Stan Getz recorded 'The Dolphin' in February 1981 for Concord Jazz. The album features a quartet with Lou Levy on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums.
The title refers to the homonymous song by Luiz Eça, though Getz also includes compositions by Bill Evans and Antonio Carlos Jobim. The saxophonist himself produced the album.
The record was well received by critics, highlighting Getz's maturity and lyricism in his late period. It is considered one of his most serene and refined works of the 1980s.