Tereza da Praia - song by Tom Jobim and Billy Blanco performed by Dick Farney and Lúcio Alves
Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim was born in Tijuca and raised in Ipanema, married twice and had four children. Coming from a family of artists (two musician uncles), by age 14 he was already playing guitar and harmonica when he became interested in the piano. He began studying on his own and later with maestro Hans Joachim Koellreutter, who at the time taught classes at his mother's school (Brasileiro de Almeida).
He studied architecture for a year, but soon realized his path lay elsewhere. He began his musical career playing in nightclubs in Copacabana. He was a regular at Beco das Garrafas and Clube da Chave – the latter soon attracted a large audience thanks to the quality of the musicians who sat in on those nights.
He worked in nightclubs until 1952, when he was hired as a pianist and arranger at the Continental record label. With help from maestro Radamés Gnattali, Tom made his first arrangements and released his first big hit, Tereza da Praia, recorded by Lúcio Alves and Dick Farney.
Radamés Gnattali and Tom Jobim, 1991. Photo: Toca Seabra. Cedoc-Funarte
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of two men in what appears to be a recording studio. On the left side, there is a piano with open sheet music on it. On the right side, a man is seated, wearing a light-colored suit and dark glasses, focused on reading the sheet music. Beside him, another man, wearing a dark suit, is standing, leaning on the first man's shoulder. Both appear to be engaged in a musical work session.His partnership with Vinicius began when he composed the music for the play Orfeu da Conceição, and from then on, the duo never stopped: fueled by many doses of whisky, they wrote more than 50 songs. The poet and the composer were the creators of the ever-present Garota de Ipanema, Eu sei que vou te amar, Se todos fossem iguais a você, and so many others.
Vinícius and Tom. Photo: Formidable Magazine
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of two men sitting on a sofa. The person on the left is wearing a brown shirt and black pants, while the person on the right is wearing a white shirt and brown pants. Both are smiling and appear to be engaged in a friendly conversation. A classical guitar is on the floor between them. The background features striped curtains.In 1958, Tom produced the LP Canção do Amor Demais, by Eliseth Cardoso. Besides the title track written with Vinicius, the album features two more of his compositions: Chega de Saudade and Outra Vez, which recorded, for the first time, João Gilberto's characteristic guitar beat. A decade later, his song Sabiá (with Chico Buarque) won the 3rd International Song Festival.
He had countless partners besides those already mentioned. Baden Powell, Billy Blanco, Elis Regina, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and other great names in world music recorded his compositions.
At the end of his life, he abandoned his bohemian lifestyle and could often be seen at the Rio-Lisboa bakery, in Leblon, having his breakfast. He died in 1994, in New York, of cardiac arrest.
Tom Jobim. Source: Fritz Dobbert blog
Image description: This is a photograph of a smiling man wearing a beige shirt and glasses. He is holding a brown straw hat in his right hand. The background is neutral and blurred, highlighting the subject.
