Arnaldo and Ithamara in Japan.
B.J. and Arnaldo Meet via Email
Webmaster's Note: This section contains only a
small portion of first emails exchanged between myself and
Arnaldo. This is not a complete collection of exchanged emails to
date, all of which I have personally retained and archived.
Date: March 1, 2001 6:19:00 AM EST
Dear B.J.,
Hope you are well.
What a surprise to know that you've already tried to contact me! For
which address you have mailed the letter? Please let me know.
Firstly, I shall ask you to forgive my fluently wrong English! Anyway,
I'll try to do my best in answering your questions for both interviews.
And,
please, amend all my mistakes!
I don't know what you know about my work, so here's a very short resume:
Arnaldo DeSouteiro - Born in 1963, in Rio de Janeiro. Record producer,
journalist, publicist, educator. Married singer Ithamara Koorax in 1990.
Education: classical piano and harmony, privately with mother, pianist
and conductor Delza Agricola. Started career as Brazilian correspondent
for Billboard magazine in 1978. The following year, started a jazz
columnn in the Rio daily Tribuna da Imprensa (Press Tribune), with over
1,300 articles published between 1979 and 2000. Brazilian correspondent
for Keyboard Magazine from 1986 to 1995 (my first story on Keyboard was
about Joao Donato, published in the September 1986 issue, page 17! I
will try to find it and send you a scan!). Articles also published on
Cuadernos de Jazz (Spain), Swing Journal (Japan) and several other
publications all over the world. Produced acclaimed TV specials for
Globo and Manchete TV network, on which also appeared as interviewer,
featuring Dizzy Gillespie, Chuck Mangione, Airto Moreira & Flora
Purim, Tony Bennett, and Antonio Carlos Jobim & Joao Gilberto (on
their latest concert together, in December 1992).
As a record producer, produced albums by Luiz Bonfa (The Bonfa Magic),
Joao Gilberto (Live on TV), Claudio Roditi (Day Waves), Thiago de Mello
(The Essential), Dom Um Romao (Rhythm Traveller, Lake of Perseverance)
and many others, with over 50 albums to his credit. Also among them,
five albums for Ithamara Koorax (Red River, Almost In Love/Ithamara
Koorax Sings The Luiz Bonfa Songbook, Wave 2001, Bossa Nova Meets Drum
'N' Bass, and Serenade In Blue), with such sidemen as Ron Carter, Larry
Coryell, Sadao Watanabe, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Art
Farmer, Eddie Gomez, Marcos Valle, Azymuth and Eumir Deodato. Also
produced the best-selling compilation series Brazilian Horizons
(Milestone), Acid Jazz Grooves (CTI), A Trip To Brazil
(EmArcy/Universal), Focus on Bossa Nova (BMG), plus over 30 CD reissues
of albums by Deodato (Inutil Paisagem), Luiz Bonfa (Jacaranda), Thiago
de Mello (Amazon), Pascoal Meirelles (Consideraçoes) etc. Wrote
over 60 liner notes for CDs and vinyls by Raul de Souza (Colors), Opa
(Goldenwings/Magic Time), Antonio Carlos Jobim (Stone Flower), Deodato
(Live at Felt Forum, Prelude), Bola Sete & Vince Guaraldi (Vince
& Bola), Paulo Bellinati (The Guitar Works of Garoto), Jeff Linsky
(Solo, Simpatico), Carlos Barbosa-Lima (Chants For The Chief), Toots
Thielemans (A Arte de
Toots) and so on. Founder of Jazz Station Records, A Division of Jazz
Station Marketing & Consulting, in 1991. The first Brazilian to
become a
member of the IAJE - International Association of Jazz Educators, in
1991, presenting clinics in the IAJE Annual Conference in January 1992,
in Miami.
Also an Honorary Member of the International Academy of Music, since 1985.
Woosh, 'nuff said.
Best regards,
Arnaldo
Date: March 5, 2001 11:49:00 PM EST
Dear BJ,
I already consider you a very dear friend.
The CD A Trip To Brazil will be mailed to you tomorrow morning, when I return to Rio.
