This recording of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Triste" comes from Alexis Cole's 2021 album Sky Blossom: Songs From My Tour of Duty, featuring trumpeter Jeff Jarvis in a solo spanning one and three-quarter choruses over the 34-bar ABAB form in G. Jobim composed "Triste" in 1967, and its wistful melody and sophisticated bossa nova harmonies have made it one of the most beloved compositions in the Brazilian songbook. The title, meaning "sad" in Portuguese, captures the song's gently melancholic character, which Jarvis interprets with warm tone and flowing melodic lines at a moderate bossa nova tempo of 127 beats per minute. His nearly two-chorus solo builds naturally, the extended format allowing him to explore the tune's harmonic richness in depth. The bossa nova feel creates a relaxed, swaying groove that supports both Cole's vocal delivery and Jarvis's trumpet improvisation. Cole's decision to include multiple bossa nova selections on the album demonstrates her affinity for Brazilian jazz, a tradition that shares with American jazz a commitment to melodic beauty, harmonic sophistication, and rhythmic subtlety. As part of an album inspired by Cole's military entertainment tours, the international flavor of Jobim's music adds a cosmopolitan dimension to the program, reflecting the global reach of both jazz and the armed forces audiences she served.
