Salud! Joao Gilberto, Originator of the Bossa Nova

idolizes -- he has spoken fondly of their first meeting where they scatted to each other before ever speaking a word -- and he wasted little time putting together a at the height of the first wave. It ought to come as no surprise that he would display total sympathy with the manner here, singing softly and smoothly -- and ' English wordplay is quite faithful to the original tunes and meanings of the Portuguese lyrics, in contrast to his usual whimsical work with . is particularly winning, and irresistibly swinging on the rare occasions ( ) when he to the Brazilian rhythm; he should have done more of that here. But then, his versions of 's repertoire are carefully based on 's early recordings (now available on ); even 's string and wind charts for the originals are preserved by adapter . Alas, the only lyric that has become a universal is 's ("No More Blues"). As only album-length encounter with , is essential. ~ Richard S. Ginell