32. Jazz Samba - Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd

My knowledge of Jazz being limited, and our most recent Jazz experience being frankly scarring, I approached this album with a triple measure of scepticism combined with a healthy mixer of reluctance. It quickly became apparent that this was certainly going to be an easier listen than John Zorn.

This album is a mix of Bossa nova and Samba with some Jazzy touches. It was created in one recording session in a church in Washington DC, following Charlie Byrd's visit to Brazil in 1961. He was heavily influenced by the music he heard on the streets there, and decided to integrate this with his own Jazz roots, if he could find a collaborator in the US. Stan Getz rose to the challenge, and his tenor sax fitted seamlessly with Byrd's guitar. The album went to number one in the US, and is widely considered as having started the Bossa Nova craze.

Desafinado was the hit that really launched this album, and as such it is appropriate that it starts the album off. It is a well known piece, and whilst it can be a bit lightweight, it is very catchy and enjoyable. The sax lightly dances around the guitar, with the insistent drumming keeping things together. The two minute version which was the bonus track on the reissued CD has less going for it, as it loses the build up of the original. Samba Dees Days is a more pacey song, with the sax playing an even more dominant role, particularly in the powerful ending. O Pato is probably the best track on the album, with the duet between guitar and sax at its most symbiotic. The guitar is also given space to breathe, and shows off Byrd's impressive finger picking style. Samba Triste has a more somber note, as you'd expect, and seems to sway in both rhythmic and melodic terms, with a more sedate tempo and a gentle, lilting tone to the Getz's playing. Samba De Uma Nota So slightly merges with the other tracks, some nice arpeggios and a decent guitar solo aside. E Luxo So has some nice syncopated drumming, but is largely forgettable, that aside. Bahia has a more varied tempo than most of the tracks, but seems to slightly lose its way, which is what I'd expected to hear from other tracks, but they all seemed more focussed.

This album has lift music written all over it, yet I found it ok. Maybe even ok plus. It is very calming as background music, and just sort of drifts along; it's exactly the sort of piece that would get played on a Spotify playlist entitled "Jazzy lunch". There are some very impressive technical aspects to the playing, and to think that it was all recorded in one day is quite something. I can't imagine regularly replaying it, but I can certainly pick out contexts where I would be happy to have it playing - trying to get a baby asleep for example.

Chloe's rating: 6

Chloe's favourite track: 1. Desafinado

Olly's rating: 6

Olly's favourite track: 3. O Pato

Good news for 2017 - it's off to a flier with number 72. Revolver by the Beatles. Stonking.