Call me obsessive-compulsive if you will but I just can't get enough of great music. And without a doubt, I must say Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Tide" and "Wave" albums are true masterpieces.

In listening to the vinyl and CD versions of "Wave", there is little, if any, discernable difference in audio quality. The CD version is every bit as good as the vinyl version; either way, listening to this album is a real treat.

Side one is my favorite as all the tunes are smooth and soothing to the soul. The title track, "The Red Blouse" and "Look to the Sky" are among my favorites. Then again, side two has some real gems like "Mojave" and "Lamento".

Anyone who loves jazz, easy listening, Bossa Nova or just good music, will enjoy this album. Get it while you can and while you're at it, pick up a copy of "Tide" too. You won't regret it!


Silken Sunset Bossa Nova   April 16, 2002
 33 out of 33 found this review helpful

The best recommendation for this CD can be told in the fact that, while on a long car trip, I packed a nice selection of CDs to listen to, but this was the one that played during the entire journey! Creed Taylor, who produced this disc, was a producer of jazz for Verve in the 60s, and his name is synonymous with excellence in jazz. In the late 60s, early 70s, CTI, his label, came to be, and he also gave A&M Records his name in releasing some exquisite jazz discs. This disc is gorgeous, and certainly bears the stamp of never getting boring. And, Creed Taylor issued about 10 discs for A&M that, like this one, have exotic, spectacular covers (photographs), which once were available for framing. But I can only say, with some authority, that if you are looking for a disc for dinner music, to set a romantic evening, or for a cool getway journey by car, you can't go wrong with "Wave". It has a sequel, "Tide", equally beautiful, but "Wave" is better.
Madge Bruner Hazen


perfection   September 2, 2006
 19 out of 19 found this review helpful

This is Jobim's finest album, although Stone Flower and Tide are certainly worth checking out. The songwriting on this album is sublime, the arrangements are brilliant and the execution is flawless. The melodies are minimal, yet strikingly elegant: they are small but very effective, impressionistic tone poems, each exquisite in its own right.

There doesn't seem to be a single misplaced or extraneous note on this entire album--it is as close to perfection as anything I've heard. Wave is really a beautifully crafted album in every detail. I can't praise this album enough. Listen to this.


A Wonderful Introduction to Bossa Nova and Jobim   October 3, 2005
 14 out of 15 found this review helpful

Although bossa nova was already known to the world with albums like Jazz Samba and Getz/Gilberto, this album (recorded in 1967 at Rudy Van Gelder's studio) helped establish Antonio Carlos Jobim himself as a known name. While Jazz Samba and Getz/Gilberto approach bossa nova with a smaller group, Wave has more of an emphasis on orchestration of stringed instruments, which is arranged beautifully by Claus Ogerman. However, instruments such as piano, bass, drums, and other percussion are still present.

Wave features instrumental versions of 10 Jobim originals, and each one is saturated with Brazilian bossa nova rhythms. Most of the songs on here are not jazz standards like "Girl From Ipanema" is. In fact, the only songs I would say are jazz standards are "Triste," "Wave" and maybe "Look to the Sky." So, this stands as a great introduction to the music of Jobim. It ao serves quite well as an introduction to bossa nova, as this was the first bossa nova album I ever listened to. I have been hooked on the genre ever since.

I would recommend this album to anyone wanting to investigate bossa nova because you'll get to hear some very famous songs with a very authentic bossa nova sound. But, you also get to hear very obscure Jobim songs such as "Captain Bacardi," "Mojave," "Dialogo," and "Antigua." I believe the obscure songs are more of a standout than the standards because they really translate the instrumental bossa nova sound wonderfully. I think if you want to know the genre better, then this is one of the first albums you should get.