Amazon.co.uk Review
This is the album that launched the samba craze in the United States in the early 1960s and thus was responsible for the bossa nova appearing in any movie scene that required an atmosphere of fun and cocktails. Not that one should blame either Stan Getz or Charlie Byrd for the appearance of lazy directors or indeed lazy musicians who took up the craze. For
Jazz Samba rollocks along with Getz's tenor and Byrd's guitar and if it in truth isn't exactly Latin music then, frankly, who cares? It swings. It includes "Desafinado", which in a shortened form was a big hit at the time, but was improved upon a year later when Getz recruited an unknown singer called Astrud Gilberto to record "A Girl From Ipanema" (available on
Getz/Gilberto). That was in the then future, in 1963
Jazz Samba shuffled along into a nation's hearts and their dancing shoes. --
Phil Brett
CD Description
The album that launched Jobim's now classic "Desafinado" Jazz Samba was released in 1962, in the early days of America's bossa nova craze and before the music lost its charm to cliche. Joined by fellow Latin jazz pioneer Charlie Byrd on classical guitar, and a discreet bass and drums team, tenor saxophonist Getz makes light and elegant music out of a collection of catchy bossas and sambas. His virtuosity, bluesy drive and smooth, soft tone make the music cook like bossa jazzrarely has since. There are still enough surprises to make this record more than just a period piece, and it stands as a fine example of Getz's lyrical genius.