West Side Story Bossa Nova featuring Thomas and Barron swapping solos, and wrapping with an unusually upbeat treatment of the normally low-key ballad "Somewhere." " All compositions by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim Note West Side Story Bossa Nova West Side Story Bossa Nova is an album by saxophonist Bill Barron fearturing bossa nova versions of tunes from the Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim musical "West Side Story" which was recorded in 1963 and first released on the Dauntlesss label. In his review on Allmusic, Ken Dryden states "The tenor saxophonist's orchestra is actually only a septet, but it's a potent group who puts out
Stephen Sondheim worked with Sondheim on "The Girls Upstairs", agreed to produce the musical (now entitled "A Pray By Blecht" and, later, "The Race to Urga"). An opening night was scheduled, but during auditions Robbins asked to be excused for a moment. When he did not return, a doorman said he had gotten into a limousine to go to John F. Kennedy International Airport. Bernstein burst into tears and said, "It's over"; Sondheim said, "I was ashamed of the whole project. It was arch and didactic in the worst way." He wrote one-and-a-half songs and threw them away, the only time he