Track Listing

1. The Girl From Ipanema
2. Doralice
3. Para Machuchar Meu Coracao
4. Desafinado (Off Key)
5. Corcovado (Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars)
6. So Danco Samba
7. O Grande Amor
8. Vivo Sonhando (Dreamer)
9. The Girl From Ipanema - 45 RPM Issue
10. Corcovado (Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars) - 45 RPM Issue

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #488 in Music
• Released on: 1997-05-20
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered

Amazon.com essential recording
Originally released in March 1964, this collaboration between saxophonist Stan Getz and guitarist João Gilberto came at seemingly the end of the bossa nova craze Getz himself had sparked in 1962 with Jazz Samba, his release with American guitarist Charlie Byrd. Jazz Samba remains the only jazz album to reach number one in the pop charts. In fact, the story goes that Getz had to push for the release of Getz/Gilberto since the company did not want to compete with its own hit; it was a good thing he did. Getz/Gilberto, which featured composer Antonio Carlos Jobim on piano, not only yielded the hit "Girl from Ipanema" (sung by Astrud Gilberto, the guitarist's wife, who had no professional experience) but also "Corcovado" ("Quiet Night")--an instant standard, and the definitive version of "Desafinado." Getz/Gilberto spent 96 weeks in the charts and won four Grammys. It remains one of those rare cases in popular music where commercial success matches artistic merit. Bossa nova's "cool" aesthetic--with its understated rhythms, rich harmonies, and slightly detached delivery--had been influenced, in part, by cool jazz. Gilberto in particular was a Stan Getz fan. Getz, with his lyricism, the bittersweet longing in his sound, and his restrained but strong swing, was the perfect fit. His lines, at once decisive and evanescent, focus the rest of the group's performance without overpowering. A classic. --Fernando Gonzalez

Customer Reviews

A Serendipitous Masterpiece
In history, seemingly all great things are happenstance. One could certainly say the same about this serendipitous recording. A quiet, gentle, beautiful record of 8 songs (and 2 reprises) it created a time capsule of that era that surprisingly stands up to todays standards. A great album to relax to, put it on when you need to seriously unwind without drugs or alcohol. It works amazingly well.

Must have jazz title, but dated
You can't be a serious jazz fan and not own this album. That's for sure. I bought it expecting more, but it took me back to listening to my parents' records on the dining room floor in front of the console stereo. The sound and style are very dated, which is not necessarily a bad thing. And sure, I was young and carefree in the 60's, but I won't be playing this album much except when I need to practice some "Ipanema" licks before a gig. That is to say, as good as it is, and even though it is a cornerstone of Latin jazz, I won't listen to it very often, at all.

light the candles, music to eat by
Simply the best Latin music on the planet. No dinner party should be without this one. Romance relaxation and rejuvenation, you can feel your blood pressure coming down while you're listening.
Saxophone at its sexiest.