Salud! Joao Gilberto

A standout album from the early 1960s jazz-bossa boom, when North American and European musicians were swept away by the seductive sounds coming from Brazil. Early in the fad, jazz vocalist Jon Hendricks (the booming baritone of the Lambert, Hendricks & Ross trio) recorded this excellent tribute to bossa nova icon Joao Gilberto. In my opinion, it's one of the better records of its kind - Hendricks really "got" the bossa vibe and wasn't just adding the samba rhythm to what would otherwise be standard-issue jazz tunes. With the help of Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida, he translated or added lyrics to numerous tunes, singing in a robust, Joe Williamson-ish style with great ease and good cheer.