One of the coolest guys to ever have walked the face of the planet, guitarist and vocalist Joao Gilberto sauntered into international celebrity during the late 1950s, whispering his lyrics and slowing the samba down to match his unique style of syncopated acoustic guitar. Above all, Joao Gilberto was cool, embodying an ultrasuave hipness which put to shame all the U.S. beatniks and jazz cats of the time. When Joao met up with songwriter Antonio Carlos Jobim, they recorded the song "Chega de Saudade," and bossa nova was born. Within the first few years of his recording career, Gilberto became a household word, especially after jazz saxophonist Stan Getz adopted bossa nova as his signature sound, and recorded with Joao and his wife Astrud Gilberto. These albums created a huge craze for bossa nova-flavored jazz.

Gilberto is one of the guiding lights of Brazilian pop, idolized over the years by generations of other artists such as Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. Over the years, he has remained one of the most unusually consistent of the Brazilian superstars. Seldom do his records suffer; more often than not, they simply soar.

"Chega de Saudade" (Odeon Brasil, 1959)
Gilberto's first record, and the first bossa nova album. This was made only after Antonio Carlos Jobim browbeat the Odeon execs into giving his pal some studio time. Jobim had been writing songs with poet Vinicius de Moraes, but it wasn't until they met the acoustic guitarist Gilberto, with his radically minimalist delivery, that everything clicked into place. The title track -- written by Jobim -- became an international smash, along with songs such as "Desafinado" and "Girl From Ipanema," which were recorded by U.S. jazz stars Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd. Joao Gilberto's original acoustic versions are completely captivating... like magic. This album, along with his next two on Odeon, have been re-released on a single CD on the World Pacific label.

"O Amor, O Sorriso e A Flor" (Odeon Brasil, 1960)
More fabulous early bossa nova; also included on the "O Mito/Legendary Joao Gilberto" CD reissue.

"Joao Gilberto" (Odeon Brasil, 1961)
More fabulous early bossa nova; also included on the "O Mito/Legendary Joao Gilberto" CD reissue.

"Brazil's Brilliant Joao Gilberto" (Capitol, 1961)

"Boss of the Bossa Nova" (Atlantic, 1962)
American edition of the 1961 Odeon album, "Joao Gilberto."

"The Warm World of Joao Gilberto" (Atlantic, 1963)

Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto/Astrud Gilberto "Getz/Gilberto" (Verve, 1963)
THE classic jazz-bossa nova crossover album, against which all others are measured. Almost shockingly intimate, with every tremble of the saxophone reed intact, this 1963 collaboration with Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto contains complete take of the #1 hit, "The Girl from Ipanema," which is the version most folks in the States are familiar with, and which helped make Astrud Gilberto a household name in America. Her hubby Joao's guitar work and whispery vocals are the ultimate in melodic cool. Tom Jobim plays piano, in one of his sweetest performances, and percussion by Milton Banana is a study in economy. There are zillions of pressings and reissues of this album; the latest CD version, from 1997, features 20-bit mastering and sounds pretty damn nice.

"Herbie Mann & Joao Gilberto" (Atlantic, 1965)
A bit misleading: this is actually a repackaging of previously released stuff, along with some tracks by Herbie Mann, accompanied by Jobim and Baden Powell. Mann and Gilberto don't actually collaborate on this album.

"Getz/Gilberto v. 2" (Verve, 1966)
The live version of the Getz-Gilberto magic, recorded October 9, 1964 at Carnegie Hall. The magic is there, although the studio album is better.

"Joao Gilberto en Mexico" (Orfeon, 1970) (Issued in Brasil as Joao Gilberto and later as En Mexico by Polygram, in 1974)
A predictably smooth, low-key album, with a faint pop gloss. Features a bossa nova-ed version of Irving Berlin's "Trolley Song," which is as absurd as it is amusing. Joao also tackles "Besame Mucho", which he would reprise on his 1977 Amoroso album. This is not as haunting an album as 1973's "Joao Gilberto", but still quite nice.

"Joao Gilberto" (Polydor Brasil, 1973)
A hauntingly quiet, beautiful, and -- dare I say it? -- ethereal album. One of the best Brazilian records ever recorded. Sparse and gentle, graceful beyond the reach of practically any other musician alive, this includes revamped acoustic takes on several bossa oldies, along with newer material such as his lullaby for his young daughter, Bebel. Next to his debut albums of the 1950s, this is probably the best work Gilberto ever did -- and that's saying a lot! HIGHLY recommended!

Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto "Best of Two Worlds" (Columbia, 1976)
Standard-issue light jazz, combined with Gilberto's stunning soulfulness. Joao's second wife, vocalist Miucha, sings on a couple of tracks, and her contributions are -- frankly -- negligible. Getz, too, isn't exactly electrifying. But when Gilberto sings and plays guitar, this album lights up. Worth checking out.

"Amoroso" (Warner/WEA Brasil, 1977)
A lovely, dreamy, bossa nova album, with mellow, understated strings by jazz arranger Claus Ogerman. Solid, unobtrusive multi-track production gives this the weight of state-of-the-art 70's pop, but never to the detriment of Gilberto's gentle approach. Ogerman's arrangements are less challenging here than on his earlier, moodier albums with Jobim; they accentuate rather than dominate the tunes, and though this is undeniably cheesy, it's also great. Just the thing to have on during a lazy afternoon at home.

