Getz/Gilberto [remastered] — Joao Gilberto

Bossa Nova: Getz/Gilberto [remastered] — Joao Gilberto
Label: Stan Getz
Rating: 4
Bossa Nova: One of the biggest hits in the jazz scene is the legendary track The Girl From Ipanema and the Getz/Gilberto version really does justice to it. The song’s vocals are performed in Portuguese by guitarist/singer João Gilberto, and uniquely enough, a female vocalist takes over in the latter part.This is reportedly his ex-wife on the record and it is done in English. This remastered version presents the old songs on a brighter and warmer soundstage. If there was an element of murkiness on the original analogue recordings, the producers and engineers here have taken care to carefully tweak and clean up the sound without changing the essence of it all. Stan Getz’s swinging solos on the E tenor saxophone are present throughout, with smooth flourishes and subtle touches. His work never overwhelms but rather, is as comforting as a mug of hot chocolate on a winter’s night. The piano work is handled by Antônio Carlos Jobim who is content to play a supporting rather than a lead role. Case in point is his concise and tasteful soloing on Corcovado. As for the rhythm section, Sebastião Neto keeps the lower end steady on bass and Milton Banana is steady with the drums in signature bossa nova style. Even though the songs are in Portuguese, you really can just kick back and enjoy this music, which speaks a universal language.