"THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA" STAN GETZ & JOAO GILBERTO (1964)

The moment a song is born, the world is different. It’s now a part of our lives. We sing it in the shower. We dance to it at our wedding. We get pumped with it. We break up to it. We memorize it. We try to forget it. We rediscover it. This month, I’m joining Arron Wright’s Twitter music challenge: ##Popiversary2. Because why the hell not. Songs deserve their own anniversaries, too.

Year: 1964

Gilberto and Getz hail from two different worlds, but come together as one on this classic recording. In one instance, I can listen to “The Girl From Ipanema” and feel like I’m transported to a hot summer night in Rio. In another, I’m transported to a cold, wintry night in Manhattan. Either way, the song does carry with it that certain carefree mood – somehow that love is all that matters. And maybe everything will be alright.

This bossa nova staple reminds me of fond old memories – my first year in NYC. At the same time, it gets me to slow down a few RPMs and look to better days ahead.“The Girl From Ipanema” is a plea to not take things so seriously, including itself. Don’t over-analyze it. Don’t over-critique it. Just go with the flow. Enjoy it. Even if a part of you thinks it’s the cheesiest thing in the world. It is what it is, and often it’s just perfect for the moment.

“The girl from Ipanema goes walking And when she passes, Each one she passes goes, ‘Ah’.”

"CORCOVADO" GETZ/GILBERTO/GILBERTO/JOBIM

For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs

I was first introduced to Getz/Gilberto and the iconic “The Girl From Ipanema” from an old girlfriend. I was a recent college grad living in New York City. Life was moving so fast. But that Bossa Nova record helped slow things down a little for me. It helped me to see the old beauty of New York – to appreciate all the landmarks, personas and stories that helped shape it. During that time I was listening to a lot of Euro dance variations like the Daft Punk world of French house. It was the soundtrack of the clubs my crew frequented. So, listening to Getz/Gilberto in my old girlfriend’s upper westside prewar apartment was a welcome reprieve. Everyone knows “The Girl From Ipanema”, but the record has many other gems, including “Corcovado”.

“Corcovado” is a beautiful mesh of two worlds. Written by Antonio Carlos Jobim, it has been rearranged and recorded by several dozen artists from all kinds of genres. On this version, Stan Getz’s smooth sax adds a smoky jazz room feel to the Bossa Nova bed from Jobim’s piano and Joao Gilberto’s acoustic guitar. Gilberto’s wife Astrud joins him on vocals that are as majestic as the quiet nights and stars that are paid homage to in the lyrics. “Corcovado” is a beautiful love song that intermingles various cultures and genres to establish an unforgettable mood.

“Da janela vê-se o Corcovado. O Redentor que lindo.”

"THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA" STAN GETZ & JOAO GILBERTO (1964)

Gilberto and Getz are from two different worlds, but come together as one on this classic recording. In one instance, I can listen to “The Girl From Ipanema” and feel like I’m transported to a hot summer night in Rio de Janeiro. In another, I’m transported to a cold, wintry night in Manhattan. I have no idea who the girl from Ipanema is. Nor do I care. This bossa nova staple reminds me of fond old memories just as much as it gets me to look to better days ahead.

“The girl from Ipanema goes walking. And when she passes, each one she passes goes - ahh.”