33. Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd — Jazz Samba (1962)

Artsy

1. Here we have the album that popularized Brazilian bossa nova in the States via…two white dudes from the States. No matter; it’s a lovely record, and the interplay between Byrd’s guitar and Getz’s tenor sax is just excellent. I think this is the first appearance of a jazz guitar in the list, and it fits perfectly into the sound here.
2. Getz’s tenor sax is straight buttah, smoothly flowing in and out through the forefront and background of each track. This is some of the most soothing music I’ve heard in the list to date; dancy, but in a gentle way.
3. The makeup the band here is interesting — Getz on sax, Byrd on guitar, plus two bassists and two drummers. They’re leaning heavily into the rhythm section here, giving Getz and Byrd the freedom to maneuver and emphasize the lovely melodies and solos they’ve got going on. We still get the occasional bass or drum solo, but it’s clear who the stars are.
4. This album came out of a single trip Byrd took to South America, recording tapes of the music he heard in Brazil and passing them around to friends. I wish I could be so inspired — not that I know what I’d be inspired to do.
5. What a dope piece of art used on the album cover, by Puerto Rican artist Olga Albizu. Jazz albums consistently have offered the most striking covers; I hope the rest of the pop world picks it up.

One Essential Song:

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