Brazilian songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, and pianist/guitarist Antonio Carlos Jobim (1927-1994), known in Brazil as Tom Jobim, was a primary force behind the creation of the bossa nova style. Moreover, his songs (most of which had lyrics by poet, diplomat and bohemian Vinícius de Moraes) have become true classics and have transcended the genre, as they continue to be played and recorded by countless singers and instrumentalists within Brazil and throughout the world.

Jobim himself did not know how many songs he composed, but estimated that there were over 300 of them. His biographers, however, pushed the fi gure closer to 400. This release contains a representative collection of Jobim’s songs in classic versions performed by some of the most remarkable bossa nova artists, and in many cases presenting Jobim himself as accompanist, conductor or arranger.