An overlooked gem from the Verve bossa years – a session that features the sweet tenor sax work of Stan Getz, alongside some swinging bossa arrangements from the great Gary McFarland! Given the strength of Gary's own work for Verve at the time, it's no surprise that he's a perfect accompanist for Getz on the session – working with just the right amount of space to let Stan stand out from the pack, and really creating a great blend of Brazilian rhythms and some of the modder 60s styles at Verve. Gary contributed a number of originals to the session too – and titles include "Bim Bom", "Manlancolico", "Balanco No Samba", "Noite Triste", "Chega De Saudade", and "Manha De Carnival". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records that no home should be without – not only a pivotal album in the growth of bossa nova in the 60s – but a set that also really helped set the career of tenorist Stan Getz on fire! The real credit here might almost go to guitarist Charlie Byrd – as Byrd was a big early proponent of bossa nova rhythms, and had already been experimenting with them on his records of the time – yet also gets a key extra "umph" here in the presence of Stan's tenor – a bold, rich, soulful sound that really helps give the music a lot of direction – in ways that still resonate strongly all these many years later! Getz is completely sublime – a master of tone and timing throughout – and perfectly fit to these tunes. Rhythms are mostly from Byrd's trio, augmented with some extra percussion – and titles include the classic "Desafinado", plus "E Luxo So", "Samba Dees Days", "Samba Triste", "O Pato", "Samba De Uma Nota So", and "Baia". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records that no home should be without – not only a pivotal album in the growth of bossa nova in the 60s – but a set that also really helped set the career of tenorist Stan Getz on fire! The real credit here might almost go to guitarist Charlie Byrd – as Byrd was a big early proponent of bossa nova rhythms, and had already been experimenting with them on his records of the time – yet also gets a key extra "umph" here in the presence of Stan's tenor – a bold, rich, soulful sound that really helps give the music a lot of direction – in ways that still resonate strongly all these many years later! Getz is completely sublime – a master of tone and timing throughout – and perfectly fit to these tunes. Rhythms are mostly from Byrd's trio, augmented with some extra percussion – and titles include the classic "Desafinado", plus "E Luxo So", "Samba Dees Days", "Samba Triste", "O Pato", "Samba De Uma Nota So", and "Baia". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

A very different record than the first collaboration between Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto – but that's also one of the things that makes it great! The album's more of a split LP than a shared one – as side one features a live performance from the great mid 60s Stan Getz quartet that featured Gary Burton on vibes – a wonderfully cool combo that was very under-documented on record, and which makes a key appearance here. The combination of Burton's vibes and Stan's tenor is pure genius – a sound that's got all the subtle hues and cool colors of the Getz bossa recordings, but which is quite different overall. Stan's tone is amazing on these tunes – and titles include "Here's That Rainy Day", "Tonight I Shall Sleep With A Smile On My Face", "Grandfather's Waltz", and "Stan's Blues". Side two features Joao Gilberto without Stan – playing in a very groovy trio that's more straight bossa than most of his other US recordings – cool small combo grooving that's totally great! The lineup features Gilberto on guitar and vocals, Keeter Betts on bass, and Helcio Milito on drums – all working in a sweetly grooving mode on titles that include "Samba De Minha Terra", "Meditation", "Bim Bom", "Rosa Moreno", and "O Pato". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool live set from the great tenorist Stan Getz, and one that really echoes some of the best styles of his Getz Au Go Go album – as it not only features guest vocals on a number of tracks from the lovely Astrud Gilberto, but also includes work from vibist Gary Burton throughout the entire performance! The combination of Burton and Getz is tremendous – one that wasn't captured nearly enough by Verve in the 60s, which makes these live recordings so essential – as Gary's modern chromatic elements really seem to unlock a fresh spirit in Stan's horn – all the fluidity of the bossa years, but with these unusual inflections that are completely mindblowing! The rest of the core group is equally hip – Chuck Israels on bass and the great Roy Haynes on drums – and Astrud Gilberto sings on seven of the album's nineteen selections. Titles include instrumental cuts "The Singing Song", "Blues Walk", "O Grande Amor", "Edelweiss", "Once Upon A Summertime", "Jive Hoot", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", and "On Green Dolphin Street" – and the vocal numbers "Voce E Eu", "Corcovado", "Telephone Song", "Girl From Ipanema", "It Might As Well Be Spring", and "Samba De Uma Nota So". (Jazz, Brazil) CD

