Stan Getz & Luiz Bonfá - Jazz Samba Encore!

Jazz Samba Encore! pairs Stan Getz's velvet tenor saxophone with Luiz Bonfá's graceful guitar, pressed here on 180-gram vinyl, for one of the loveliest chapters of the bossa nova boom.

Released by Verve in 1963 and produced by Creed Taylor, the album followed Getz's breakthrough Jazz Samba and brought him closer to the Brazilian source, alongside two of the musicians who helped shape the style. Bonfá, already celebrated for his music in Black Orpheus, wrote much of the material, Antônio Carlos Jobim sits in on guitar and piano for several tracks, and Maria Toledo's warm vocals add a gentle, intimate glow.

"Sambalero" opens with a sway that feels like a sea breeze, and Jobim's "Só Danço Samba" skips along with effortless rhythm. "Insensatez", with Jobim at the piano, turns quietly heartbreaking, while "Um Abraço No Getz", Bonfá's tribute to his partner, shows off the easy warmth between the two players.

The interplay is the magic here, nylon-string guitar and saxophone trading phrases with the ease of an unhurried conversation between old friends. Nothing is rushed, and nothing is wasted, even on the longest tracks.

For anyone who has worn out Getz/Gilberto and wants to stay in that world a little longer, this is the perfect next step.