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Reviews (4)
AllMusic
2019
By
By
Matt Collar
2019
"The 39th studio album from Sergio Mendes, 2019's In the Key of Joy, is a vibrant production featuring a bevy of guest performers. The album arrived during a period of renewed activity and recognition for the Brazilian pop legend ... Refreshingly, rather than rework his past hits, here Mendes offers newly minted songs that evoke the earthy ebullience and kinetic uplift of his classic '60s and '70s work, while also updating his sound for contemporary listeners ... All the funky, soulful rhythms and hooky melodies that made Mendes' seminal albums so captivating".
Glide Magazine
d. 21. Feb. 2020
By
By
Jim Hynes
d. 21. Feb. 2020
"Listening reveals Mendes' joy in making the album which not only coincides with the documentary but is in keeping with the 60th anniversary of bossa nova music. He's moved into lots of directions since as evidenced by the varied fare here ... For those of you who haven't been acquainted with Sergio Mendes since the glory days of AM Radio, and for others that are in the know, this may prove both surprising, and yes, joyful".
Mojo
2020 April
By
By
Charles Waring
2020 April
"Veteran Brazilian maestro celebrates new documentary with a double album ... A euphoric, feel-good collection".
Songlines
2020 April
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By
Mark Sampson
2020 April
"The rapper Common (...) (dis)graces the opening track on the venerable Mr Mendes' umpteenth album with rhymes like 'I can be focused because we be the dopest.' Of course, collaborations may well be the secret of the pianist-composer's long-lasting success, but they demand discernment. It's no accident that the few successful numbers are those that feature his wife and lifelong collaborator, singer Gracinha Leporace. She appears with Hermeto Pascoal on 'This is It (É Isso)' and with João Donato on 'Muganga', so there's no shortage of heavyweight talent here. The music throughout is well performed and well produced, the songs are melodic, but it all seems so plastic".