Samba-jazz, also called jazz samba, is a type of instrumental music that came from the bossa nova scene in Brazil during the late 1950s and early 1960s. This style combined elements of Brazilian samba with American jazz, especially bebop and hard bop, which Brazilian musicians learned through performances in gafieiras and nightclubs, especially in Rio de Janeiro. At first, samba-jazz used piano, double bass, and drums, but later included more instruments.

Unlike bossa nova, which is a softer and more intimate style of samba with gentle sounds and less emphasis on loud or sharp noises, samba-jazz includes more improvisation and louder, more intense sounds. Even though bossa nova became famous, samba-jazz was influenced by bossa nova musicians. A group of instrumentalists inspired by American jazz, such as Sérgio Mendes, J.T. Meirelles, Edison Machado, Dom Um Romão, Zimbo Trio, Tamba Trio, Milton Banana Trio, Jongo Trio, and others, joined this style, which was led by João Gilberto.