"Só Danço Samba" (aka "Jazz 'n' Samba") is a bossa nova 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 as one of the great exponents of Brazilian ...

, 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 playwrig ...

. English lyrics were later written by

Norman Gimbel Norman Gimbel (November 16, 1927 – December 19, 2018) was an American lyricist and songwriter of popular songs and themes to television shows and films. He wrote the lyrics for songs including " Ready to Take a Chance Again" (with composer Cha ...

. 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 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 João Gilberto (born João Gilberto do Prado Pereira de Oliveira – ; 10 June 1931 – 6 July 2019) was a Brazilian guitarist, singer, and composer who was a pioneer of the musical genre of bossa nova in the late 1950s. Around the world, he w ...

asked him, 'What's this Tomzinho? A

boogie-woogie Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, but already developed in African-American communities since the 1870s.Paul, Elliot, ''That Crazy American Music'' (1957), Chapter 10, p. 229. It was eventually ex ...

?'"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 in August 1962 at the Au Bon Gourmet restaurant in

Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro Copacabana ( , , ) is a Brazilian (neighbourhood) located in the South Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is most prominently known for its 4 km (2.5 miles) balneario beach, which is one of the most famous in ...

, 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.SecondHandSongs - Só Danço Samba
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Recorded versions

* Elza Laranjeira – "Só Danço Samba" single (October 1962) *

João Donato João Donato de Oliveira Neto (; 17 August 1934 – 17 July 2023) was a Brazilian jazz and bossa nova pianist as well as a trombonist from Rio Branco. He first worked with Altamiro Carrilho and went on to perform with Antonio Carlos Jobim an ...

– ''A Bossa Muito Moderna'' (1963) *

Herb Ellis Mitchell Herbert Ellis (August 4, 1921 – March 28, 2010) was an American jazz guitarist. During the 1950s, he was in a trio with pianist Oscar Peterson. Biography Born in Farmersville, Texas, Ellis grew up on a farm. He was first exposed ...

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 Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; 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 wis ...

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 ...

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

– '' The Composer of Desafinado, Plays'' (1963) and ''

Antonio Brasileiro Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language–speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular ...

'' (1994) * Roberto Menescal e Seu Conjunto – ''A Bossa Nova'' (1963) * Os Cariocas – ''A Bossa dos Cariocas'' (1963) *

Elza Soares Elza da Conceição Soares (née Gomes; 23 June 1930 – 20 January 2022), known professionally as Elza Soares (), was a Brazilian samba singer. In 1999, she was named Singer of the Millennium along with Tina Turner by BBC Radio. Elza was dee ...

– "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 and bossa nova music and for his instrumental version of the song '' Summer Samba'' wh ...

– ''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 doctorat ...

– '' So Danço Samba'' (1964) *

– ''

Getz/Gilberto ''Getz/Gilberto'' is an album by American saxophonist Stan Getz and Brazilian guitarist João Gilberto, featuring pianist and composer Antônio Carlos Jobim (Tom Jobim), who also composed many of the tracks. It was released in March 1964 by Verve ...

'' (1964) *

Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solos as a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet and his penchant for collaborating with ...

– '' Jazz 'n' Samba'' (1964) *

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

Hubert Laws Hubert Laws (born November 10, 1939) is an American flutist, piccoloist and saxophonist with a career spanning over 50 years in jazz, classical, and other music genres. Laws is one of the few classical artists who has also mastered jazz, pop ...

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, doub ...

Phil Woods Philip Wells Woods (November 2, 1931 – September 29, 2015) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and composer. Biography Woods was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. After inheriting a saxophone at age 12, he began t ...

* Wanda de Sah (Wanda Sá) - ''Softly!'' (1965) *

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, 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, phra ...

– ''

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 Arts ...

– ''Brasilian Impressions'' (1967) * Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 – ''

Equinox A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun appears directly above the equator, rather than to its north or south. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise directly east and set directly west. This occurs twice each year, arou ...

'' (1967) *

Helen Merrill Helen Merrill (born Jelena Ana Milcetic; July 21, 1929) is an American jazz vocalist. Her first album, the eponymous 1954 recording ''Helen Merrill (album), Helen Merrill'' (with Clifford Brown on EmArcy), was an immediate success and associat ...

– ''Bossa Nova in Tokyo'' (1967) * Baden 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 a stream of consciousness that detaches from current external tasks when one's attention becomes focused on a more personal and internal direction. Various names of this phenomenon exist, including mind-wandering, fantasies, a ...

'' (1997) *

Eliane Elias Eliane Elias (born 19 March 1960) is a Brazilian jazz pianist, singer, composer and arranger. Biography Elias was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on 19 March 1960. She started studying piano when she was seven, and at age twelve she was transcribing ...

– ''

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 Rosa Passos (; born April 13, 1952) is a Brazilian singer and guitarist. Passos began playing piano at age thirteen, but after listening to Dorival Caymmi and João Gilberto she abandoned the instrument to become a singer. In the late 1960s, she ...

– ''Curare'' (1991) and ''Me and My Heart'' (2001) *

Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955) is a French-born American Cello, cellist. Born to Chinese people, Chinese parents in Paris, he was regarded as a child prodigy there and began to study the cello with his father at age four. At the age of seven, ...

– ''Obrigado Brazil Live in Concert'' (2004) *

John Pizzarelli John Paul Pizzarelli Jr. (born April 6, 1960) is an American jazz guitarist and vocalist. He has recorded over twenty solo albums and has appeared on more than forty albums by other recording artists, including Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Ros ...

– '' Bossa Nova'' (2004) * Jacintha – ''The Girl from Bossa Nova'' (2004) *

Emilie-Claire Barlow Emilie-Claire Barlow (born June 6, 1976) is a Canadian singer, arranger, record producer, and voice actress. She has released several albums on her label, Empress Music Group, and has voiced characters for animated television series. She perform ...

– '' Like a Lover'' (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 Vinicius Cantuária (born April 29, 1951) is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, guitarist, drummer, and percussionist. He is associated with bossa nova and Brazilian jazz. Born in the Amazonian city of Manaus, Cantuária grew up in Rio de Janeiro ...

– ''Vinícius Canta Antonio Carlos Jobim'' (2015)

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