Getz/Gilberto

The record that started the bossa nova craze of the mid-'60s, Getz/Gilberto is a justly recognized classic. The disc's success is attributable to its spectacular personnel: the man who basically invented bossa nova, Antonio Carlos Jobim; the man who defined and perfected the genre, Joao Gilberto; his charmingly waifish-sounding wife, Astrud Gilberto, and American tenor saxophonist extraordinaire Stan Getz. Jobim plays guitar and piano; Getz provides remarkably lyrical, complementary lead lines, and Joao Gilberto plays and sings in Portuguese with the most understated, romantic, and artful vocal delivery imaginable. It's a hard combination to beat. Opening track "The Girl from Ipanema," a breezy, infectious Jobim composition with vocals by both Joao and Astrud, became one of the biggest (and most recognizable) hits of the era, and the single most popular Brazilian tune in America. The exquisite shuffle "Desafinado," the Joao-Astrud duet "Corcovado," and the eminently grooving "So Danco Samba" have gone on to become standards of both bossa nova and jazz, and the versions here are definitive. Getz's sensitive playing blends seamlessly with the deceptively casual rhythmic sophistication of Jobim, Gilberto, and percussionist Milton Banana. The material, the musicianship, and the gentle, minimal arrangements and production ensure that Getz/Gilberto will never date, age, or tire. It's a perfect album. ~ Anthony Tognazzini|