Backgrounder: Antonio Carlos Jobim's 'Wave'

The ever beautiful Getz/Gilberto may have been the album that popularized the bossa nova when released in 1964, but Antonio Carlos Jobim's Wave was, for me, its instrumental peer. Both albums were produced by Creed Taylor, the former on Verve and the latter on Creed's CTI imprint at A&M Records.

This Jobim masterpiece was arranged by Claus Ogerman and recorded in 1967 on May 22, 23 and 24 and on June 15. Jobim played guitar, piano and harpsichord. Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., the musicians featured on the sessions included Urbie Green, Jimmy Cleveland (tb) Ray Beckenstein, Romeo Penque, Jerome Richardson (fl,pic) Joseph Singer (fhr) Antonio Carlos Jobim (p,harpsichord,g) Ron Carter (b) Dom Um Romao, Bobby Rosengarden, Claudio Slon (d,perc) + strings, Claus Ogerman (cond) Bernard Eichen, Lewis Eley, Paul Gershman, Emanuel “Manny" Green, Louis Haber, Julius Held, Leo Kruczek, Harry Lookofsky, Joseph Malignaggi, Gene Orloff, Raoul Poliakin, Irving Spice, Louis Stone (vln) Abe Kessler, Charles McCracken, George Ricci, Harvey Shapiro (cello).

For my conversation with Creed about this album, go here. For the story behind the cover, see my interview with Pete Turner, the photographer, here.

Here's Antonio Carlos Jobim's Wave in full, without ads...