Bossa nova was in vogue in 1962, and following the release of the Stan Getz/Charlie Byrd LP Jazz Samba, jazz record producers were anxious to get their signed artists to jump on the "jazz bossa nova" bandwagon. Another LP titled Big Band Bossa Nova was also recorded in 1962, which featured Stan Getz fronting an orchestra conducted by Gary McFarland. As Mercury's musical director at that time, Quincy Jones was his own producer and decided to take advantage of the opportunity with his Big Band Bossa Nova, which puts together some Jobim classics of the genre and a few original compositions all wonderfully arranged by Jones.