
More Albums with Key Tracks for Critical Listening
Hot Stamper Pressings of Bossa Nova Albums Available Now
This album is useful as a test disc. The third track on side 2, The Telephone Song, has a breathy vocal by Astrud, soon followed by Getz’s saxophone solo. If those two elements in the recording are in balance, your system is working, tonally anyway.
Track Commentary
Side One
Corcovado (Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars)
On the best copies the voice is perfection. The horn is always a bit hard sounding on this track though.
It Might As Well Be Spring
The best copies are warm, rich and sweet here, with much better sound for Getz’s sax. This track has some of the tubiest magic you will find on the album.
Eu E Voce (Me and You)
Summertime
This one has real dynamics — the playing and the sound are lively, but somehow still cool…
Nix-Quix-Flix
Side Two
Only Trust Your Heart
The Singing Song
The Telephone Song
The best song on side two, certainly the most fun, and a wonderful test track as mentioned above.
One Note Samba
Here’s That Rainy Day
This is one of Rudy Van Gelder’s greatest recordings. I think it’s as good as it is because he was out of his studio (mostly) and had to revert to Recording 101, where you set up some good mics and get the thing on tape as correctly as you can. There’s hardly a trace of his normal compression and bad EQ on this album. (The sax is problematical in places but most everyone else is right on the money.) (more…)