There have been several reissues of the primary album and several reviews in Jazz Journal over the years. Given the fame and significance of this album, the reviews are understandably positive. But let me start with a negative – not musically – but relating to the fall out between the albums two major stars, Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd.
So sublime is the music that it is both ironic and sad that Byrd did not work with Getz again and in 1967 he brought a lawsuit against Getz and MGM for unfair apportionment of royalties. The jury concluded that each musician had contributed equally to the album and awarded Byrd half of the royalties. Whilst I have a lot of admiration for Stan Getz, this was not one of his finest moments.
The album, however, was genuinely groundbreaking, having been recorded a full year before Getz and João Gilberto’s ubiquitous Getz/Gilberto. Despite the attention later given to Getz’s work with Gilberto, this album was a Billboard success and the Jobim-composed single Desafinado earned Getz a Grammy for best jazz performance in 1963.
Ironically, it was Byrd who first brought Brazilian music to Getz’s attention, following a diplomatic tour of South America for the US State Department. Byrd returned to Washington where he met Getz at the Showboat Lounge and introduced him to the recordings of Gilberto and Jobim.
The recording of Jazz Samba was far from straightforward. Creed Taylor had assembled a group of musicians whose sound did not please Getz and Byrd. Instead, Byrd called up some of the musicians who had toured Brazil with him, including his brother Gene Byrd and two drummers. Rehearsals were exhaustive until the band felt they were ready to record and replicate an authentic bossa-nova sound (the term itself was not actually used until later).
The venue for the recording was not a conventional recording studio. The band needed the right acoustic and eventually the Pierce Hall, a building adjacent to the All-Souls Unitarian Church in Washington D.C., was chosen. The album was recorded in February 1962 and released in April the same year. By March 1963, the album had moved to number one in the Billboard charts and a new sub-genre of popular music was born in the USA and Europe.
Jazz Samba is re-released here with Jazz Samba Encore. The two make fine companions, with Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfa replacing Byrd on guitar. It is essentially more of the same, and the format was now starting to be overworked by the studios. The star of the show undoubtably remains Jazz Samba. Thankfully, after all this time the music is uncompromised and remains a major milestone in style and in spreading jazz to a wider audience.
Discography
(1) Desafinado; Samba Dees Days; O Pato (The Duck); Samba Triste; Samba De Uma Nota So (One Note Samba); É Luxo Só; Baia; (2) Sambalero; So Danco Samba; Insensatez; O Morro Nao Tem Vez; Samba De Duas Notas (Two Note Samba); Menina Flor; Mania De Maria; Saudade Vem Correndo; Um Abraco No Getz (A Tribute To Getz); Ebony Samba; (3) Winter Moon (62.00)
Getz (ts) with:
(1) Charlie Byrd (g); Gene Byrd (g, b); Keter Betts (b); Buddy Deppenschmidt, Bill Reichenbach (pc). Pierce Hall, All Souls Unitarian Church, Washington D.C., 13 February 1962.
(2) Antonio Carlos Jobim (p, g); Luiz Bonfa (g); Tommy Williams, George Duvivier, Don Payne (b); Paul Ferreira, David Bailey (d); José Carlos (pc, d); Maria Toledo (v). New York, 8-9 February 1963.
(3) Laurindo Almeida (g); José Soorez, Luis Parga, Jose Paulo (pc). NY, 22 March 1963.
Master Sessions 2611
