"Só Danço Samba" (aka "Jazz 'n' Samba") is a

bossa nova Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovativ ...

song composed in 1962 by

Antônio Carlos Jobim Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim (25 January 1927 – 8 December 1994), also known as Tom Jobim (), was a Brazilian composer, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, arranger, and singer. Considered one of the great exponents of Brazilian mu ...

, with lyrics by

Vinicius de Moraes Marcus Vinícius da Cruz e Mello Moraes (19 October 1913 – 9 July 1980), better known as Vinícius de Moraes () and nicknamed O Poetinha ("The little poet"), was a Brazilian poet, diplomat, lyricist, essayist, musician, singer, and playwright ...

. English lyrics were later written by Norman Gimbel. On occasion, it has also been known as "Jazz Samba" and "I Only Dance Samba", an English translation of the original Portuguese title. In ''Bossa Nova: The Story of the Brazilian Music That Seduced the World'', author

Ruy Castro Ruy Castro (born 27 February 1948, in Caratinga) is a Brazilian author and journalist. In 1996 he was a co-winner of the Prêmio Jabuti. He is known for his writings concerning Bossa nova and for his biographies, profiling figures such as Garri ...

suggests that the song was part of a failed movement to invent a bossa nova dance. "Jobim, who had never danced in his life, had just finished writing 'Só danço samba' azz 'n' Sambawith Vinicius, but it was without much conviction. So much so, in fact, that on hearing 'Só danço samba' for the first time, João Gilberto asked him, 'What's this Tomzinho? A boogie-woogie?'"Castro, Ruy, ''Bossa nova: the story of the Brazilian music that seduced the world'', A Cappella Books, Chicago, IL, 2000. The song was first performed by João Gilberto and

Os Cariocas Os Cariocas are a Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fi ...

in August 1962 at the Au Bon Gourmet restaurant in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, at what Castro calls "the bossa nova show to end all bossa nova shows", as it featured Jobim, Gilberto, Vinícius de Moraes and Os Cariocas on stage together for the first and last time. A few months later, Gilberto and Os Cariocas performed the song again in the Italian film, ''Copacabana Palace'' (1962), in which they are briefly shown singing together. Elza Laranjeira released the first recording of "Só danço samba" in October 1962.

Recorded versions

* Elza Laranjeira – "Só Danço Samba" single (October 1962) * João Donato – ''A Bossa Muito Moderna'' (1963) *

Herb Ellis Mitchell Herbert Ellis (August 4, 1921 – March 28, 2010), known professionally as Herb Ellis, was an American jazz guitarist. During the 1950s, he was in a trio with pianist Oscar Peterson. Biography Born in Farmersville, Texas, and raised ...

Charlie Byrd Charlie Lee Byrd (September 16, 1925 – December 2, 1999) was an American jazz guitarist. Byrd was best known for his association with Brazilian music, especially bossa nova. In 1962, he collaborated with Stan Getz on the album '' Jazz Samba' ...

– ''Guitar/Guitar'' (1963) *

Stan Getz Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of ...

Luiz Bonfá Luiz Floriano Bonfá (17 October 1922 – 12 January 2001) was a Brazilian guitarist and composer. He was best known for the music he composed for the film ''Black Orpheus''. Biography Luiz Floriano Bonfá was born on October 17, 1922, in Ri ...

– ''

Jazz Samba Encore! ''Jazz Samba Encore!'' is a bossa nova album by Stan Getz and Luiz Bonfá, released on the Verve label. It is bossa nova in a slower groove. It contains a mix of Jobim standards as well as originals from Bonfá. Performers also include Antonio C ...

'' (1963) as "Só Danço Samba (I Only Dance Samba)" *

– ''

The Composer of Desafinado, Plays ''The Composer of Desafinado, Plays'' is the first album by Antônio Carlos Jobim. Released in 1963, the album features a dozen instrumentals arranged by Claus Ogerman, whose work would mark the beginning of a lifelong musical relationship with Jo ...

'' (1963) and '' Antonio Brasileiro'' (1994) * Roberto Menescal E Seu Conjunto – ''A Bossa Nova'' (1963) *

– ''A Bossa Dos Cariocas'' (1963) * Elza Soares – "Só Danço Samba" single (1963) * Tamba Trio – ''Avanço'' (1963) *

Walter Wanderley Walter Wanderley (born Walter Jose Wanderley Mendonça, May 12, 1932 – September 4, 1986) was a Brazilian organist and pianist, best known for his lounge music, lounge and bossa nova music and for his instrumental version of the song ''Summer ...

– ''Samba No Esquema De Walter Wanderley'' (1963) *

Clare Fischer Douglas Clare Fischer (October 22, 1928 – January 26, 2012) was an American keyboardist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. After graduating from Michigan State University (from which, five decades later, he would receive an honorary doctorate ...

– '' So Danço Samba'' (1964) *

& João Gilberto – '' Getz/Gilberto'' (1964) *

Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solo ...

