Brazils Brilliant

This vitally important record introduced Joao Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim and thus, bossa nova to the United States in 1961, a year before Stan Getz scored a hit with "Desafinado." Twelve of Gilberto's more than three-dozen bossa nova recordings for EMI-Odeon in Brazil were included, as per the record label practices of the time -- and having been issued on Capitol's international Capitol of the World series, it was not too easy to find. Yet here were some of the earliest examples of the fusion between samba and cool jazz, the rhythmic impulse coming from Gilberto's guitar style and the melodies written for his articulate, intimate voice. Several Jobim standards-in-waiting -- "One Note Samba," "Corcovado," "Meditation," "Outra Vez" -- were heard for the first time in North America on this LP. Not only that, Jobim provided the lightly-seasoned orchestral backings, coming up with countermelodic ideas for strings, horn and flutes that were integral parts of his compositions (later to be elaborated upon by Claus Ogerman and other arrangers). Shortly after bossa nova took off, this album was reissued on Capitol's regular pop series as Gilberto and Jobim. All 12 tracks, plus 26 others, are now available on CD as The Legendary Joao Gilberto. ~ Richard S. Ginell