My introduction to bossa nova, like that of most Americans, came through “The Girl from Ipanema,” which I heard not only on the radio as a boy but from a guitarist who had staked out a place under the IBM pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Even at that young age I felt in the music something cool, smooth, smart, sophisticated – all the things I hoped one day to be. As an adult I learned more about it, and traveled to Brazil, where I heard about the genius of Gilberto, and of course listened to other composers and genres. But of all the music in the world, bossa nova is the one that still speaks to me the strongest.
