Welcome to Week 8 of The Definitive Version, a new weekly feature of my website. You can read more about the project here.
Song: “The Girl From Ipanema” (Garota de Ipanema)
Composer: Antonio Carlos Jobim
Lyricist: Vinicius de Moraes (Portuguese)/Norman Gimbel (English)
Form: A A B A
Standard Key: F Major
It’s probably Jobim’s best known song: The Girl From Ipanema was iconic enough for Stephen Sondheim to write a parody song (“The Boy From…“). The song follows a straightforward AABA form, with the A section basically functioning as one long ii-V-I. The compositional interest comes in large part from the frequent ninths and sevenths that the melody hits over the chords, avoiding the more consonant roots, thirds, or fifths. The bridge has more interesting chord changes and melody as well (this isn’t unusual for Jobim – consider the bridge of “One Note Samba”). The song has become the cliché Brazilian sample, used in numerous films and tv shows as elevator music. Nevertheless, the song is iconic, beautiful, and sings well.
Definitive Version: João Gilberto/Astrud Gilberto (1964) on Getz/Gilberto
Form: Chorus (P) | Chorus (E) | Solos | Chorus (E)
Feel: Bossa Nova
Key: D-flat Major
Instrumentation: Rhythm section + guitar/Stan Getz
This is another example where the iconic first recording is also the definitive version. Each performance of the tune (Portuguese and English) is a perfect reflection of what the song should be about. I am particularly struck by João Gilberto’s subtle phrasing and relaxed delivery. I might not know what the words mean, but his delivery tells me plenty about the song. Of course Stan Getz’s solo is iconic as well. This interpretation certainly cemented much of what bossa nova means like, in the jazz vernacular, and remains the recording one should look to in interpreting this song.
Also Recommended:
- Frank Sinatra (1967, from Sinatra/Jobim) – in collaboration with the songwriter, a lush rendition with strings. Sinatra’s phrasing tends to be a little too ring-a-ding for a bossa, but it works well here.
- Ella Fitzgerald (1981, from Ella Abraca Jobim) – An electrified version, complete with Ella scatting.
- Jobim & de Moraes (1962, live) – for me, this live performance from the authors helps visualize the song as a pop song as much as a jazz one.
- Sarah Vaughan (1965 from Viva Vaughan) – I love the way that Sarah assumes that you’ve already got the melody, and takes off right from the start.