A very different record than the first collaboration between Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto – but that's also one of the things that makes it great! The album's more of a split LP than a shared one – as side one features a live performance from the great mid 60s Stan Getz quartet that featured Gary Burton on vibes – a wonderfully cool combo that was very under-documented on record, and which makes a key appearance here. The combination of Burton's vibes and Stan's tenor is pure genius – a sound that's got all the subtle hues and cool colors of the Getz bossa recordings, but which is quite different overall. Stan's tone is amazing on these tunes – and titles include "Here's That Rainy Day", "Tonight I Shall Sleep With A Smile On My Face", "Grandfather's Waltz", and "Stan's Blues". Side two features Joao Gilberto without Stan – playing in a very groovy trio that's more straight bossa than most of his other US recordings – cool small combo grooving that's totally great! The lineup features Gilberto on guitar and vocals, Keeter Betts on bass, and Helcio Milito on drums – all working in a sweetly grooving mode on titles that include "Samba De Minha Terra", "Meditation", "Bim Bom", "Rosa Moreno", and "O Pato". CD also features 5 bonus tracks with vocals from Astrud Gilberto – "It Might As Well Be Spring", "Only Trust Your Heart", "Corcovado", "Garota De Ipanema", and "Eu E Voce" – all from the Getz Au Go Go album. (Jazz, Brazil) CD

A beautiful dreamy album that's quite different from the classic Getz/Gilberto collaboration – but which also shares much of that set's lyrical beauty! This album was recorded live, in 1964, when Stan Getz was playing with his quartet that included Gary Burton on vibes – an incredible lineup that made for some wonderfully moody sounds! The vibes/tenor approach was a high point in Getz's career – especially as the young Burton could create these beautiful washes of sound that were a perfect counterpoint to Getz's breathy playing. And although Astrud Gilberto is thrown into the mix here to give the album a bit of bossa appeal – vocals on 6 titles that include "Corovado", "Eu E Voce", "It Might As Well Be Spring", "One Note Samba", "Only Trust Your Heart", and "The Telephone Song" – there's also 4 more tracks that are all instrumental, and which show the Getz/Burton union in all of its glory! These tracks include "6 Nix Pix Flix", "The Singing Song", "Here's That Rainy Day", and "Summertime". And for reference, the rest of the group includes Gene Cherico on bass and Joe Hunt on drums – but on 3 tracks, Chuck Israels plays bass instead of Cherico, and on a few others, Helcio Milito plays drums instead of Hunt, and Kenny Burrell joins in on guitar. (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records that no home should be without – not only a pivotal album in the growth of bossa nova in the 60s – but a set that also really helped set the career of tenorist Stan Getz on fire! The real credit here might almost go to guitarist Charlie Byrd – as Byrd was a big early proponent of bossa nova rhythms, and had already been experimenting with them on his records of the time – yet also gets a key extra "umph" here in the presence of Stan's tenor – a bold, rich, soulful sound that really helps give the music a lot of direction – in ways that still resonate strongly all these many years later! Getz is completely sublime – a master of tone and timing throughout – and perfectly fit to these tunes. Rhythms are mostly from Byrd's trio, augmented with some extra percussion – and titles include the classic "Desafinado", plus "E Luxo So", "Samba Dees Days", "Samba Triste", "O Pato", "Samba De Uma Nota So", and "Baia". (Jazz, Brazil) CD

One of those records that no home should be without – not only a pivotal album in the growth of bossa nova in the 60s – but a set that also really helped set the career of tenorist Stan Getz on fire! The real credit here might almost go to guitarist Charlie Byrd – as Byrd was a big early proponent of bossa nova rhythms, and had already been experimenting with them on his records of the time – yet also gets a key extra "umph" here in the presence of Stan's tenor – a bold, rich, soulful sound that really helps give the music a lot of direction – in ways that still resonate strongly all these many years later! Getz is completely sublime – a master of tone and timing throughout – and perfectly fit to these tunes. Rhythms are mostly from Byrd's trio, augmented with some extra percussion – and titles include the classic "Desafinado", plus "E Luxo So", "Samba Dees Days", "Samba Triste", "O Pato", "Samba De Uma Nota So", and "Baia". This is the Verve master edition with 20-bit remastering, bonus track, new liner notes, photographs, cover art & more. (Jazz, Brazil) CD