I am sure you will love it!
Take care,
Arnie
Subject: Fabulous!
Date: March 8, 2001 6:51:00 AM EST
Dear BJ,
Konban-wa!
Hope you had a good day.
So good to see so many times my name (and Itha's name) in your fabulous
sites! We are both honored to be mentioned on them, as well as very
glad to have the chance to contribute somehow to your great work for
Brazilian music!
I could not find any reference, in Jobim Site, to the CDs Rio Vermelho
and Jazz On TV-CF. Probably it's my fault, but if the scans are already
there, please let me know in which Section can I find them. Did
you use that photo of Jobim with Dom Um and Sinatra?
Some ammends you should make:
1. On Ogerman Site - The recording date of the Joyce track (Feminina)
with Claus, from the album A Trip To Brazil Vol.2, is 1977, not 1999,
as I probably informed by mistake to you.
2. On Donato Site - The recording date of the track with Os Namorados
(Eu Quero Um Samba), from the album A Trip To Brazil Vol.1, is 1953,
not 1973.
Some info I can contribute:
1. On Sergio Mendes Site - The Personnel on The Great Arrival CD
includes Bob Matthews (bass) and Joao Palma (drums). It was Palma's
debut recording with Mendes, prior to the famous Herb Alpert Presents
Serrgio Mendes & Brasil 65 with the big hit Mas Que Nada.
2. On Sergio Mendes Site - The drummer on your favorite album Dance Moderno is Edson Machado.
3. On Jobim Site - The personnel on The Composer Of Desafinado Plays
also includes George Duvivier (bass) and Edson Machado (drums).
4. On Jobim Site - The personnel on A Certain Mr. Jobim includes Don Payne (bass) and Dom Um Romao (drums).
5. On Jobim site - The personnel on Francis Albert Sinatra & A.C.
Jobim landmark album includes Don Payne (bass), Dom Um Romao (drums),
Jimmy Cleveland (trombone).
6. On Sergio Mendes site - The percussionist on the Favorite Things album for Atlantic is Moacir Santos, not Moachir Santos.
I had a very busy day, and now I am exhausted. But I hope to send you more scans tomorrow.
And I cannot wait to hear your personal comments about the Trip To
Brazil CD that is on its way to you. It will probably arrtive in one
week.
I was very happy to be able to provide you with the scans of Donato 78rpms, plus the cover of Muito a Vontade.
And I was deeply moved to see my mother's name identified as the
photographer of that Donato photo at my home. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Kindest regards,
Your fan,
Arnaldo
Subject: Re: Textual changes in sites
Date: March 8, 2001 4:27:00 PM EST
BJ,
You are fantastic!
Sorry for the mistake when identifying Brasil '65 as the group on the Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes.
The CDs were shipped to you by Air Mail registered with avis de reception.
One more thing: maybe you forgot to add Sergio Mendes' Favorite Things
to Donato site...It is one of the rarest Donato sideman recordings as a
percussionist! (the other is one Moacir Santos`Opus 3 No.1 LP, on the
Discovery album, recorded in LA around the same time of Mendes' album).
And
many of Donato's fans are not aware of these albums with this facet of Donato, the percussionist!
Kiss,
Arnaldo
PS: I am leaving now for a studio session. I will be back at Midnight. See you soon!
Subject: Today's changes
Date: March 9, 2001 7:24:00 AM EST
Good morning, Arnaldo:
Wanted to let you know what I changed/added to the sites this morning:
1. Added Sergio Mendes' Favorite Things album covers and text info to the Donato site in the participation section.
2. Added the full size front and back covers of Novabossa to the
Mendes site and removed the small front cover that was pictured
there. This was not one of the ones you gave me, but my own CD
that I had scanned recently.
3. Added Brazilian Horizons CD front and back and text info you
gave me to the Donato site. I know I still have to put this info
on the Jobim and Slon sites.
4. Added the Dom-Jobim-Sinatra photo to the Jobim site where that
album is located. I was originally going to use this at the top
of one of the Jobim pages, but thought it was more appropriate to use
right where that album is located on the site.
