Seu Jorge-Live at Montreux 2005 (2005)

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General		Extras
Category	Music	Main Menu Audio & Animation Booklet
Rating
Year Of Production	2005
Running Time	59:40
RSDL / Flipper	No/No	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Julian Nicole-Kay
Studio Distributor	Rajon Vision	Starring	Seu Jorge Ricardo Feijao Pretinho Da Serrinha Nene Brown Mudinho Carneiro
Case	Amaray-Opaque-Secure Clip
RPI	$29.95	Music	Seu Jorge

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	Portuguese Linear PCM 48/20 2.0 (1536Kb/s) Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) Portuguese dts 5.1 (768Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.85:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English French	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

“I will never make a cerebral or intellectual record. I make records for the people to touch their hearts.”

The charismatic Seu Jorge (SAU-oo ZHOR-zhee) first came to my attention when it was announced director Wes Anderson had asked Jorge to cover various David Bowie songs for the film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), Anderson’s love letter to Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The soundtrack was to be composed of selections from the seminal Bowie albums Space Oddity (1969), Hunk Dory (1971), The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) and Diamond Dogs (1974). Moreover the songs were to be reworked as acoustic with adapted lyrics relevant to the narrative and whimsical characters of the film and performed in Portuguese. As a Bowie enthusiast I looked forward to the soundtrack as I had great trust in Anderson’s and Jorge’s unique decisions. At the time Jorge as an artist had received international success in 2003 with Samba Esporte Fino which was released outside Brazil under the international title of Carolina. Jorge also had found critical claim as an actor in Fernando Meirelles’and Kátia Lund's Cidade de Deus (2002) (City of God) as Mané Galinha (Knockout Ned). Jorge was recommended for the part by Walter Salles.

For the soundtrack of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Jorge received uniform critical acclaim and Bowie himself proclaimed "had Seu Jorge not recorded my songs acoustically in Portuguese I would never have heard this new level of beauty which he has imbued them with." Jorge had stripped the classic songs to the core reviving them with a haunting beauty. These songs have now been released in their own right as The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions (2006). Away from the cult sensation of The Life Aquatic, Jorge released Cru (Raw) (2005), his second album to be released outside Brazil. The album included a cover of Chatterton originally performed and written by the late Serge Gainsbourg and Don’t written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally performed by Elvis. Most of the songs from the Montreux set are derived from this album, while the last four songs of the setlist are unreleased.

When Jorge appears on stage one forgets his previous incarnations, his character Pelé dos Santos, the safety expert of The Life Aquatic is no longer evident nor is the reluctant hoodlum of Cidade de Deus. Instead Jorge is effortlessly styled with a head topped with wayward dreadlocks and he is at ease on the Montreux stage with his five man band. Jorge’s journey to the international stage isn’t something to be taken lightly, particularly in our age of reality television. As a young musician Jorge earned a living singing in the bars of Rio but when his younger brother was murdered his family fell apart and Jorge found himself homeless for three years. Yet music proved to be a saviour for Jorge as he was asked to audition for a musical play by clarinettist Paulo Moura. With this opportunity Jorge not only appeared in over twenty plays but he also learnt stagecraft at the Rio de Janeiro State University Theatre. The theatrical experience spawned the band Farofa Carioca which musically combined samba, reggae, funk and rap with a show composed of circus acts and dance. The successful shows not only featured in Brazil but also Portugal and Japan. Also Jorge's first solo album Samba Esporte Fino was named Brazilian album of the year in 2003. Jorge's appearance on the Montreux stage in 2005 marks for the 36 year old artist the beginning of his career in Europe, Japan and the US and his years of experience are displayed in an explosive show of warmth and charm as Jorge "welcomes all to the party".

The band is composed of Seu Jorge (guitar, vocals), Ricardo Feijao (bass), Pretinho Da Serrinha (cavaquinho, percussion), Nene Brown (percussion), Mudinho (percussion) and Edmundo Carneiro (percussion).

Video

The concert is presented in an16x9 enhanced 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The transfer is excellent; the bright and bold lighting has been beautifully produced, with excellent colour and shadow detail. The transfer is clean without any defects and remains sharp and is overall pleasant to view. English and French subtitles are available when Jorge speaks either Portuguese or French. Subtitles do not appear for the lyrics of the songs. The subtitles are in a clear font and are presented as small white text.

Video Ratings Summary

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Shadow Detail
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Audio

Three impressive audio options are available: PCM stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS Digital Surround Sound. Each are commendable in their own right but the DTS soundtrack is the clear option as it is beautifully conceived and remains encompassing during both the full band and the solo acoustic songs. The audience are responsive to the music and relaxed atmosphere but remain respectful of the intimate nature of the concert at the Miles Davis Hall. The subwoofer is mildly heard throughout the concert and it creates the perfect setting for the music. There are no flaws to mention as the songs, speech and audience remains clear and audible.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
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Main Menu Audio & Animation

The Main Menu features the opening performance of Mania De Peitão with options for Play All, Song Selection, Audio Setup and Subtitles.

Booklet

A booklet is also included with a biography of Seu Jorge written by Michael Heatley. The same information can be found on Seu Jorge’s official website.

Eagle Rock Entertainment have released this title in R1 and it is identical to the R4.

This wonderful performance by Seu Jorge and his band showcases his talent and his affection for music and people. It has been nicely produced on DVD with various audio options.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall