Steve Allen - Plays Bossa Nova Jazz (1963)

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and that 2008 is the best year yet!

This album by Steve Allen is starting off a new year of musical postings. It's called "Steve Allen Plays Bossa Nova Jazz" and is really cool! I do love bossa nova, although I was very small when it became the rage and don't remember ever listening to it until I became an adult. I've also wanted to learn to dance the bossa nova, but it wasn't offered at the various dance studios where I spent seven years learning ballroom dancing in the late 1980s and early 1990s. (If anyone out there knows of a video or something that teaches how to dance the bossa nova, please let me know!) Anyway, I really dig this album and it's perfect for cocktail parties or dinner parties. I posted another Steve Allen record last year (I love saying that when "last year" was only a few days ago), but I think I like this one better. You can read about the multi-talented Mr. Allen on Space Age Pop, where there's quite a detailed bio on him.

Here's the list of the other musicians that play on this album:

Donn Trenner, Leader
Bob Enevoldsen, Tenor Sax
Laurindo Almeida, Guitar
John Setar, Flute and Alto Sax
Herb Ellis, Guitar
Jules Bertaux, Bass
Bob Neel, Drums
Frank Rosolino and Jimmy Zito, Brazilian Rhythm instruments

Track listing for Steve Allen Plays Bossa Nova Jazz:

Side 1:
1. Dream
2. St. Louis Blues
3. This Could Be the Start of Something
4. Manhattan
5. The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else
6. Sweet Georgia Brown

Side 2:
1. Mah Mah Limbo
2. Time After Time
3. Impossible
4. Lovely to Look At
5. Imagination
6. Let's Fall in Love