Three Giants of Brazilian Guitar

May 19, 2008 10:54 AM

Three of the giants of Brazilian guitar were Laurindo Almeida (1917-1995; wiki here), Luiz Bonfa (1922-2001; wiki here), and Baden Powell (1937-2000; wiki here). Here is Laurindo Almeida w/the MJQ playing One Note Samba; here is Luiz Bonfa playing the theme from Black Orpheus (which he composed); and here is Baden Powell playing Samba Triste.

--You can learn more about Almeida here. For recordings, I would recommend the marvellous duets w/Bud Shank (which predate the famous Stan Getz bossa records as a modern jazz/Brazilian fusion; Getz also recorded w/Almeida and also w/Bonfa). Other recordings here.

--Bonfa did so many great records, it's hard to know where to begin. The first three listed here are good. See also here (he did a legendary and amazing "latin jazz fusion" record called Jacaranda that is out-of-print). Here are some more Bonfa YT clips, well worth watching: here and here and briefly playing Desafinado (w/Getz) and see also here and here.

--You can learn more about Baden Powell here. These YT clips are quite good: here and here. Baden Powell did some amazing records: the MPS recordings are oustanding, but here are some others (the recordings w/Vinicius de Moraes--Os Afro Sambas/Vontade--are legendary).

A good all around site for Brazilian music is this one as well, but there are other sites too. It's a rich music, and there's a lot of it. I may do some other posts in the future on other Brazilian artists.

posted by ornate insect (17 comments total)

Awesome post.

Off topic, but anyone interested in Brazilian music (I figure a good number of people are checking out this thread for that reason) will be interested to know that Gilberto Gil is playing several shows in North America this summer.
posted by gauchodaspampas at 11:44 AM on May 19, 2008

Here are some more links on Brazilian guitar: here and here and here.

Also, on related notes, see:

Laércio Ilhabela, and also Brasil Guitar Duo, and also the justly celebrated Villa-Lobos - Choros Nr. 1 - Work for Guitar, and for some great contemporary exemplars of traditional choro, see here.
posted by ornate insect at 12:01 PM on May 19, 2008

Black Orpheus also goes by "Mahna de Carnival" and "A Day in the Life of a Fool" but on gigs we just call it "Black Orifice."
posted by sourwookie at 12:24 PM on May 19, 2008

Great post!

There have been a bunch of Baden Powell reissues recently that are all fantastic. I use Dusty Groove for my Brazil music purchases - if anyone else has a recommendation of a place with a better/different selection I'd love to hear it, because I'm always clamoring for more Brazilian music.
posted by thedanimal at 12:39 PM on May 19, 2008

some good records by Almeida: the Brazilliance ones w/Bud Shank linked above (Bud also has some other Brazilian records: a newish one w/Joao Donato and an oldish one called "Bud Shank & His Brazilian Friends"); Brazilian Masters (w/Carlos Barbosa-Lima and Charlie Byrd); Impressoes do Brasil (w/Ray Turner); the one w/Getz; etc

some good records by Bonfa: The Bonfa Magic; Bonfa Plays and Sings Bossa Nova; Solo in Rio 1959; Braziliana (w/Maria Toledo); Noite e Dia (w/Ed Lincoln); O Violao e o Samba; Bonfa e Sylvia Telles; Introspection; etc

some good records by Powell: 27 Horas de Estudio; Solitude on Guitar; Poema on Guitar; Le Grande Reunion (w/Stephane Grappelli); Tempo Feliz (w/Mauricio Einhorn); Apaixonado; Quartet Vol.1; Tristeza on Guitar; Os Afro-Sambas; etc
posted by ornate insect at 12:41 PM on May 19, 2008

thedanimal--dusty groove is very good and very knowledgable; I link to them in my post in a few places. I also think they are sound to recommend the first three volumes of the "A Trip to Brazil" (each is a double CD) series as ideal introductions to classic bossa nova and samba.
posted by ornate insect at 12:46 PM on May 19, 2008

One Note Samba;

sum total lof my singing repetoire, and I don't even think I get it right
posted by timsteil at 2:01 PM on May 19, 2008

Thanks for this. Very nice.
posted by netbros at 2:10 PM on May 19, 2008

Thanks for the post, oi.

And there's that Gismonti fellow worth a listen as well!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:54 PM on May 19, 2008

Here is Baden Powell performing five songs from a 1990 TV program with all sorts of closeup camera angles so that you can see his fingers.
posted by umbú at 4:40 PM on May 19, 2008

To add to the list of giants, old and new, here is Raphael Rabello playing songs by João Pernambuco, an influential Scott Joplin-era Brazilian guitarist.
posted by umbú at 5:23 PM on May 19, 2008

Brazilian Guitar and no mention of Bola Sete? Here he is on youtube and here's the official site.
posted by asusu at 5:44 PM on May 19, 2008

flapjax--the Brasil Guitar Duo link I linked to upthread features a version of a Gismonti tune (and here's the Brasil Guitar Duo myspace page).

***

And for anyone still in the mood for more Brazilian guitar and/or some related sounds (such as the choros of "Brazilian mandolin" and of both Jacob do Bandolim and Pixinguinha, etc), here is a somewhat random selection that nevertheless tries not to stray too far afield from guitar, etc:

Valsa da Vida, do Paulinho da Viola

Paulinho da Viola - "Rosa de Ouro" Pout-Pourri

Paulinho da Viola e Marisa Monte--Carinhoso (Pixinguinha/Braguinha)

Assanhado - Jacob do Bandolim (a tune sounding remarkably like Country-Western Swing)

Bandolim - Villa Lobos - Bachiana nº5

Yamandu Costa (one)

Yamandu Costa (two)

Samba de Orly - Toquinho & Vinícius

A whole bunch by the great Joao Gilberto

Chico Buarque - Tatuagem

Alright that's enough for now. Happy listening.
posted by ornate insect at 6:04 PM on May 19, 2008

Great, thanks !

Add Paulinho Nogueira.
posted by nicolin at 1:44 AM on May 20, 2008

While probably lame in comparison, this is pretty nice too.
posted by timsteil at 6:48 AM on May 20, 2008

Nice. Paulinho da Viola really deserved to be more internationally known. His voice and his songs are consistently impeccable.

Thanks for this post.
posted by umbú at 5:28 PM on May 20, 2008

oops. deserves to be...
posted by umbú at 5:28 PM on May 20, 2008