5. Had to readjust the album index of the Donato site and create
a brand new page for the overflow after I had added the Mendes Favorite
Things album. I try not to have more than 9 albums pictured on a
page. Linked the old and new page together.
I know I still have tons more to add from what you are sending, but
this is all I can do at the moment; I have to leave the house
now. Will do more tomorrow and will email you again with what's
been added, ok? Thank you so much and I appreciate your being
patient with waiting for these additions/changes to be made!!
Sincerely,
--bj
Subject: I found the letter from last year...
Date: March 16, 2001 1:41:00 PM EST
Arnaldo,
Remember when I originally told you that I sent you a letter last
year? I found a copy of it which was stored on a backup hard
drive yesterday. The full copy of the letter as well as date it
was sent is below. You've taken care of giving me that interview,
so just ignore that part. You can also see what address I had
sent it to. Funny thing is that the letter was never returned to
me even though you did not receive it.
I deleted my address info off the end as I am no longer living in
Washington State and also deleted the interview questions since you
already have answered those.
============================
June 13, 2000
Arnaldo DeSouteiro
(address)
Dear Mr. DeSouteiro:
I searched all over the internet for an email address for you, but
could find none, though I did come across some comments you made that
are listed on pages belonging to several recording artists. If it
happens that you do have email, please let me know what that address is
when you respond to this letter. Thank you!
I write you because I have been told that you are a music journalist.
And that there is a good chance that you are acquainted with another
music journalist by the name of Jose Domingos Raffaelli, who works for
O Globo newspaper in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Without boring you with a long personal story on my part (that is
somewhat endless!), I would like to tell you that I have built a
website for Jose. I am a 46 yr. old woman living in the United
States who has followed Brazilian music (especially bossa nova) for 34
years. I have known Jose only a short amount of time
(approximately two months), but both he and his work impressed me to
the degree that he deserved a site which would feature his
writings. In addition to his writings (which I will keep adding
to the site as he writes new material), I have some photos on the site
as well as a growing interview section. I would like to interview
you for the site, and I have attached an interview questionnaire to
this letter for that purpose. Please feel free to make your
answers as lengthy as you would like; I will use everything you give me
with no editing. Of course, all of this presumes that you do know Jose
personally as the questions center on being familiar with him and his
work. If you do not know Jose personally, please just write me a
short note telling me so.
In addition, if you have any photographs of yourself and Jose that I
could use on the site, I would be happy to reimburse you for copies of
those as well. Or, I would be happy to simply return them to you
once they have been scanned into the computer for use on the
site. I would be very careful with those and return them to you
immediately.
This particular site went online only a short time ago (less than two
weeks). Jose has seen the site himself and from all indications I
received from him, he is pleased with the results. He did not
solicit me to build a site for him, it was totally my idea for this
project to happen. In addition to adding new things he writes
every week, I am endeavoring to contact others who know him personally
and who are familiar with his writings and his devotion to jazz
music. If you know of anyone else who would be willing to give me
an interview similar to the one I've attached here for you, please be
sure to give me contact information for them and I will follow up on
that immediately.
If you have access to a computer at a public library or other place,
here is the direct address for Jose's site so that you may view it:
(old site address)
Thank you, in advance, for being willing to help with this project. My address is below for returning the questionnaire.
Sincerely,
B.J. Major
Subject: Re: Package arrived!!
Date: March 17, 2001 12:07:00 AM EST
Dear BJ,
We are glad to know the package arrived safely.
Now we hope you enjoy the music! We are curious to know your impressions on Moon River, Bonita etc (tracks from Itha's CD).
This was the album that led Itha to receive respectable showings in the
65th Annual Down Beat Readers Poll (December 2000 issue), being voted
among the
best jazz female singers, best beyond albums and best beyond musicians
(placing third in that category, behind only Sting and Santana, and
ahead of Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder!!!).
Serenade In Blue also reached the Entry List of the 43rd Annual Grammy
Awards, under Best Jazz Vocal Album (Serenade In Blue), Best Producer
(Arnaldo DeSouteiro) and Best Arrangement (Eumir Deodato, for the track
Aranjuez).
