Deodato 2
View on Discogs
View on Wikipedia
Album Summary
Deodato 2 came into the world in 1973, born out of the same fertile creative ground that made its predecessor such a revelation. Released on CTI Records — that New York powerhouse of orchestral jazz-funk sophistication — the album was once again shepherded by the legendary Creed Taylor, a producer with ears so fine he could hear the future before it arrived. Eumir Deodato, the Brazilian-born keyboardist and arranger with a gift straight from the heavens, assembled a cast of elite session talent and wrapped the whole affair in the kind of lush, sweeping orchestration that was becoming CTI's unmistakable calling card. Coming off the momentum of his debut, Deodato stepped back into the studio with confidence and vision, delivering an album that pushed his orchestral jazz-funk sensibility even deeper into the groove.
Reception
- Deodato 2 made its presence known on the Billboard 200, confirming that the success of his debut was no fluke and that Deodato had become a genuine commercial force in the jazz-fusion and crossover marketplace.
- Both jazz purists and pop audiences found common ground in the album's sophisticated yet accessible sound, a testament to Deodato's rare ability to speak to listeners across stylistic boundaries.
- Critics took note of Deodato's extraordinary arranging intelligence, praising his capacity to take complex orchestral and jazz frameworks and deliver them with a warmth and funk that felt utterly natural.
Significance
- Deodato 2 stands as one of the defining statements of the orchestral funk and jazz-fusion movement of the early 1970s, a moment when classical arrangement and raw soul groove found each other and refused to let go.
- The album deepened CTI Records' identity as the home of lush, rhythmically sophisticated crossover jazz, helping to set the standard for how orchestration and funk could coexist with elegance and power.
- As a Brazilian artist operating at the heart of American jazz-funk, Deodato wove Latin and bossa nova sensibilities into the fabric of the music, giving the genre an international richness it would carry for years to come.
Samples
- Super Strut — one of the most cherished samples in funk and hip-hop circles, lifted by producers across decades for its irresistible groove and wah-drenched guitar feel.
Tracklist
-
A1 Nights In White Satin 138
6:00
-
A2 Pavane For A Dead Princess 84
4:08
-
A3 Skyscrapers 125
6:35
-
B1 Super Strut 122
8:55
-
B2 Rhapsody In Blue 100
8:50
Artist Details
Eumir Deodato is a brilliantly gifted Brazilian keyboardist, arranger, and producer who emerged from Rio de Janeiro in the 1960s and truly exploded onto the international scene in 1973 with his funky, electric reworking of Richard Strauss's "Also Sprach Zarathustra," a track so bad and so beautiful it burned up the charts and earned him a Grammy Award. This cat was the master architect of that lush, orchestral-meets-jazz-fusion sound that bridged the worlds of classical, bossa nova, and straight-up groove, and his work as an arranger for legends like Frank Sinatra, Roberta Flack, and Kool and the Gang only cemented his status as one of the most quietly influential figures in popular music history.
