.
Mendes' gift for spare melodic improvisation is most evident here, yet he also seems a bit restrained and tentative, a young artist going with the prevalent style while still trying to find his own way. The backing personnel is not listed, but
Mendes is clearly at home with a team of vibes, guitar, bass and drums, sometimes producing a Shearing-like texture with the vibraphone. In all, a typical, low-key bossa nova record from the boom period, not something that would excite those who bought it in 1968 expecting another "The Look of Love."