Genius material from the team of tenorist Stan Getz and Brazilian bossa legend Joao Gilberto – reunited here in a brief mid 70s period, after their famous Verve recordings of the early 60s – and in a way that shows all the changes both artists had gone through over the years! Stan and Joao would go onto produce the sublime Best Of Two Worlds studio record during this same stretch – but this never-issued live date is arguably even deeper and darker than that record – as Stan blows with the stronger current of melancholy he seemed to unlock in period of his Sweet Rain record and onward – and Joao himself does all the singing here, without help from any female vocalist – with that bluer, more personal vibe he hit on his incredible record from 1973. The maturity and emotion of both musicians comes through right away – and support is from the trio of Joanne Brackeen on piano, Clint Houston on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – all wonderful musicians who also know just the right moment to step back and let the two giants dominate when needed. Titles include "Eu Vim Da Bahia", "E Preciso Perdoar", "Doralice", and "Retrato Em Branco E Preto". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best of the Stan Getz bossa nova sessions – and a record that features the great Laurindo Almeida on guitar – playing with more virtuosity than either Charlie Byrd or Joao Gilberto did on their collaborations with Getz! The record's got a driving rhythm section, with lots of long tracks, and nice laid-back solos by both Getz and Almeida – who's getting in some of his few jazz licks of the 60s here, working in a groove similar to that of his earlier sides with Bud Shank, but which sounds almost even better in the languid company of Getz. Cuts include "Outra Vez", "Winter Moon", "Maracatu-Too", and "Samba Da Sahra". (Jazz, Brazil) CD

A pretty darn great set that captures bits from all of Stan Getz's bossa nova recordings for Verve! The set's got a whopping 4 CDs, and it features Getz working with the likes of Joao Gilberto, Luiz Bonfa, Charlie Byrd, Gary McFarland, Laurindo Almeida, Astrud Gilberto, and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Includes some unreleased versions of bossa tunes, plus a huge amount of other great stuff – like "Ebony Samba", "Baia", "Samba Triste", "O Pato", "Samba Dees Days", "Sambalero", "Eu E Voce", "Winter Moon", "Menina Moca", "Vivo Sonhando", and "Para Machuchar Meu Coracoa". (Jazz, Brazil) CD

A pretty darn great set that captures bits from all of Stan Getz's bossa nova recordings for Verve! The set's got a whopping 5LPs, and it features Getz working with the likes of Joao Gilberto, Luiz Bonfa, Charlie Byrd, Gary McFarland, Laurindo Almeida, Astrud Gilberto, and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Includes some unreleased versions of bossa tunes, plus a huge amount of other great stuff – like "Ebony Samba", "Baia", "Samba Triste", "O Pato", "Samba Dees Days", "Sambalero", "Eu E Voce", "Winter Moon", "Menina Moca", "Vivo Sonhando", and "Para Machuchar Meu Coracoa". Easy to find on CD – but darn tough to find on vinyl! (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records that no home should be without – not only a pivotal album in the growth of bossa nova in the 60s – but a set that also really helped set the career of tenorist Stan Getz on fire! The real credit here might almost go to guitarist Charlie Byrd – as Byrd was a big early proponent of bossa nova rhythms, and had already been experimenting with them on his records of the time – yet also gets a key extra "umph" here in the presence of Stan's tenor – a bold, rich, soulful sound that really helps give the music a lot of direction – in ways that still resonate strongly all these many years later! Getz is completely sublime – a master of tone and timing throughout – and perfectly fit to these tunes. Rhythms are mostly from Byrd's trio, augmented with some extra percussion – and titles include the classic "Desafinado", plus "E Luxo So", "Samba Dees Days", "Samba Triste", "O Pato", "Samba De Uma Nota So", and "Baia". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

Genius material from the team of tenorist Stan Getz and Brazilian bossa legend Joao Gilberto – reunited here in a brief mid 70s period, after their famous Verve recordings of the early 60s – and in a way that shows all the changes both artists had gone through over the years! Stan and Joao would go onto produce the sublime Best Of Two Worlds studio record during this same stretch – but this never-issued live date is arguably even deeper and darker than that record – as Stan blows with the stronger current of melancholy he seemed to unlock in period of his Sweet Rain record and onward – and Joao himself does all the singing here, without help from any female vocalist – with that bluer, more personal vibe he hit on his incredible record from 1973. The maturity and emotion of both musicians comes through right away – and support is from the trio of Joanne Brackeen on piano, Clint Houston on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – all wonderful musicians who also know just the right moment to step back and let the two giants dominate when needed. Titles include "Eu Vim Da Bahia", "E Preciso Perdoar", "Doralice", "Morena Boca De Ouro", "Joao Marcelo", "Aguas De Marco", "Samba De Minha Terra", and "Retrato Em Branco E Preto". (Jazz, Brazil) CD

