Why this tune?
This week’s tune, “Wave”, is one of the most popular bossa nova tunes written by the
Brazilian bossa master Antônio Carlos Jobim. Stan Getz is credited with kicking off a
bossa nova craze in 1963 with his Grammy-winning album Getz/Gilberto. Getz, singer Astrud GIlberto, and Jobim created the bossa nova sound that has influenced generations of musicians since then, making “Wave” and other Jobim bossas into jazz standards. You’re likely to hear at least one Jobim tune in any jam session.
Like other compositions by Jobim, this one is fun to play, with a beautiful melody and complex, unexpected harmonic motion. Jobim wrote lyrics in English and Portuguese for his song, making it as popular with vocalists as it is for instrumentalists.
For my version, I played through the song twice at a slower tempo, trying to get a decent bossa rhythmic feel.
Tunes On Tuesday Reel
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Complete track
Jobim plays Jobim
Nancy Wilson
Oren Levine, jazz pianist and songwriter 