Colors (Jewel Case)

Description

THE MUSIC OF Brazil came to the USA with a bang in 1962 with the release of Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd’s “Jazz Samba” LP, which topped the Billboard album charts. 1964’s “Getz/Gilberto”, the saxophonist’s collaboration with Bahia-born guitarist-composer Joao Gilberto, was when Brazilian musicians were taken to America’s heart. “Getz/Gilberto”, which largely comprised the songs of Antonio Carlos Jobim, had a secret weapon in the voice of Gilberto’s wife, Astrud, who sang the English language segment of ‘Girl From Ipanema’, the album’s hit single. With her chic jet-set look she seemed to epitomise a cool Rio sexiness. The LP was a massive success, winning the Grammy for Record of the Year and opening the doors for scores of Brazilian musicians to make the trip north and try their luck in America. The height of this traffic may have been in the period as the 60s turned into the 70s. Airto Moreira and his wife Flora Purim had moved to the US in 1968 from their homeland. Moreira became the first-call Brazilian percussionist for sessions, turning up on recording dates for Cannonball Adderley, Donald Byrd and Duke Pearson, among others. He was a member of Miles Davis’ group in the wake of the recording of “Bitches Brew”, appearing on the “Live Evil” album and some of the “Jack Johnson” sessions. He became a founder-member of both Weather Report and Return To Forever. Airto’s support of other Brazilian musicians was important, encouraging them to settle in the United States and hooking them up with prospective employers. Trombonist Raul De Souza was one of these migrants. Moreira not only arranged De Souza’s record deal, but also produced his debut album. João Jose Pereira de Souza was born in 1934 and grew up in the Bangu suburb of Rio De Janeiro, where his father was a pastor. He took up the trombone in his teens, encouraged and taught by a trombonist in his local church band called Geraldo. Raul was a natural and by the age of 16 he was playing in the band formed by the workers from the biggest factory in Bangu. A hard slog followed, including a stint in the army where he impressed with his musical ability. Back in Rio in 1963 he formed Bossa Rio with Sergio Mendes, the first instrumental-only bossa nova group. The album they recorded “Você Ainda Não Ouviu Nada” (You Ain’t Heard Nothing Yet) is a classic. He then founded his first group as a leader, which included amongst its members Airto Moreira. They recorded an album for RCA, “A Vontade Mesmo”, prior to Raul moving to Monte Carlo to play a four-month stint at a casino. On his return he formed the more progressive group Impacto 8 who recorded the album “International Hot” for the Equipe label. (On its reissue it was described as a “psychedelic funk bossa work-out”). It failed to be a commercial success and Raul moved to Mexico, where he played bossa in the clubs of Mexico City and Acapulco for four years, 1969-1972. In 1972 he moved to Los Angeles where he hooked up with Airto and Flora Pu