No one's going to blame you if you've never heard of Sergio Mendes. Brazilian bossa nova legends from the '60s don't really age well in the public eye. And yet Sergio Mendes manages to remain gracefully Timeless on his new album.
Like Santana and Ray Charles, Mendes looks to a new generation for renewed energy. As Mendes recently played on the Black Eyed Peas records, the Peas' front man Will.i.am's collaboration was the most predictable. It might also be the least effective, as Will.i.am initially tries to overpower the bossa beat that is the rightful star of the album. Later on the album, Will.i.am settles down and acts as an MC for other collaborations like Q-tip's rap on "The Frog," which fits perfectly within Mendes' consistent, jazz sound.
Still, Mendes' lightness lends itself more to the swooning voices of Jill Scott ("Let Me"), India.Arie ("Timeless") and Justin Timberlake ("Loose Ends"). The album's high point comes with the appearance of Best New Artist Grammy-winner John Legend. Legend's sound, like Mendes', is timeless. Their track "Please Baby Don't" could have been made 40 years ago, and may remain right in 40 more.
Despite all of the collaborations, it is essential to remember that this is Sergio Mendes' record, a fact he keeps foremost with potent bossa beats and sometimes flowingly melodic, sometimes harshly rhythmic piano.
It is impressive how well hip-hop merges with bossa nova, since hip-hop had not been invented when bossa reached its apex. "Yes, Yes Y'all" achieves the quintessential merging of the two genres, as rapper Black Thought yells, seemingly at Mendes, "Don't you stop, don't you ever stop."
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