#33 Jazz Samba by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd

First things first, I would like to saw a belated Happy Birthday to my mum before I start this review. So there it is, I hope you like whatever present that I bought you.

Down to business and it’s beginning to dawn on me that I have taken albums with vocals for granted for the most of my life as once again 1962 has gifted me with a completely instrumental record. At least I know tomorrow and Night Life will be different. Either way at least today if an album of a different new genre; bossa nova. As with a lot of these jazz-related genres I am a novice with names and knowing what to expect. The only exception to this is that I am a bit of a fan of Bebel Gilberto, especially the album Tanto Tempo which I will reach one day. With that album being released over 40 years afterwards I actively sought out any form of precursor in Jazz Samba, and lo’ and behold these were found.

The feature of bossa nova that I fell in love with are the use of percussion and guitars that are able to take whatever season you are in and make believe as if it is summer even if you are listening to it on some rainy day in May. These musical elements which, whether it be wrong or not sound distinctly Latin to me, are in constant use throughout the album from the intricate guitar work in Baia to the masterful percussion in Samba Dees Days. So far, everything that I have come to appreciate is on here, and in spades. So surely there is nothing what is there for me to complain about?

Sadly it is, now I can get over the lack of vocals on an album. So far I have given half of my highest ratings to Green Onions and Kind of Blue so I can recognise the merit in them. However, these are songs that you can tell need to be sung not saxophoned. In an attempt to bring bossa nova to the main stream it appears that it was the choice to try and form a fusion with American jazz by the heavy use of a saxophone in lieu of a vocalist. Not only that but on occasions suddenly the improvisation starts and the coherence and flow of the song is lost and I just sit there wondering what might have been. While in song places on Jazz Samba such a fusion is a boon and both genres draw strength from each other there are also times when the jazz becomes a liability.

In the end I can see so many positives in here that do outshine the negatives of the saxophonist, the biggest of them what is going on in the background that could easily be overlooked. However, these sadly do not warrant repetitive listening and as such will rated in such a way. I can only hope that Getz/Gilberto is an improvement on this.

6.0/10

Fab Four:
Desafinado
Samba Dees Days
Sambe Triste
É Luxo Só