TOP 5 Bossa Nova Albums

What is better and more fun than a good list right? If you are anything like me, everything has a place.. This is dothebossanova.info TOP 5 BOSSA NOVA ALBUMS of all time. If you disagree please leave your own list in the messagebord. Have fun!

Legendary - João Gilberto
Without missing out on something João released during his early career makes this compilation the perfect choice. Every album during his peak in the late fifties and early sixties all on one CD. This was one of the first albums i ever listened to when i started to discover the treasures of bossanova. I must have had atleast 1000 listenings or more. All classics and some others. All João style = Minimal, beautiful and just,, just,, wonderful.
Soft Samba - Gary McFarland 1964
If one album can sum up all feelings of an era lifestyle and mindset in tones, you pretty much know what you are doing. This album does all this and more. It's a time machine to the decadent bossanova sixties. Gary McFarland (1933 - 1971) was a composer, arranger, vibraphonist and vocalist. Both his voice and "vibra" is prominent on this album. The sound is smooth as silk and the arrangements as cool as a fresh made caipirinha at a Ipanema beach kiosk. Many classic Beatles covers here and "From Russia with love". Antonio Carlos Jobim and Kenny Burrell on guitar. The word jazz is not the right word, Lounge is. A breeze of an era. An ambient bossanova moment. A lovers source to success.
Getz/Gilberto - Stan Getz & João Gilberto 1963
Before devastating affairs between Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz, João Gilberto used to love letting his wife sing at parties with her seductive voice to his guitar comp. A meeting with Mr Getz, which was a huge bossanova fan himself, lead to this more than classic recording. And also the big break of Astrud. Tom Jobim also a member, with a minimal and perfect piano comp. João Gilberto on song. Almost every track has then become synonymous to bossanova. A wikipedia of classics. The mother of all bossa records. The big seller. You name it. VIVA!!
The Composer of Desafinado plays - Antonio Carlos Jobim 1963
Tom Jobim was the true genius of bossanova, and this album is where all his magic came together in the way bossanova should sound like. Instrumental arrangements with minimal doses of perfection. Flutes whisper to the subtle guitar and distinct drumbeats put it all together with Mr Jobims piano. This is not just top 5 in Bossanova. This is top 5 ALL TIME.
In the Brazilian Bag - Sergio Mendes Trio 1965 (Re Released on CD as "Best of Sérgio Mendes & Brasil 65" (1993)
When thinking of Sergio Mendes one always thinks of his covers of "Mas que nada" and countless American classics. It's not uncommon to forget the years before all that. The years before his pop charade's and mainstream popsound. What about the years of jazz trio's and swingers from Rio,, Late nights at Bottle's Bar,, What about the years with the seductive voice of Wanda de Sah and distinct guitar comp by the great Rosinha de Valenca,, All too forgotten.. All too underrated.. This is the essence of Mr Mendes. This is his master works of all time. This is pure magic. This IS bossanova.