1. Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto/Astrud Gilberto/Antonio Carlos Jobim: Getz/Gilberto Though Getz had covered this territory before with Charlie Byrd and Luis Bonfa (see #2), this was the one that finally broke through in a big way, spending 96 weeks on the charts and winning four Grammys. Though Getz made a fortune from the recording, Joao Gilberto got a year's salary and Astrud made union scale for the session on which she sang "Girl From Ipanema". Not long after, the Gilbertos were seperated and Astrud was touring the U.S. with Getz. That kind of makes this album the Rumours of the jazz world!

2. Stan Getz/Luis Bonfa: Jazz Samba Encore! This disc is like the warmup for Getz/Gilberto, but it's hardly inferior in any way. Getz is playing beautiful and intimately. Bonfa's writing is less pop-oriented than that of Tom Jobim, and more mesmerizing. Singer Maria Toledo adds much to this records, her vocals beautiful and ethereal.

3. Elian Elias: Plays Jobim Brazilian beauty Elias is an excellent pianist, and she does a fine job of interpreting Jobim's work here, lending a more jazz-inflected edge than you'll usually hear from those playing bossa or samba. Great trio work with bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette.

4. Charlie Byrd: Brazilian Byrd Jazz guitarist Byrd was among the first to encounter the bossa beat and he was forever influenced by it. This 1965 recording is heavy on the work of Jobim, with string and horn arrangements that complement Byrd's graceful playing. This is one of those albums that just gets better the more you hear it, with Byrd unfolding the melodies of each song like the petals of a flower.

5. Karrin Allyson: From Paris to Rio Ok, this album is split between French songs by the likes of Jacques Brel and Brazilian classics by Caetano Veloso and Jobim, but that doesn't detract from the overall mood one bit. You'll be amazed by Allyson's renditions of classic Brazilian numbers such as "O Pato", "Samba Saravah", "O Barquinto", and more. Provides another clear demonstration of why Allyson is one of our best jazz singers.

6. Elis Regina/Antonio Carlos Jobim: Elis & Tom Elis Regina is definitely one of bossa's best vocalists, offering a relaxed, sensual style that shames a lot of singers who try this material and sound stiff by comparison. Includes great readings of "Waters of March", "Triste", "Photograph" and many others.

7. Bebel Gilberto: Tanto Tempo The modern face of Brazilian boss-influenced music, with the daughter of Joao Gilberto offering her take on the sounds of her native land. Working with mixmasters Suba and Theivery Corporation, she manages to update the sound in all the right places without disrupting the delicate interplay of rhythm and melody.

8. Joao Gilberto: Joao Gilberto Joao is the voice of bossa as surely as Jobim was its greatest composer. Since his debut recordings in 1958, he has held listeners under his spell with a voice so quiet and intimate that at first recording companies had no idea what to do with it. This disc is about as good as it gets--though you'll hardly go wrong with any of his recordings.

9. Antonio Carlos Jobim: The Man From Ipanema This 3-disc set offers as complete a picture of Jobim as you can get from a survey of his music. Disc one contains vocal versions, disc two instrumentals, and disc three puts several versions of his more famous tunes back to back for easy comparison. If you aren't in the market for a box set, you'll enjoy Jobim's two classic Creed Taylor-produced instrumental albums, Wave and Tide.

10. Cannonball Adderley/Bossa Rio Sextet: Cannonball's Bossa Nova A really cool bossa album, with Cannonball blowing in his breezy, free-flowing style as only he can. The backing band, led by pianist Sergio Mendes, ended up in the studio with Adderley after making a pilgrimage to see him play at Birdland one evening. The results are a splendid mix--not entirely Cannonball and not entirely bossa, but something new and delicious.