Jazz Anniversary: May 16-17, 1966 @ New Jersey RVG

May 16-17, 1966 “Summer Samba”
by Walter Wanderley, Joe Grimm, Bucky Pizzarelli, Urbie Green & Bobby Rosengarden at Rudy Van Gelder Studio Englewood Cliffs for Verve (Rain Forest)

Following the bossa nova boom in the United States in the 1960s, the fusion of jazz and bossa nova began to progress. This track is a U.S. recording by Brazilian organist Walter Wanderley of a song by Brazilian composer Marcos Valle. Recorded during the spring season in the Northern Hemisphere, “Summer Samba” has a pleasant, comfortable atmosphere perfect for sunbathing, with just the right amount of sunshine.

Wanderley, who is billed as “Brazil’s number one organist” on the album jacket, likely had the producer’s intentions clearly reflected in this work, which was arranged for the American market with a slightly more relaxed, jazz-influenced tempo and rhythm.

It is a melody I have heard somewhere before; it has a charming, nostalgic atmosphere that feels like it could have been played as background music during school lunch hours in the Showa era. It is bright, easy on the ears, and appeals to everyone. The overall tone is bright, making it a perfect piece for early spring.

I was once asked to select music for a close friend’s wedding party, and I used tracks from this album during the conversation time after the main events. It is an unforgettable memory how I felt satisfied watching it perfectly match the mood, naturally carrying over the warmth of the venue and enlivening the chatter just right.

However, if you listen closely, there is a world deeper than mere easy listening. This is likely because it is a recording combination of legendary producer Creed Taylor, who launched the CTI label the following year and pioneered crossover music that transcended genres, and the meticulous master engineer Rudy Van Gelder. In addition, with Val Valentin, who represented the Verve label, also listed as a recording engineer, the lineup is incredibly luxurious. Perhaps because of this, not only is the musical composition and performance quality excellent, but the recording itself is also superb.

Walter Wanderley’s albums include both Brazilian and American recordings. Comparing them, the former has a faster, samba-like tempo, while the latter is recorded with a more relaxed, jazz-oriented tempo. I suspect the sound production was based on dancing in Brazil and easy listening in the United States. Perhaps because of this background, the accompanists are a mix of Brazilians and Americans, and it seems to strike a perfect balance that is neither samba nor jazz, but rather the unique middle ground of bossa nova. As a result, it runs through from beginning to end with a pleasant, lightheartedness that never becomes tiresome, making it a masterpiece that one never tires of listening to, no matter how many times.

Wanderley’s style is distinct from the rich, black organist style I have introduced previously. It is interesting that his style—playing background-music-like chords quietly and modestly with his left hand for long stretches while playing a prominent melody with his right—differs from typical jazz playing. Since he aims for a light sound, there is no evidence of the Leslie speaker that is essential for jazz organ.

This song is a standard that became famous after being covered by Astrud Gilberto, the female vocalist who made a name for herself on Stan Getz’s bossa nova masterpiece “Getz/Gilberto” about two years before this album. Incidentally, that “Getz/Gilberto” album features the same combination of the Verve label, Creed Taylor, and Val Valentin. It might be interesting to listen to it while keeping in mind that the recording studio and recording engineer are different.

The album title, translated from Portuguese, means “Rain Forest,” and the album jacket was created by Acy Lehman, who worked on countless album jackets, including those for Verve. A famous example is the following masterpiece by Bill Evans. Including this work, there seems to be a characteristic way of using font styles. This combination of production staff can be said to be one of the classic forms of Verve.

And on the back of this album, there is a tracklist and liner notes with elegant comments and a signature; at first glance, it is hard to tell, but this is by the great male jazz vocalist Tony Bennett.

He pays the highest compliment, saying, “If you like Ella, Ellington, Basie, and Sinatra, you will also like Walter Wanderley’s music.”

If you are interested in the collaboration between Wanderley and Astrud Gilberto on this song, please check this out as well. It is composed mainly of Brazilian musicians, and the rhythm is even lighter. As popular music, it feels like something playing in a lounge or by a pool. Since it is an album recorded four months later with the same production team and recording studio as today’s featured song, there is a way to enjoy it from that perspective. It is also a surprising discovery that Rudy Van Gelder, who has a strong image of being a serious, hard-core engineer, worked on such a pop album. Even though the music is different, he likely recorded it with his usual serious, meticulous approach, without cutting any corners.

Finally, for those who still prefer a gritty organ sound, please check this out. It also touches on the history of the Hammond organ.

Have a wonderful day with the rhythm of bossa nova.