Nearly 50 years ago, in July 1958, an unusual single was released in Brazil. Chega de Saudade was performed by the singer and guitarist João Gilberto, and written by Tom Jobim, with lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes. It was not an instant success - many Brazilians were offended by the unusual harmonies of this pared-down, sophisticated and intimate form of samba - but within four years, bossa nova had conquered Brazil and the US alike.

This remarkable if overambitious show was both a tribute to those early bossa heroes and a reminder of the way bossa has developed after falling from international fashion in the Beatles era. Curated by the singer Joyce, it included three generations of musicians.

The legendary veterans of the original bossa scene mostly appeared in the first half, where the cast included the easygoing Roberto Menescal and the great Carlos Lyra, now in his early 70s but making his first British appearance.

A cool, grey-haired man in jeans and sweater, he never got a chance to tell his stories about Gilberto, Jobim or De Moraes, but he demonstrated his fine, distinctive vocals and guitar work on songs he co-wrote with De Moraes, as well as on Influencia Do Jazz, his wry complaint about musical changes.

They could have played for the whole show, but there was more to come: from the quietly stylish Vinicius Cantuária, the laid-back Celso Fonseca, the singer Clara Moreno and the lounge-jazz musician Marcos Valle. The finale included the veteran pianist João Donato joining Joyce, and the entire cast appearing for a ragged medley that, of course, included Jobim and De Moraes' Girl From Ipanema. Bossa overkill, maybe - but this was still a historic night.