Estate was written in 1960 by the singer and composer Bruno Martino, together with co-author Bruno Brighetti. The lyrics deal with the summer as the time of a great and past love. Only the next winter might cover the memories.
In 1961 the song was placed in the italian charts, but it did not become a big commercial success. Only the later interpretation by João Gilberto made it well-known beyond the borders of Italy.
Estate belongs to the few italian compositions, that succeeded in entering the repertoire of jazz musicians from all over the world. It is reputed as one of the most beautiful jazz standards, and it is usually played as a bossa nova or a ballad with a slight latin groove.
It is also worth mentioning, that the piece was originally entitled "Odio l'estate" ("I hate the summer"). But in a TV show, Lelio Luttazzi, a well-known italian musician of that time, ridiculed the song, performing an ironic version with the title "Odio le statue" ("I hate the statues"). Thereupon subsequent recordings would be entitled only "Estate".