– ''

Jazz 'n' Samba ''Jazz 'n' Samba'' is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Milt Jackson featuring performances recorded in 1964 for the Impulse! label.

'' (1964) *

– ''Brazilian Byrd'' (1965) and ''My Inspiration: Music of Brazil'' (1999) * The Sergio Mendes Trio – ''

The Swinger from Rio ''The Swinger from Rio'' is a 1966 album by Sérgio Mendes. Recorded over three days in December 1964 for the Atlantic label, it features guest artists Phil Woods, Art Farmer, and Hubert Laws, plus Antônio Carlos Jobim on rhythm guitar. It h ...

'' (1965) with

, Hubert Laws,

Art Farmer Arthur Stewart Farmer (August 21, 1928 – October 4, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet–flugelhorn combination especially designed for him. He and his identical twin brother, double ...

& Phil Woods * Wanda De Sah (Wanda Sá) - ''Softly!'' (1965) *

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

– ''

The Stockholm Concert, 1966 ''The Stockholm Concert, 1966'' is a 1966 (see 1966 in music) live album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied in part by the Duke Ellington Orchestra. The recording remained unreleased until 1984. It is notable as the last ...

'' (rec. 1966, released 1984) and ''

Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur ''Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur'' is a 1967 live album by Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by the big band of Duke Ellington. It was recorded live at the Jazz à Juan festival at Juan-les-Pins, on the French Riviera, between June 26 and July 29 ...

'' (1967) *

Dick Hyman Richard Hyman (born March 8, 1927) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Over a 70-year career, he has worked as a pianist, organist, arranger, music director, electronic musician, and composer. He was named a National Endowment for the Art ...

– ''Brasilian Impressions'' (1967) *

Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 Sergio may refer to: * Sergio (given name), for people with the given name Sergio * Sergio (carbonado), the largest rough diamond ever found * ''Sergio'' (album), a 1994 album by Sergio Blass * ''Sergio'' (2009 film), a documentary film * ''Se ...

– '' Equinox'' (1967) * Helen Merrill – ''Bossa Nova in Tokyo'' (1967) *

Baden Powell Baden-Powell () is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Baden-Powell * The Rev. Prof. Baden Powell (mathematician) (1796–1860), mathematician, clergyman and liberal theologian. By his first marriage father of: :* Baden Henry Powell ...

– ''Live in Hamburg'' (rec. 1983, released 1995) *

Karrin Allyson Karrin Allyson (pronounced ''KAR-in''; born Karrin Allyson Schoonover on July 27, 1963) is an American jazz vocalist. She has been nominated for five Grammy Awards and has received positive reviews from several prominent sources, including the ' ...

– ''

Daydream Daydreaming is the stream of consciousness that detaches from current, external tasks when attention drifts to a more personal and internal direction. This phenomenon is common in people's daily life shown by a large-scale study in which partici ...

'' (1997) * Eliane Elias – ''

Eliane Elias Sings Jobim ''Eliane Elias Sings Jobim'' is the thirteenth studio album by Brazilian jazz artist Eliane Elias. It was released on July 28, 1998 via Blue Note label. This is her second album solely dedicated to the works of Antônio Carlos Jobim after '' Elia ...

'' (1998) * Rosa Passos – ''Curare'' (1991) and ''Me and My Heart'' (2001) * Yo-Yo Ma – ''Obrigado Brazil Live In Concert '' (2004) * John Pizzarelli – ''

Bossa Nova Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovativ ...

'' (2004) *

Jacintha Jacintha Abisheganaden (born 3 October 1957), known professionally as Jacintha, is a Singaporean singer, actress, and theater practitioner who studied at the National University of Singapore and received a degree in arts, majoring in English l ...

– ''The Girl from Bossa Nova'' (2004) * Emilie-Claire Barlow – ''

Like a Lover ''Like a Lover'' is an album by Canadian jazz singer Emilie-Claire Barlow. It was released by her label, Empress Music Group, in 2005. Track listing Personnel * Emilie-Claire Barlow – vocal, piano, percussion * Guido Basso – flugelhorn * J ...

'' (2005) *

Vanessa da Mata Vanessa Sigiane da Mata Ferreira (born February 10, 1976), professionally known as Vanessa da Mata, is a Latin Grammy Award-winning Brazilian MPB singer, songwriter, and novelist. She has released four studio albums and the songs "Ai, Ai, Ai" ...

– ''Vanessa da Mata canta Tom Jobim'' (2013) * Vinicius Cantuária – ''Vinícius canta Antonio Carlos Jobim'' (2015) *

Caroll Vanwelden Caroll is a name, a variant of Carol, Carrol, or Carroll. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Caroll Spinney (1933–2019), American puppeteer and cartoonist Middle name *DeRosey Caroll Cabell (1861 – 1924), American general ...

– ''Portraits of Brazil'' (2016) * Martini Kings – ''Palm Springs Serenade'' (2019)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:So Danco Samba (song) Songs with music by Antônio Carlos Jobim Songs with lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes 1962 songs Bossa nova songs Brazilian songs Songs about music