OF COURSE, you are allowed to reproduce the Claus photo, as well as any
other photo or text from any of the albums we have produced. It is an
honor for us to see any part of our work, any part of our efforts,
contributing to your wonderful sites.
It's funny that I had forgotten that there were Claus tracks on A Trip
To Brazil Vol.1 (!), which now you can add to the Ogerman site!!!
Hoping to hear from you soon,
Arnie & Itha
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, March 16, 2001 8:34 AM
Subject: Package arrived!!
Dear Arnie and Itha,
I woke up this morning to find that your package arrived!! Thanks
to the both of you so much for taking the time and trouble to send this.
I appreciate both your autographs on the back of the CDs very
much. As soon as I send this message, I am going to begin playing
both of them. Can't wait to hear them. Just a few quick things I
noticed:
Arnie--what a nice booklet accompanies that Trip to Brazil CD!
Thank you for including that good photo of Walter & Claudio on the
page where Summer Samba is listed. That has always been one of my
favorite photos of them.
Also, on the page where you have that Claus Ogerman photo--may I use
that on Claus' site? For some reason there are few photos of him
available
anywhere and I'd love to use it at the top of one of my Claus pages
that has no photo--with your permission, of course. I should be
able to scan it in and make it a bit larger.
Itha--I see you include not only Summer Samba on your CD, but Mancini's
Moon River as well! Wow, can't wait to hear your rendition of
that tune.
I'll close this for now and let both of you know how I like the CDs
once I hear them. Thank you so much again for your
thoughtfulness; you are two wonderful people whom I am grateful that I
met through one of my humble websites.
Best,
--bj
Subject: About A Trip to Brazil....
Date: March 17, 2001 12:23:00 AM EST
First Reactions to "A Trip to Brazil" CD...
Arnaldo,
What a wonderful compilation you have produced here. First rate,
all the way. I have to be totally honest with you and say that I am
lukewarm at best to most compilations as they are only usually a rehash
of the tracks that are covered in the artists' albums.
But the fact that you included material never on CD before is what
makes this special. That, and the WONDERFUL assortment of pieces
you have provided on this 2 CD set. Of course, I recognized the
Sergio Mendes, WW, and Jobim tracks immediately, but people like Tamba
Trio are new to me. I have heard of them and I know they existed,
but I do/did not have any of their albums. Also, I had never
heard Deodato's rendition of Surfboard before, very nice arrangement.
Reminds me of the instrumental one that Claus Ogerman did on one of the
Jobim albums.
And this was the biggest surprise of all: Wes Montgomery's Know
It All track. Like you, I believe he was the greatest jazz guitarist of
all. But I never knew this was a bossa nova song!!! What a
surprise. I listened to this track for years and years.
Before, I never thought to look at who composed the song; perhaps if I
did I would have then put the pieces together.
And kudos to you for the nice annotations and liner notes,
splendid. It's obvious that this package was a labor of love for
you to produce. And it takes a REAL lover of Bossa Nova to
assemble something like this with so much feeling, work, and dedication.
I still have part of CD 1 to listen to and I want to put my comments on
Ithamara's CD in a separate message, so I will send this much off to
you now.
Congratulations again on a wonderful encapsilation of Bossa Nova!
--bj
Subject: Re: Did you receive these?
Date: March 19, 2001 5:20:00 AM EST
Dear BJ,
Sorry for the delay in commenting those e-mails. But I had a very busy
weekend, doing two radio programs and some interviews with Dom Um, who
arrived in Rio yesterday. And today I also had to discuss many things
with Dom Um, regarding his Brazilian and European tour to promote the
new album, Lake of Perseverance, the ones that includes the song in
tribute to WW (Sambao).
By the way, surfing in the web today, Dom Um found a site constructed
by an old friend of him, who is the owner of LP (Latin Percussion), a
firm of
percussion instruments (I think the name of the site is CONGAHEAD). If
you search in yahoo for Dom Um Romao, it will be in the first page, one
of the first 20 webs including references to Dom Um. And...in his text
about Dom, this guy (Martin) mentions that he met Dom for the first
time in NY in 1967,
when Dom was playing with WW at Hotel Drake! Martin saked Dom Um to
play a cuica he had designed, to have his approval in the way it
sounded! Funny story, hum? Check it out, when you have time.
