Astrud Gilberto, Walter Wanderley – A Certain Smile A Certain Sadness (G+/VG)

A Certain Smile A Certain Sadness is an LP by Astrud Gilberto, Walter Wanderley from 1966 released on the Verve Records label.

About this album

A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness is a graceful bossa nova set that showcases Astrud Gilberto’s airy vocal style alongside Walter Wanderley’s elegant organ work. Issued in 1966, it sits at the point where bossa nova was crossing into wider pop and jazz audiences, pairing Brazilian rhythm with a relaxed, cosmopolitan sheen. The album’s appeal lies in its poise and understatement: familiar standards and Brazilian material are reshaped into something quietly sophisticated, with Wanderley’s arrangements giving Gilberto’s voice plenty of space. It remains a fine example of how bossa nova could sound intimate, stylish and immediately accessible without losing its musical depth.

Genre: Pop & Rock