"Gilberto and Jobim" (1977, USA)
Collection of previously released material from old albums by these two bossa pioneers.

"Joao Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira" (WEA Brasil, 1980) (CD reissue: 1998)
A gorgeous live performance from 1980. Mainly a solo acoustic concert, though several tracks have eerie string arrangements, each by a different arranger (Dori Caymmi, Joao Donato, Gaya, and Guto Graca Mello...) Joao is at his most hushed and evocative, and while the songs are mainly standards, they all sound fresh and new. One of Gilberto's guest vocalists is his (very young) daughter Bebel; Rita Lee also contributes a very restrained, lovely harmony on a version of "Jou Jou Balangandas". The 1998 CD reissue includes several extra tracks.

"Brasil" (Warner, 1981)
MPB luminaries Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Maria Bethania pitch in on this rapturously reserved bossa nova album, which marked Gilberto's return to Brazil after several years abroad. Very listenable and highly recommended. It's much to his credit that Gilberto was able to calm these tropicalia stars down and get such fine, understated performances out of them at a time when MPB in general was becoming overwrought and either cheesily or frantically overproduced.

"Amososo/Brasil" (1985, Brasil)
Great praise and adulation to whoever thought of releasing these two gentle masterpieces together on one CD. Lovely stuff -- and such a bargain!

"Interpreta Tom Jobim" (1985)
Contains previously released material.

"Meditacao" (EMI Brasil, 1985)
More previously released material.

"Joao Gilberto Live in Montreux" (WEA Brasil, 1986)
Double CD recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, July 18, 1985. A hushed, stately performance.

"Joao Gilberto Live in Montreux" (Elektra, 1987)
The American edition of the same concert as above, but with only one disc and half the material. Still quite nice.

"Joao" (Polydor, 1991)
Gilberto's innate classiness is sometimes at odds with the ornate modern production of this poppy album. Though an elegant, low-key set, this album drifts into rather cheesy territory. Worth checking out, but one of his few questionable albums.

"Ao Vivo - Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar" (Epic Brasil, 1994) (Sony, 1995)
Live album, recorded April, 1994, at the Palace Theatre in Sao Paulo. Gilberto plays solo acoustic, drifting through stripped-down versions of familiar hits and soft ballads. This disc is dreamy, though monochromatic -- its main liability is the sound editing: overly quick applause fades and unreasonably seamless segues undercut the spell Gilberto weaves as a performer, in unnecessary hope of creating an illusion of slick perfection. His playing should be enough, and the cut and splice act is a distraction. Nice record, though.

"Joao Voz e Violao" (Mercury, 1999/Verve, 2000)
Another gorgeous acoustic album, featuring some new material along with many revisited classics and favorites. Yeah, sure, there's not a lot new going on here, but when you're dealing with absolute perfection, what more could you want... really? As ever, Gilberto is a transcendant performer -- calm, unhurried, happy, playful. I rushed out to get this record, and if you do as well, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

"O Mito" (EMI Brasil, 1988)
The Brazilian version of a disc collecting Gilberto's first three Odeon albums ("Chega de Saudade," "O Amor, O Sorriso e A Flor," and "Joao Gilberto.") Rapture. Greatness. Beauty. Grooviness. They don't call him "the Myth" for nothing.

"The Legendary Joao Gilberto" (Capitol/World Pacific, 1990)
GOOD LORD! Why is this CD out of print?? The domestic U.S. version of the incredible O Mito retrospective, this single CD collection is just plain stunning. It's unfathomable why Capitol has allowed this to lapse out of print, but if you want to check out Joao Gilberto, this disc is the place to start.

"38 Titres De Bossa Nova" (EMI/World Pacific-France, 1993)
Although the cover art is truly butt-ugly, this French version of the fab O Mito album is the one to shoot for -- at least until the licensing problems that are keeping Capitol from re-releasing this collection stateside. I've had a few readers tell me they've looked into it, and this is currently the only version still in print.

"Personalidade" (Polygram Brasil, 1990)
A standard-issue best-of, which certainly won't disappoint, but may pale in comparison to other, more thoughtfully lavish, releases.

Bebel Gilberto "Tanto Tempo" (Six Degrees, 2000)
A major innovator of the integration of classic Brazilian pop and modern electronica, Joao's daughter Bebel makes a worthy heiress to the bossa nova throne. It's clear that she has inherited a great deal of her father's musical grace and calm self-assurance. She has a velvety voice that is ably complimented by the languorous, subtly high-tech arrangements of electronica producers such as Amon Tobin, Smoke City, and the late Brazilian mixmaster, Suba. There are a few misfires, including the closing tracks which have a dated jazz-fusion feel reminiscent of the bland mid-'70s pop efforts of Gal Costa and Flora Purim, but these are minor faults in a richly-textured, luxuriant album that is true to classic Brazilian form yet also strikingly innovative. The sparse acoustic arrangements are skillfully augmented by tapes loops and sequenced bleeps and bloops that modernize the music while retaining its original, unhurried, haunting grace.

• Laura Pelner McCarthy's super-ultra complete discography includes all of Gilberto's singles, compilation tracks, and information such as catalog numbers and alternate releases. A completist's dream!

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