The story behind puzzle No. 43
Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd · Jazz Samba · Verve · 1962
The title means out of tune, and the song pokes fun at anyone who calls bossa nova sloppy. It also helped bring bossa nova to American radio.
Stan Getz and guitarist Charlie Byrd recorded Desafinado on February 13, 1962, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, D.C., for their album Jazz Samba on Verve.
Jazz Samba went to number one on Billboard's pop album chart, and Desafinado reached number 15 on the Hot 100. Getz won a Grammy for Best Jazz Performance for it.
Antônio Carlos Jobim wrote the music and Newton Mendonça wrote the Portuguese lyrics in 1959. The word desafinado means off key or out of tune.
João Gilberto recorded it in Brazil in 1959. Jazz Samba introduced the song to a much wider audience in the United States.
The melody takes unexpected turns that can sound wrong at first, which is the joke of the title. Listen to how naturally Getz makes them sing.
The session used two drummers, Buddy Deppenschmidt and Bill Reichenbach, which helps give the rhythm its light, rolling feel.
Who's on it
Keep listening
Follow it with The Girl from Ipanema (puzzle No. 13), Getz's next bossa nova hit, and then João Gilberto's 1959 original.
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