Well, regarding your article about WW I simply loved it! It's perfect.
I love the way you explain WW style. And I became curious about those TV
specials! Do you have videos of any of them? Yes, I can assure you that
it was Creed's idea (a very good one, indeed) to add American jazzmen
to Rain Forest. It really helped the album acceptance in the jazz
circles.
Regarding the Mancini album, it is really a funny story. I will check
right now the files of Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper to see the Ruy
Castro article
that mentions you. But I know a different version about Jobim using the
nickname of Tony Brazil. Jobim himself once told me that he was under
contract with Verve at that time, so he was not allowed to appear as
sideman on that album. Then, he used the nom-de-disque Tony Brazil (the
same happened with George Duke in the 70s, who recorded many albums as
sidemen - with Flora, Cal Tjader, Raul de Souza etc - being credited as
Dawilli Gonga, because CBS was not allowing gim to do recordings as
sideman for other labels. And now a big revelation: do you know
that WW recorded some LPs in Brazil under the nickname Mike
Falcao...??? Have you heard about this story? You can try to find
Mike's albums at Gemm.
Well, that's all for now. I am so tired that I need to sleep now.
Sweet dreams,
Arnie
P.S.: Do you know which company/label currently owns the rights for that
Brazilian Mancini album with Jobim (Tony Brazil)?
Subject: Re: Friendship
Date: March 26, 2001 9:36:00 PM EST
Dear BJ,
Hope you had a good day!
We spent the whole day - from 9AM to 6PM - filming Ithamara's new
videoclip, for this song she has recently recorded for a TV soap opera.
We are very tired...
Anyway, we couldn't resist to write you.
We are so sorry about that personal tragedy on Claudio's life. We
didn't know anything about his personal life. For sure he may be very
pleased with this wonderful site you prepared for him with so much
devotion.
Good to see the back cover of Tata album already added to Slon
site! We got an e-mail from Augusto, but Itha never got the
photos he sent by mail.
We will look for a video copy of that movie, 84 Charing Cross Road.
It's really amazing how, sometimes, we can develop close and REAL
friendship with people living so far, while sometimes it seems
impossible to make friends among the ones who are closer...That's
life! And that's the power of MUSIC!
More scans on separate messages.
Kisses,
Itha & Arnie
Subject: Re: En: Jobim Site (Stone Flower Japanese CD)
Date: April 7, 2001 3:33:00 PM EDT
BJ, Dearest,
I am in heaven! WOW, my first photo on the web! Thanx a million!
I will tell everybody (including Creed, Donato, Deodato and Dom Um)
about
it! You will understand why I had not scanned the new liner notes to
you. They have printed it only in Japanese...But I will send you the
English
translation together with the CD-Rs in the next package.
Once again, my heartfelt thanks!
All the best,
Arnie
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2001 9:50 AM
Subject: Re: En: Jobim Site (Stone Flower Japanese CD)
OK, Arnie--all the info on the new 24 bit remastering plus the album
photos are now on the Jobim site. Thank you!! Great new
info for the
site. Also added the photo of you and Creed (Taylor).
Can you send me scans of the new liner notes you wrote for the 24-bit
reissue? (if you don't have time to do this, don't worry. I
will scan them in myself when I receive your copy of the disc).
I'd love to add those to the site, then this would be the only listing
I have (on ANY of my sites) where all the LP, & CD variations are
listed!! Thanks if you can do this.
--bj
Subject: Donatos Airtos, CTI Acid Jazz Grooves
Date: April 21, 2001 8:26:00 AM EDT
Dear BJ,
Konnichi-wa!
Late at night, yesterday, I sent some e-mails with scans.
