Homecooking

by Alex HendersonIn 1975, Sergio Mendes unveiled a new group that was billed as Sergio Mendes & Brasil '77, who got off to a pleasant start with Homecooking. In contrast to the bossa nova, samba, and Brazilian pop-jazz that put Mendes on the map in the '60s, Brasil '77 had more of a soul/funk/quiet storm outlook. Quite clearly, Homecooking was aimed at the '70s soul market -- the album is closer to Stevie Wonder, the Emotions, Earth, Wind & Fire, or Minnie Riperton than Antonio Carlos Jobim or Astrud Gilberto. Most of the tunes aren't overly Brazilian-sounding, and the vast majority of the lyrics are in English rather than Portuguese. Even the songs that were written by well-known Brazilian composers (including João Donato's "Emorio" and Gilberto Gil's "Hey People, Hey") are mostly or entirely in English. So when you add all of those things up, it makes no sense to judge Homecooking by bossa nova or samba standards because that isn't the type of approach that Mendes is going for. Soul, funk, and quiet storm standards -- not hardcore Brazilian standards -- must be applied. And from a '70s soul standpoint, Homecooking is a decent, though not remarkable, effort. Nothing exceptional or mind-blowing occurs, but Mendes' Brasil '77 is pleasant and likable on material that ranges from the above-mentioned Gil and Donato songs to Elton John's "Where to Now, St. Peter" and Edgar Winter's "Tell Me in a Whisper" (both of which started out as pop/rock but successfully receive soul makeovers on this album). Homecooking (which RCA reissued on CD in Brazil in 2002) isn't among Mendes' essential releases, but if you accept the album for what it is -- '70s-style soul, not hardcore samba -- it's an enjoyable listen.