(Funky 45's, Brazil) 7-inch, Vinyl record

One of the best of the Stan Getz bossa nova sessions – and a record that features the great Laurindo Almeida on guitar – playing with more virtuosity than either Charlie Byrd or Joao Gilberto did on their collaborations with Getz! The record's got a driving rhythm section, with lots of long tracks, and nice laid-back solos by both Getz and Almeida – who's getting in some of his few jazz licks of the 60s here, working in a groove similar to that of his earlier sides with Bud Shank, but which sounds almost even better in the languid company of Getz. Cuts include "Outra Vez", "Winter Moon", "Maracatu-Too", and "Samba Da Sahra". Very nice! (Jazz, Brazil) CD

Hardly an "encore" of the first Stan Getz Jazz Samba album – as this set's got a slightly different feel, and lots of great elements that make it really unique! This time around, Brazilian musician Luiz Bonfa is on guitar – already a skilled proponent of the bossa by the time of the record, and arguably one of the few who really got it going back home in Rio. Stan's tenor sounds wonderful – as carefully and soufully blown as on the first set, but also with some new colors and tones too. Bonfa's wife Maria Toledo sings a bit on the record – hinting at Stan's work to come with Astrud Gilberto (this album was cut right before the Getz/Gilberto collaboration) – and the record also features added work on piano and guitar from the great Antonio Carlos Jobim – more than enough proof that the album's got a pure bossa pedigree! Titles include "Menina Flor", "Ebony Samba", "Saudade Vem Correndo", "Sambalero", "Samba De Duas Notas", and "Mania De Maria". Plus, the CD also includes a bonus alternate take of "Ebony Samba". (Jazz, Brazil) CD

Hardly an "encore" of the first Stan Getz Jazz Samba album – as this set's got a slightly different feel, and lots of great elements that make it really unique! This time around, Brazilian musician Luiz Bonfa is on guitar – already a skilled proponent of the bossa by the time of the record, and arguably one of the few who really got it going back home in Rio. Stan's tenor sounds wonderful – as carefully and soufully blown as on the first set, but also with some new colors and tones too. Bonfa's wife Maria Toledo sings a bit on the record – hinting at Stan's work to come with Astrud Gilberto (this album was cut right before the Getz/Gilberto collaboration) – and the record also features added work on piano and guitar from the great Antonio Carlos Jobim – more than enough proof that the album's got a pure bossa pedigree! Titles include "Menina Flor", "Ebony Samba", "Saudade Vem Correndo", "Sambalero", "Samba De Duas Notas", and "Mania De Maria". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic Stan Getz material from the 60s – a beautiful live set recorded right around the same time as Stan's Getz-A-Go-Go album – and, like that one, also features great vibes from Gary Burton and a bit of guest vocals from Astrud Gilberto! The main focus is on Stan's core sound with the group – those tremendously open lines that he started to blow in the post-bossa years – from this really under-recorded time in his career, with a sound that most folks didn't hear fully until his classic Sweet Rain album a few years later. In addition to Burton, the core group also features Gene Cherico on bass and Joe Hunt on drums – and on a few of the final tracks, Chet Baker plays some guest flugelhorn. Astrud sings on "Girl From Ipanema" and "Eu E Voce" – and other titles include "Stan's Blues", "Sweet Rain", "Nix Pix Flix", "Waltz For A Lovely Wife", "Tonight I Shall Sleep", "Singing Song", and "I Waited For You". (Jazz, Brazil) CD

A collection that Milestone issued in 1973 that includes tracks from three of Byrd's early 60s Bossa Nova records – Latin Impressions, Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros and Once More/Charlie Byrd's Bossa Nova. Byrd and his unamplified guitar are joined by Keter Betts on bass and Bill Reichenbach on drums and Latin percussion; other players are also featured. The tracks are mainly composed by the big names of Bossa Nova – Jobim, Powell, Caymmi, Lyra – but there are several Byrd originals as well such as "Azul Tiple", "Bogota", "Mexican Song No 2", and "Amor Flamengo". CD also includes the album Once More! Charlie Byrd's Bossa Nova, a lovely little record from the man who helped Stan Getz find his bossa – and a set that's done with just a bit more backing than usual from Byrd for the time! The album makes nice use of additional percussion, vibes, cello, and a bit of flugelhorn to back up Byrd's work on acoustic guitar – never in a way that dominates too strongly, with just enough added sound to color in the grooves with a slightly deeper tone. Titles include "Presente De Natal", "Three Note Samba", "Limehouse Blues", "Cancao De Nimar Para Carol", "Chega De Saudade", and "Anna". (Jazz, Brazil) CD

