À Voar, À Voar, À Voar - Joyce

Here is another installment of the BOSSA DISNEY NOVA album released in Japan in 2004. The album features some of Brazil's top Bossa Nova talent and this song is no exception.

JOYCE is a self-taught guitarist. She learned by watching her older brother play bossa nova with his bossa nova musician friends. In 1964, when she was sixteen she was invited to be a part of a recording session. Her talent was obvious and she was asked back to record some jingles.

A few years later in 1968 Joyce released her first album made up of songs that she had written over the past few years. Since then she has recorded dozens of albums, both solo and with other famous Brazillian musicians.

Her take on Peter Pan's You Can Fly! is very unique. She really plays with the timing especially in the chorus. It says in the song that one can fly just by thinking wonderful thoughts (and pixie dust) but I think that listening to bossa nova would be enough to make anyone fly!

By the way, today marks the 55th anniversary of Peter Pan which was released to theatres on this day in 1955!

À Voar, À Voar, À Voar Joyce 2004

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo - Joyce

Happy Wednesday, folks! It's guestposter Boyhowdy once again, taking a few moments away from my usual folkgenre coverblog Cover Lay Down to bring you a surprisingly sweet version of Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo, my favorite lighthearted song from Walt Disney's Cinderella.

Single-named Brazilian artist JOYCE is a long-time mistress of bossa nova lite known for her scatjazz approach to interpretations of originals and songs from her Portuguese-speaking compatriots. Though at her worst her songs can seem a bit sappy, at her best, she comes across as a Portuguese-speaking Ella Fitzgerald, precise and playful, with a clarity of voice that can't be beat.

Happily, her version of this classic Cinderella song falls into the latter camp. After almost 40 years as a recording artist, Joyce has a confidence that only lends credence to this crisp, almost scat-song cover. The typical rhythmic style and light acoustic guitarstrum of the Bossa are a perfect compliment to this song.

Bossa nova isn't that popular outside the latin world, but those unfamiliar with the genre will find Joyce's Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo a fairly solid introduction to the jazzier end of the genre, and a strong Disney cover to boot: it's all jazzed up, it's in Portuguese, and it's as magical as the original. This shining star is available on DISNEY BOSSA NOVA, yet another in the huge series of single-genre compilations released over the last decade.

Thanks, as always, to Kurtis for having me over to guest-post! And if you're into that sort of thing, don't forget to stop by Cover Lay Down for more acoustic coversongs.

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo Joyce 2001