Just a random plug for two of the most chilled out jazz/bossa albums you’ll ever hear. Tide and Wave by Antonio Carlos Jobim. The Amazon.com review hits the nail on the head:
“[Wave] is full of amazing original compositions, but the arrangements have a certain faux suave, late-’60s lounge feel that reeks of stale cheese. The result is actually great, the veneer of kitsch insidiously masking Jobim’s trademark immeasurable sadness, which creeps up on you and leaves you unexpectedly affected.”
Great music for the drive between Santa Cruz and San Jose, if you know what I mean. Well, maybe not during rush hour, but otherwise… =)