Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto – Getz and Gilberto

Acoustic Sounds Series reissues from Verve/Universal Music Enterprises!
Two monthly releases highlighting Verve's historic and best jazz records!
Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound from the original analog tapes
180-gram LPs pressed at Quality Record Pressings!
Stoughton Printing gatefold old-style tip-on jackets
Series supervised by Chad Kassem CEO of Acoustic Sounds

"The Acoustic Sounds LP under review isn't the first audiophile LP reissue. I have a 200-gram LP version of Getz/Gilberto from Mobile Fidelity. To me, there are subtle differences. Listening to 'The Girl from Ipanema,' I hear a slightly more focused, precise sound on the new Acoustic Sounds LP. The stereo separation is a bit extreme, as it was on the original: I would have changed that. Familiar though it is, and successful though it was, the music remains marvelous. It's wonderful to relive the heft and forthright mastery we hear on Getz's solos throughout." — Michael Ullman, The Arts Fuse, Sept. 24, 2020. Read the entire review here.

"Acoustic Sounds/Universal Music Group has released a vibrant 180-gram stereo vinyl of Getz/Gilberto. Engineered by George Marino (Sterling Sound) under the supervision of Acoustic Sounds founder Chad Kassem, this is a vibrant analog update of a jazz essential. … The overall mix of this remastered 180-gram vinyl is excellent. The stereo separation is precise, with double bass/percussion on one channel and guitar/piano on the other. Getz' distinctive tenor is centered, as are the vocals. … The pressing is superior with no hisses or pops." — 5 stars / Robbie Gerson, Audiophile Audition, Aug. 12, 2020. Read the entire review here.

Seeking to offer definitive audiophile grade versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded, Verve Label Group and Universal Music Enterprises' new audiophile Acoustic Sounds vinyl reissue series will launch July 31, 2020 with inaugural releases — the sensational collaborations, Stan Getz and João Gilberto's landmark Getz/Gilberto (1964) and the remarkable Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson (1959).

Utilizing the skills of the top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings, all titles will be mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality gatefold sleeves with tip-on jackets. The releases will be supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world's largest source for audiophile recordings.

The Acoustic Sounds series will feature two releases a month highlighting a different storied label spanning Verve/UMe's extraordinarily rich archive. To begin with, the series will largely focus on some of the most popular albums from the ‘50s and ‘60s in their unmatched catalog. The July releases will celebrate two of Verve's most beloved albums, the aforementioned Getz/Gilberto and Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson, and will be followed in August by John Coltrane's immortal Impulse! records, A Love Supreme (1964) and Ballads (1963). Two of Nina Simone's legendary Phillips albums I Put A Spell On You (1965) and Pastel Blues (1965) will come in September which will be succeeded in October by two from the EmArcy Records vault: Sarah Vaughan's self-titled 1954 album, the vocal great's sole collaboration with influential trumpeter Clifford Brown, who is also represented alongside pioneering drummer Max Roach on the hard bop classic, Study In Brown (1955). November will spotlight Decca Records with the iconic Peggy Lee's first album, Black Coffee (1956), and composer George Russell's important New York, N.Y. (1959) performed by an all-star orchestra that includes Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Art Farmer and Milt Hinton, among others. All titles and exact release dates are listed below. Additional titles will be announced as the series progresses.

"We are excited to launch our Acoustic Sounds series," said Bruce Resnikoff, President & CEO of UMe. "Verve and UMe have one of the richest jazz catalogs ever recorded and our goal is to give vinyl and music lovers the best possible versions of classic albums. The Acoustic Sounds series is designed to appeal to today's most discriminating fans, and those discovering this treasured legacy for the first time, looking for the very finest in both artistic content and audio quality."

"We're very honored to have Verve and UME partnering with us to create what we believe will be the highest quality reissues of some of the world's greatest jazz albums. Each step in our production process — from title selection to mastering, pressing and packaging — is designed to meet the highest standards, and we want everyone who hears these albums to feel the love and hard work we put into everything we do," Kassem said. "We've long had a great relationship with UME, pressing classic titles at our Quality Record Pressings from many of their highest-profile artists. We look forward to strengthening that partnership even further with these reissues from Verve, home of the world's largest jazz catalog."

Getz/Gilberto is not only a marvelous album, but one which had a profound influence upon the face of jazz and American popular music. This stunning 1964 collaboration between Stan Getz, one of the most popular and respected tenor saxophonists of the era, and the remarkable Brazilian guitarist João Gilberto, launched the bossa nova craze and the career of João's wife Astrud Gilberto with the hugely popular and iconic hit song, "The Girl from Ipanema (Garota de Ipanema)." Even more impactful, it introduced the famed Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim to the English-speaking musical world. In addition to playing piano on the album, Jobim also composed six of the eight compositions, including two of his most popular masterpieces, "Desafinado" and "Corcovado," along with the aforementioned "Garota de Ipanema."

While Getz had embraced the music of Brazil prior to this with two outstanding Verve albums — Jazz Samba and Big Band Bossa Nova — Getz/Gilberto, with multiple Grammy Awards and a permanent place on various Best Albums of All-time lists is the album that launched a revolution. Regardless of that, the collaborative blending of Getz's fluid, muscular virtuosity and João's impeccable acoustic guitar stylings and captivating vocals, Astrud's enchanting almost-whispered singing on two tracks, all backed by Jobim's minimalist subtlety on piano and the flawless support of Sebãstio Neto and Milton Banana on bass and drums, make this an utterly momentous musical experience regardless of its lofty place in musical history.

Now these albums and many more will be heard better than ever in the exciting new audiophile Acoustic Sounds series.