Sergio Mendes Transmuted

It's been a ridiculously hectic and odd two weeks, so I'm just now posting on last Monday's Black Eyed Peas benefit that largely revolved (quite nicely) around the Sergio Mendes Timeless project. I am most certainly skeptical of projects like this, but it doesn't change the fact that Sergio is a god, and this bizarre aggregate of people in one place (Sergio, Erykah Badu, Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Pharoahe Monch, India.Arie) was something I just couldn't pass up. And it was all worth it for one f*cking beautiful thing: Sergio and a large (certainly capable) band and three adorable Brazilian girls doing "PONTEIO"!!!!! And yes, it was nearly as lovely as the Formula 7 and Da Lata versions. That said, it is heretical for anyone, let alone will.i.am, to rhyme over the most radiant pop song in history (that'd be "Mas Que Nada," of which the most beautiful version will always be the Jorge original, with the next second best being Ella's odd scat translation as "Pow Pow Pow"), let alone this badly, but otherwise I'm not gonna get all purist and bitchy about the project. Sergio deserves respect, and he deserves to get paid (although of any of the old guys, Brazilian or otherwise, I'd imagine he probably needs it less than most). That doesn't mean I'm gonna buy the record, because I probably won't, but it has made me go back to the Bossa Trio sides, Brazil 66's loveliest (i.e. "Roda"), and Brazil 77's mind-blowing pastoral psychedelia (i.e. the Primal Roots album, that beautiful Japanese skater boy/DJ + friend of Harvey/Sarcastic Clothing don Paul Takahashi turned me onto years back). Otherwise, this night was rather gorgeous. Erykah Badu was f*cking fierce (I hate that black queen expression as much as you, but none other fits here) in a Chanel little black dress and plumed hat, doing nothing but posing for a good three minutes as Sergio played "The Girl from Ipanema," Justin looked scraggly and seeing him onstage with Pharoahe Monch was just surreal (and Pharoahe spat great; I saw Organized twice back in the day – on the Organized/Beatnuts/Common/Artifacts tour in 94, and the next year at Rock Steady Park (where hearing the opening strains of "Stress" in the pouring rain was one of the loveliest gig memories of my life), and nobody can sound good next to the lyrical god that is Prince Po (except maybe Siah or Natural Resource-era What What (aka Jean Grae)). John Legend looked kinda cute, India.Arie was mediocre, and though I'll be the first to emphatically stress that the BEPs SUCK on record, their band tears it up live.
After the show I cabbed it over Silverlake Lounge to catch the last two songs of the mighty Future Pigeon's first Monday-night residency set. If you've never heard FP, think classic On-U-Sound (Singers and Players, Mark Stewart's Maffia or even London Underground (one of the best and most undderrated groups, ever)). Colossal expansive live dub alternating with jazz-dance worthy soca and Marine or ACR-tinged post-punk. It's the sound of 1982, but the best of 82 still sounds like it was recorded yesterday, so who gives a f*ck. Also I went to school with their Eddie Ruscha, and he can be rather cute when he puts his mind to it. They were minus the horn section this night, but without them they basically just do an entirely different dance-heavy elastic white-boy-funk set, so it was still rather lovely. I may be heading back for the show this Monday with Mezklah (whose lanky Latin boy singer is also rather fine despite his predilection for large henna tattoos across his torso). If you're in L.A. you should absolutely head to the Echo on February 24 for FP opening for the legendary ESG. Massive!