Stan Getz/Charlie Byrd – Jazz Samba (Verve, 1962)
The project that introduced bossa nova to North America, which fell hard for the genre’s complex but delicate syncopations. Guitarist Charlie Byrd was fresh off a US government-backed tour of South America when he invited tenor saxophonist Stan Getz over to listen to Brazil-bought records by Joao Gilberto and Tom Jobim. The two Americans jammed, tried some covers and won over producer Creed Taylor, the new head of Verve. Accompanied by two drummers and two bassists including Byrd’s brother Joe, they recorded genre standards including Jobim’s “One Note Samba” and “Desafinado”, the album’s most famous track.
A million-seller that paved the way for the likes of Quincy Jones’s “Big Band Bossa Nova” (1962) and the following year’s silky pop-jazz smash “Getz/Gilberto”, “Jazz Samba” remains a masterwork.
Read on: Jazz Samba: A Masterpiece Recorded in Three Hours
Grant Green – The Latin Bit (Blue Note, 1963)
Recorded at Van Gelder Studio in 1962, the concept of this album was a departure for the accomplished hard bop guitarist, exploring Latin and Brazilian influences. As Nat Hentoff wrote in the album’s liner notes: “It is because of Green’s remarkably consistent ease in many varieties of material, that this album of jazz with a Latin tinge becomes so seamless a blending of Latin idioms and blues-laced, modern mainstream swinging.” The highly enjoyable set includes joyful takes of “Mambo Inn” and “My Little Suede Shoes,” as well as a lyrical and beguiling version of “Besame Mucho.”
Read on: Tone: How the Guitar Found its Jazz Voice
Astrud Gilberto – Look To The Rainbow (Verve, 1966)
One of the jewels of singer Astrud Gilberto’s catalog and of the bossa nova canon. Teaming with arranger Gil Evans and producer Creed Taylor, the orchestral backing perfectly complements Astrud’s whispery, velvety, understated voice, especially on the title track and the sweet ballad, “I Will Wait For You.”
Read on: A Sashay Through Astrud Gilberto’s Discography
Nana Vasconcelos – Saudades (ECM, 1980)
“Saudades” is the culmination of Brazilian percussionist Naná Vasconcelos’s dream of hearing the berimbau, Brazil’s traditional musical bow, in an orchestral context. It was made possible through the creative input of Egberto Gismonti, here the arranger of the material for strings, as well as co-composer and supporting soloist. The creative partnership between Gismonti and Vasconcelos was highlighted on a number of recordings, but never again in this magical orchestral weaving of musical expressions.
Harold López-Nussa – Timba a la Americana (Blue Note, 2023)
Born into a musical family in Havana, Cuba, López-Nussa’s music reflects the full range and richness of the Cuban musical tradition with its distinctive combination of classical, folkloric, and popular elements, as well as its embrace of improvisation. With his Blue Note Records debut, he a reaches a career milestone with a vibrant album teeming with joy and pathos that was inspired by the pianist’s recent decision to leave his Cuban homeland and begin a new life in France. Produced by Michael League (Snarky Puppy), “Timba a la Americana” presents 10 dynamic new compositions proving that the heritage of Latin Jazz is very much alive and well.
Read on: Harold Lopez-Nussa: Bridging Musical Traditions Through His Piano
Header photo: Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: Paulo Fridman/Corbis via Getty Images.