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Astrud Gilberto - Now

Other // DVD Audio // June 4, 2002

List Price: $24.98 [Buy now and save at Dvdempire]

Review by Aaron Beierle | posted June 10, 2002 | E-mail the Author

1. Ziny Zigy Za
2. Make Love To Me
3. Baiao
4. Touching You
5. Gingele
6. Take It Easy Brother Charlie
7. Where Have You Been
8. General Da Banda
9. Bridges
10. Daybreak (Walking Out On Yesterday)

The DVD

SOUND: Silverline presents "Astrud Gilberto Now" in 24bit/96khz DVD-Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1. The DVD-Audio option is only for players that are DVD-A capable, while DVD-Video players can offer the Dolby Digital version of the album. For those unfamiliar with the singer, Astrud's previous hit was "Girl From Ipanema". On "Now", she and a highly talented backing band offer exotic, light jazz that's catchy and fresh. Even though this album was recorded in 1972, it doesn't sound very dated.

The 5.1 mix for the album doesn't dazzle or exceed expectations, but it doesn't do anything wrong, either, simply offering a richer and more enveloping listening experience. The audio is mostly front-heavy, although this certainly isn't a bad thing in this case. Gilberto's vocals are clearly heard from the center channel and remain crisp and natural sounding. The vocals have a very nice "up front" sound and don't suffer from distortion or any other signs of age.

The surrounds really are not employed for anything very noticable, but their subtle nature throughout this presentation really was in no way a dissapointment, as I wouldn't think it would be appropriate here to suddenly have instruments popping up in the rear speakers suddenly. Instead, the surrounds simply offer a light reinforcement of the instrumentals, immersing the listener without calling attention to themselves.

Audio quality throughout the presentation was very enjoyable, especially considering the age of the album. As previously mentioned, Gilberto's vocals remained very natural and very clear, while the instrumentals has nice presence, remaining distinct. This is certainly not going to be anyone's idea of DVD-Audio demo material, but fans of the singer will likely be pleased with this new and highly enjoyable way to experience this very entertaining album.

Extras: Artist photos and liner notes.

Final Thoughts: Silverline's DVD-Audio release of "Astrud Gilberto Now" provides a very enjoyable way for fans of the singer to experience this album again - while not a striking example of the format, the release simply provides an enveloping sound mix and very good audio quality. Recommended for fans of the singer or those who enjoy jazz in general.

M U S I C

A U D I O

E X T R A S

R E P L A Y

A D V I C E

Recommended

E - M A I L

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