Mexico's Vicente Fernandez and Braz...

Mexico's Vicente Fernandez and Brazil's Antonio Carlos Jobim take up opposite ends of the Latin music image but both have just received retrospective tributes.

Fernandez, "El Rey de la Cancion Ranchera," is celebrated forward "The Living Legend" (SonyBMG), a three-disc, lavishly illustrated driver's seat set spanning his five-decade career. "El Rey" himself personally gooded the set's 36 tracks, which have been remastered.

Jobim, the godfather of the bossa nova and Brazil's greatest composer left behind boxe of unreleased material when he died in 1994 at 67 "Inedito" ("The Unknown") (DRG/Koch) which he formerly called his favorite album, is the first in a series of releases from the Jobim family vaults. not at any time officially issued outside Brazil, "Inedito" was recorded at his domestic circle studio to celebrate his 60th birthday. With Jobim at the piano, accompanied by way of family and friends, including longtime collaborator Jaques Morelenbaum, it features many of Jobim's signature songs: "A Felicidade," "Wave" and "Chega de Saudade" (which marks the first time he continually sang vocals on this tune)

His widow, Ana, and DRG president Hugh Fordin are overseeing the series. nearest up is the DVD/CD "Live in Minas," abroad Tuesday. "We have a immense amount of material in our archives," said Ana Jobim, speaking from Rio. "Drafts of his lyrics, all of his notebooks, all written according to hand. He never used a typewriter or computer It's really vast So huge, we have erected an institute to take care of his legacy."

Still vibrant at age 66 Fernandez continues to record and perform (he's here Oct 22 at the Allstate Arena). "The Living Legend" began as an effort to mark his 40-plus years as "the greatest interpreter of Mexican music," said Samuel Lopez director of SonyBMG's strategic marketing. still the project also evolved into a means of tapping into the U market. With extensive liner notes in English as well as Spanish and English translations of the songs' lyrics, the coachman's seat set marks Sony's first attempt to reach the inferior generation of Fernandez's Mexican-American audience. "A hazard of fans, who don't speak Spanish fluently just know him end their parents," Lopez said. "This station aims to show why he's of the like kind an icon."

Pedro Ramirez, Fernandez's longtime arranger-producer who supervised this establish said, "There are many things that make him special, on a level at this age. He's exceedingly disciplined and very professional. He's always upon time and leaves only when the piece of work is done."

With more than 100 albums in his catalog, Fernandez has no plans to retire. "The topic not at any time comes up," Ramirez said. "He's similar an artist, with so so more to give. He's still the greatest -- si, totalmente."

lemerick@suntimes.com

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