In Brazil 50 years ago, “bossa nova” was a barely known term. But in 1963 Jazz Samba, the milestone recording by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd, it became a worldwide catch phrase.
In popularizing the seductive, syncopated “bossa” rhythm, it became the only jazz album in history to reach No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart in March 1963. It ranks as one of the biggest-selling jazz albums of all time and brought Brazilian composers such as Antonio Carlos Jobim to worldwide fame.
Washington D.C.-area world jazz quartet Veronneau celebrate the 50th anniversary with their Jazz Samba Project CD release. Veronneau’s CD features classic samba and bossa nova, plus new bossa nova arrangements of contemporary songs.
Veronneau’s CD was launched with a concert at All Souls Unitarian Church, Washington, D.C., where the original Jazz Samba album was recorded. The colorful history of the original recording has been recounted in published articles written by Veronneau guitarist Ken Avis.
Jazz Samba Project charted its first week out, rose to the top ten in the national jazz charts and regionally in 25 North American cities and earned high praise from critics. Latin Jazz Network said, “You can feel the high level of creative interpretation,” Critical Jazz gave the album five stars and hailed Lynn Veronneau as “the sexy black dress of jazz vocals.” Veronneau’s 2011 album Joie de Vivre – Joy of Living met with similar success.
Veronneau, this month, received 3 Wammie Awards from the Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) – Best Jazz Group, Best Jazz Vocal, and Best Jazz Recording for Jazz Samba Project. The album is to be launched this Spring in the UK. Getz/Byrd’s Jazz Samba also invaded the Top 20 in the UK in 1963.
Read more: AllAboutJazz
