Samba Esquema Novo

You don't need to be a bossa nova expert to love Jorge Ben's seductive, suave, and oft-covered "Mas, Que Nada!," the opening track of his 1963 debut. The album also features early signature tunes like the giddy "Tim Dom Dom," with its vocal imitations of a guitar, and the gentle samba "Chove Chuva." The breezy, modernist big-band arrangements here offset the intimate tone of his singing and strumming. Jorge Ben got funkier and more eclectic in years to come, but he never sounded sweeter than this.