Although Herbie and Joao are listed together in the artist credits together for the record, they don't really play together on the record – as did Joao and Stan Getz on their album together. Instead, they trade off tracks of bossa nova material, recorded with Jobim in Rio – Joao's by EMI/Odeon, Herbie's by Atlantic. The set includes a host of great light breezy bossa stuff – like "Amor Em Paz", "O Barquinho", "Bim Bom", "Bolinha De Papel", and "Deve Ser Amor". Not totally over the top, but a very nice batch of breezy bossa tracks with lots of light flute and guitar lines floating around! CD

Beautiful bossa nova from 60s Japan – groundbreaking work from the young Sadao Watanabe! Like one of his obvious influences, Stan Getz, Watanabe had a great role in bringing the bossa nova out of Brazil – taking a music that had already been introduced to Japan a few years before, and giving it even wider exposure with his wonderfully soulful, jazz-based approach. And although there were earlier Japanese bossa albums, this one stands out as one of the true classics – the Getz/Gilberto set of 60s Japan, although without the vocals of that Verve date. Sadao plays both flute and alto sax, and backing is from a small combo that mixes in Brazilian-styled guitar and percussion next to the bass and drums. Watanabe's reeds have a raspy, off-kilter quality that's almost more human than most Brazilian jazz efforts of the time – and titles include versions of "Song Of The Jet", "Felicidade", "Reza", and "Morning Of The Carnival" – plus some nice originals like "America" and "Cupid's Song". (Jazz, Brazil) CD

There's few singers lovelier than Astrud Gilberto – and this "great women" set is a perfect introduction to her music – a package filled with the key cuts she recorded for Verve Records during the big bossa nova boom of the 60s – a movement that lifted Astrud from obscurity into the realm of undeniably classic singers! The set features some of Gilberto's original recordings with tenorist Stan Getz, and others on her own – with backings from arrangers Don Sebesky, Claus Ogerman, Gil Evans, and Marty Paich – and one tune done with Brazilian organist Walter Wanderley too! Titles include "Agua De Beber", "Take Me To Aruanda", "O Morro", "Berimbau", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "How Insensitive", "Girl From Ipanema", "Fly Me To The Moon", "So Nice", "It Might As Well Be Spring", "Once I Loved", "Corcovado", and "So Tinha De Ser Come Voce". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful package – as beautiful as the music of Jobim, and one of the true fitting tributes to his genius! The set is a retrospective of the work of Antonio Carlos Jobim – and it features tracks that stretch back to his early recordings for Verve, CTI, and Philips (from both the US and Brazil), work he did with other artists (including Astrud Gilberto, Stan Getz, and Elis Regina), and even recent work recorded slightly before his death. The booklet is every bit as beautiful as the music – an origami-like affair, with paper and plastic folding out to reveal some great notes and biographical information on Jobim, offering one of the coolest packages you've ever seen to hold the set's 3 CDs! Titles include "Wave", "Waters Of March", "Agua De Beber", "Bonita", "Photograph", "Dreamer", and so much more – and there's a total of 55 songs packaged with the 60 page booklet! CD

A fantastic return to the Braziliance territory crafted by these two legendary musicians – Bud Shank blowing alto over bossa-styled arrangements from Laurindo Almeida – in a manner that was years ahead of similar work by Stan Getz and others! (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark set of recordings cut for the Pacific Jazz label in the early 50s, and supposedly a major influence on the early bossa artists in Brazil! The tracks were cut by a quartet led by LA altoist Bud Shank, and featuring Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida, who was living in LA at the time. The mix of alto and guitar, in a jazzy vien, but with Latiny rhythms, is very similar to the early bossa jazz recordings – and even more so to the later American ones by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd. Supposedly, original 10" LPs of the material made their way to Brazil, and later influenced Jobim and Gilberto. Titles on this one include "Nono", "Noctambulism", "Blue Baiao", "Hazardous", and "Tocata". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

