Antonio Carlos Jobim

Brazil, 1953–1994

Brazilian composer (1927-1994), the songwriter of bossa nova. Trained on Debussy, Ravel and Villa-Lobos, he set lush chromatic harmony to samba rhythm in 'Garota de Ipanema', 'Desafinado' and 'Corcovado', and became one of the most recorded composers in jazz.

MusicRoots documents 3 artists who influenced Antonio Carlos Jobim and 1 artist Antonio Carlos Jobim influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Antonio Carlos Jobim?

• Claude Debussy — Debussy's floating, chromatic harmony is the classical half of bossa nova - Jobim set it against samba rhythm.
• Maurice Ravel — Ravel is the other French source behind Jobim's harmony and his orchestral writing.
• Heitor Villa-Lobos — Villa-Lobos showed Jobim how European technique and Brazilian material could be one music rather than two.

Which artists did Antonio Carlos Jobim influence?

• Frank Sinatra — Sinatra sought Jobim out to make a full bossa nova album in 1967, softening his phrasing to the form - the record is among the most admired of his late career.