I can think of no album that inspires more tranquility than Getz/Gilberto, the 1965 Grammy winner for Best Album of the Year by the debonair duo of bossa nova, Stan Getz and João Gilberto.
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian jazz with soothing vocals, acoustic guitars, and horns, usually saxophones. “Bossa nova” means “new trend,” and despite its mid-1900s origins, it sounds fresh even today.
Although the album seems ready-made for cocktail parties, for us recovering alcoholics, Getz and Gilberto’s collaboration makes a sophisticated soundtrack for a fancy meal or as Sunday-morning music to chill by.
Getz/Gilberto arrived at a time when jazz was experiencing a renaissance, with the prolific-through-the-decades Herbie Hancock delivering the masterpiece Maiden Voyage the same year. Miles Davis was at his peak, having released the critically praised Kind of Blue just a few years prior.
But it was Getz and Gilberto who shone the brightest, producing the first-ever album by non-American artists to land a Grammy. Perhaps the most notable output of their collaboration was the iconic track “The Girl From Ipanema,” which, according to The Wall Street Journal, is the second-most recorded pop song ever, behind The Beatles’ “Yesterday.”
The vocals by Gilberto’s wife, Astrud Gilberto, are decidedly cosmopolitan, as evidenced on opening track “Ipanema.” Smooth Portuguese singing by João opens the song, with soft English vocals from Astrud sliding in midway through. Piano by António Carlos Jobim is introduced later in this puzzle of perfection. The song has become an elevator music cliché, but the original is purely classic.
Astrud’s alluring voice is like melted chocolate — sweet and smooth — yet crisp as a nighttime breeze in Rio de Janeiro. Some might call it “fresco,” a Spanish and Portuguese word that often translates loosely as “fresh,” although that doesn’t quite capture the full nuance of the original word.
Astrud also makes an appearance on “Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars),” a mellow, catchy tune that overflows with romance and beauty. Perfect for seducing a potential or longtime lover, “Corcovado” is the album’s true star.
The era in which this album came out was in general a banner year for music, with The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and The Beatles’ “Help!,” “Ticket to Ride,” and “Yesterday” topping the charts. If you were a hippie in the ‘60s, Getz/Gilberto might have been what your parents listened to — if they were cool.
Exquisite, intricate, slick, and down-to-earth, Getz/Gilberto is a gem to discover, particularly for those us who didn’t live during the era.
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