7 Antonio Carlos Jobim 7

Antonio Carlos Jobim

(b. Jan. 25, 1927, Rio de Janeiro, Braz.—d. Dec. 8, 1994, New York,

N.Y., U.S.)

B

razilian songwriter, composer, and arranger Antonio

Carlos Jobim transformed the extroverted rhythms

of the Brazilian samba into an intimate music, the bossa

nova (“new wrinkle” or “new wave”), which became inter-

nationally popular in the 1960s.

“Tom” Jobim—as he was popularly known—first began

playing piano when he was 14 years old, on an instrument

given to his sister by their stepfather. He quickly showed

an aptitude for music, and his stepfather sent him to a

series of highly accomplished classically trained musicians

for lessons. During the course of his studies, Jobim was

particularly inspired by the music of Brazilian composer

Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959), whose Western classical

works regularly employed Brazilian melodic and rhythmic

materials. When it came time to choose a career, Jobim

initially showed no interest in pursuing music professionally,

opting instead to become an architect. He soon became

disenchanted with the choice, however, and left the field

to devote himself fully to music.

Jobim subsequently performed in the clubs of Rio de

Janeiro, transcribed songs for composers who could not

write music, and arranged music for various recording

artists before becoming music director of Odeon Records,

one of the largest record companies in Brazil. In 1958 he

began collaborating with singer-guitarist João Gilberto,

whose recording of Jobim’s song “Chega de Saudade” (1958;

“No More Blues”) is widely recognized as the first bossa

nova single. Although the song itself met a cold reception,

the bossa nova album that bears its name—Chega de

Saudade (1959)—took Brazil by storm the following year.

Also in 1959, Jobim and composer Luís Bonfá became