Sergio Mendes

The title The Great Arrival refers to Sergio Mendes' move to the U.S.A., though this 1966 set was far from the first album he recorded in the States (as a matter of fact, Mendes was starting to hit it big on the U.S. pop charts with his group Brasil '66 by the time he recorded The Great Arrival). This is actually a bossa nova–etched lounge set that plays like the soundtrack for a 1960s romantic sex romp or a beach party scene in a Clint Flint spy comedy. Bossa nova tunes and pop hits are covered, making this an inessential but fun entry in Sergio Mendes' catalog.