Then, I had the idea to send you (just for your personal info, of
course) the scan of my best-selling CTI compilation, CTI: Acid Jazz
Grooves, which was released in 1997. Unfortunately, I don't have any
extra copy of this CD, because I wanted to send you one...But, maybe I
will be able to find a second-hand CD next week in Tokyo! According to
Creed Taylor, it is the best CD compilation of CTI material ever
released!
However, the main subject of this e-mail is the following: some DJs
friends of mine told me about a London-based band named Donatos
Airtos...!!! Isn't it amazing? They named it because they are big fans
of Joao Donato and Airto Moreira! It seems their first recording just
came out in Europe, but I don't know its titles nor any more details. I
know you are not James Bond, but, since you have so many good
connections on the web, it would be great if you could find any
additional info about this album, the name of the group members etc...
Have a nice day! I am leaving now to Petropolis.
Ithamara asked me to say that she will be soon sending the answers for
the Jobim interview. Maybe soon after I travel to Tokyo, she will have
more time to do it....
Hugs and kisses,
Arnie
Subject: Re: New RCA and CTI Reissues (paper sleeves)
Date: August 14, 2001 7:09:00 PM EDT
Dear BJ,
Good to hear from you.
I am in the cybercafe of my hotel in Sao Paulo, working for BMG on a
reissue series that will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the RCA
label.
I am here to supervise the digital remastering of the second batch of CDs I produced, which will come out in late September.
The first batch is scheduled for release on August 27, including The
New Sound Of Brazil (Donato), which will be released in Brazil for the
first
time. I found the original tape in Amsterdam, along with the complete
data, that was omitted on the previous Japanese CD reissue but will now
appear on
the liner notes. Of course I will send you a copy as soon as I receive the samples.
Concerning the A&M/CTI series, all titles you mentioned were
reissued in Japan, distributed by Universal, on July 2001. But I didn't
get any of them,
since I have them all on CD already, and none of them brings bonus tracks.
I will return to Rio tonight or tomorrow morning.
Saudades, Kisses,
Arnaldo
Subject: Award
Date: January 31, 2002 8:58:00 AM EST
BJ, Dearest,
I had forgotten to tell you about the award I received last week, in
Cambridge, as International Man of The Year, for my services to Musical
Production.
Only four producers got this award before: Arif Mardin, Tommy LiPuma, Quincy Jones and Phil Ramone.
There are many news about it in the Brazilian press! Fame is just around the corner (laughs...)
Kisses,
Arnaldo
Subject: Hello!!!
Date: August 7, 2002 1:31:00 PM EDT
BJ, Dearest,
The first thing I need to say is: I miss you!!!
Just came back and found your e-mails waiting for me, including that Happy Birthday message.
Many many thanks for remembering that date, as well as for your constant kindness.
I am completely exhausted, so I will take two weeks off to rest. I
cannot believe how many projects I worked on these past months,
including some compilations, a new Dom Um CD/LP that just came out, and
several remixes of JSR artists that were released in the Summer too.
Plus, I finally completed that Sergio Mendes reissue series. Among the
first albums to be reissued, late August, are Home Cooking, Brasil 88,
The New Brasil 77, Raizes (Primal Roots), Pais Tropical, Stillness and
Live at Expo 70. Most of them available for the first time on CD. Some
will come out only in Brazil, others only in Japan. There will be
other SM albums being reissued soon too, like Ye-Me-Le, Crystal
Illusions etc, but I was not involved with them.
Ithamara was very busy during this time, and we met twice when she went
to perform in Europe. Back in Brazil, she also didn't stop to work,
having recorded the soundtrack for a Brazilian movie about the life of
Juscelino Kubitschek, who was the founder of Brasilia city and the
President during the bossa nova era. Last week, btw, she performed in
Brasilia, in a ceremony for current President Fernando Henrique Cardoso.
Deodato Eurpean tour was fantastic too! Superb concerts in Vienna,
Villach, Hague (at Northsea Jazz Festival) and Pori. Only the gigs in
Malmo were a fiasco, due to the lack of promotion.
I shall return to Japan around August 20, when some new JSR albums and the SM reissues will be released.
Now I need to sleep.
Itha sends kisses too.
Many kisses and hugs,
Arnie
Back to Main
Index