Landmark set of recordings cut for the Pacific Jazz label in the early 50s, and supposedly a major influence on the early bossa artists in Brazil! The tracks were cut by a quartet led by LA altoist Bud Shank, and featuring Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida, who was living in LA at the time. The mix of alto and guitar, in a jazzy vein, but with Latiny rhythms, is very similar to the early bossa jazz recordings – and even more so to the later American ones by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd. Supposedly, original 10" LPs of the material made their way to Brazil, and later influenced Jobim and Gilberto. Although we can't confirm that rumor entirely, you'll sure hear a similarity, and even if you don't, the stuff's still pretty darn great. Titles include "Terra Seca", "Amor Flamenco", "Atabaque", "No No", "Noctambulism", "Tocata", and "Carinoso". 15 cuts in all. CD

An overlooked gem from Bob Brookmeyer – and a set that fits in strongly with the other Verve Records bossa nova albums of the 60s! Bob's the center star on valve trombone, but the record's awash in work from other great Verve talents too – a tight small group that features Gary McFarland on vibes, Jim Hall and Jimmy Raney on guitars, and Willie Bobo on drums – alongside some added percussion that really helps keep the bossa spirit strong! Tunes have that spare, soulful crackle that you'd find in the Stan Getz bossa sessions for Verve – except that trombone is the lead solo instrument here – and titles include "A Felicidade", "Col Bogey Bossa Nova", "Blues Bossa Nova", "Qual E O Po", "Chara Tu Tristeza", and "Samba De Orfeu". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

Guitarist Charlie Byrd was one of the first American players to record bossa nova tunes – but although his work with Stan Getz has always been well-documented, some of the titles under his own name can be quite hard to come by. This is one of the best ones that Charlie cut on his own – and it features tight guitar work in a mode that's similar to that used by Baden Powell on his early bossa recordings, augmented by trio rhythms – plus some occasional larger backings by Walter Raim, and some extended group settings that feature Charlie Hampton on alto, Earl Swope on trombone, and Willie Rodriguez on percussion. Tracks include "Ho Ba La La", "Samba Triste", "Yvone", "O Barquinho", "Un Abraco Do Bonfa", and "O Passaro". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful bossa nova from 60s Japan – groundbreaking work from the young Sadao Watanabe! Like one of his obvious influences, Stan Getz, Watanabe had a great role in bringing the bossa nova out of Brazil – taking a music that had already been introduced to Japan a few years before, and giving it even wider exposure with his wonderfully soulful, jazz-based approach. And although there were earlier Japanese bossa albums, this one stands out as one of the true classics – the Getz/Gilberto set of 60s Japan, although without the vocals of that Verve date. Sadao plays both flute and alto sax, and backing is from a small combo that mixes in Brazilian-styled guitar and percussion next to the bass and drums. Watanabe's reeds have a raspy, off-kilter quality that's almost more human than most Brazilian jazz efforts of the time – and titles include versions of "Song Of The Jet", "Felicidade", "Reza", and "Morning Of The Carnival" – plus some nice originals like "America" and "Cupid's Song". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

Features Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto, Sarah Vaughan, Billy Eckstine, Luiz Bonfa, Astrud Gilberto, Wes Montgomery, Shirley Horn, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dizzy Gillestpie – 15 tracks in all. CD

A lovely little record from the man who helped Stan Getz find his bossa – and a set that's done with just a bit more backing than usual from Byrd for the time! The album makes nice use of additional percussion, vibes, cello, and a bit of flugelhorn to back up Byrd's work on acoustic guitar – never in a way that dominates too strongly, with just enough added sound to color in the grooves with a slightly deeper tone. Titles include "Presente De Natal", "Three Note Samba", "Limehouse Blues", "Cancao De Nimar Para Carol", "Chega De Saudade", and "Anna". (Jazz, Brazil) LP, Vinyl record album

While not as classic as the bossa sessions that Stan Getz cut for Verve, these early 60's sides by Zoot (for the Colpix label) are still pretty tasty groovers in the pop bossa vein that was sweeping the US at the time. Zoot lays down some nice easy solos over larger bossa arrangements, and Jim Hall joins the set on guitar. Hall's not as Braziliany as players like Joao Gilberto or Charlie Byrd, but he does the job nicely enough, and there's more than enough good moments on this nicely priced 18 track set. Titles include "Instant Samba", "Maria Ninguen", "Recado Bossa Nova", "Poquito Cantando", and "Cantada A Orquesta". (Jazz, Brazil) CD

Music from Antonio Carlos Jobim, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Henderson, Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd, Astrud Gilberto, Stan Getz, Wes Montgomery, Oscar Peterson, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Henderson & more. (Funky Compilations, Brazil) CD