DUDE...SHOES.

Astrud and João Gilberto

You'll have to excuse me. After day at the beach, with trunks still well, sunburned and salty, I had to cool off. I had little choice. It was time for some bossa nova. Yeah, laid back. Sue me. I've been meaning to post some Brazilian stuff anyway, ahead of the Summer Olympics, because there might be all sorts of side stories there and they may taint your associations with Brazilian music (that is, if you haven't heard much). At the very least there's the Zika virus, which is tragic no matter how you look at it. Then there's that "Welcome to Hell" thing. Yeesh. You never know though, things could go well.

If you've heard one bossa nova song, chances are it's "The Girl From Ipanema", most likely the English version, sung by Astrud Gilberto and backed by João Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Stan Getz. It's like the "Johnny B, Goode" of bossa nova (although that reference may be lost on you younger folk). The story goes that in the midst of a recording session for the Getz/Gilberto LP, which included the Portuguese version sung by Antonio Carlos Jobim, someone had the big idea to record a version sung in English. Gilberto's wife Astrud, an untrained singer, was chosen to sing because she was the only Brazilian in the studio that spoke English well enough to wing it.

Here's that song, and a few Astrud Gilberto oddballs, if only because she managed to milk a career out of a chance opportunity. Then there's a link to a post that includes, what the author claims are, the eleven best bossa nova songs, past and present. I'm in no position to argue. If you're still not fully chillin', there's another link to a 46 song compilation Blue Note Plays Bossa Nova, featuring jazz artists on the Blue Note label, which means most aren't Brazilian but, hell, I ran across it so I'm not going to let the link go to waste.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:
Stan Getz and João Gilberto with Antonio Carlos Jobim and Astrud Gilberto - The Girl From Ipanema mp3 at Caipirinha Lounge
Walter Wanderley Trio with Astrud Gilberto - It's A Lovely Day Today mp3 at Art Decade Bossa nova with organ, you don't hear that everyday.
Thievery Corporation with Astrud Gilberto - Light My Fire mp3 at Spacepack Not bossa nova, but interesting pairing
Elis Regina - Águas de Março mp3 at Caipirinha Lounge Because the author claims it is the number one of all time, the best version of "the perfect bossa nova". Sounds good to me. Awesome in fact.
Visit:
Top 11 Bossa Nova Songs, Past & Present at Caipirinha Lounge
Blue Note Plays Bossa Nova at Internet Archive Note: Scroll down until you see VBR MP3 iunder "Download options" in the right column. Click on that.