Perhaps Antonio Carlos Jobim's best-known album, 1967's WAVE was Jobim's first release for his longtime producer Creed Taylor's special CTI imprint at A&M Records. In fact, it was only the label's second release--after Wes Montgomery's A DAY IN THE LIFE--and WAVE went a long way towards establishing both the sound and even the look of the fledging label. Playing guitar, piano and harpsichord on these 10 original instrumentals, Jobim is backed by a small combo and Claus Ogerman's usually tasteful but occasionally overbearing strings. The tracks are brief--over half are under three minutes--introducing a theme, coloring it with a few brief solos and a lot of solid ensemble playing, and then fading. The overall mood is mellow without being sleepy, and as a whole, WAVE is a soothing, almost intoxicating delight. While it's probably not Jobim's best album, it's certainly one of his most offhandedly entertaining.