I’ve been really into bossa nova lately and I ended up finding out about this classic Getz/Gilberto which is a recording by Stan Getz, João Gilberto and Tom Jobim with versions of classic bossa nova songs written mostly by Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes.
Getz/Gilberto features timeless versions of “The Girl from Ipanema”, “Desafinado” and “Corcovado”, recorded over the course of two days, somewhere in March of 1963. It was released in 1964 by Verve and ended up winning 3 Grammys, including Best Album of The Year, in 1965. It seems that the origin of this recording can be traced back to a few tours made by North American artists in Brazil. Upon listening to bossa nova tunes, they took some recordings with them back to the USA, showing them to their respective producers and publishers - effectively, convincing them of the potential for bossa nova in the American market.
I was familiar with some of the songs, in their Portuguese versions, but these recordings have a life of their own. They are smooth, intimate and minimalist, while providing enough groove for you to want to bob your head back and forth…even dance a little. It is so versatile that it can be listened to while you are focusing on work or studying, while you are cooking, or if you want to simply listen to it. In particular, Getz’s saxophone approach to bossa nova calms your soul.