Brazilian jazz multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal hails from the Northeastern state of Pernambuco, and started his professional career as a teenager playing in local forro bands, performing the music of Luiz Gonzaga, Humerto Teixeira, and other local heroes. He soon became a pivotal figure in the nascent Brazilian jazz scene, forming bossa nova bands that had a bit more of an experimental edge than the popular "trio" bands that populated the early '60s club scene. In the early 1970s, Pascoal briefly moved to the United States to pursue his interests in cutting edge improvisational music, always weaving in hints and memories of the regional musics that he grew up on. He has continued through for several decades as one of the world's most consistently challenging jazz virtuosos... I can't say that his music is exactly the kind of thing I go for, but I have heard from folks whose opinions I trust that Pascoal is a phenomenal, mind-blowing performer, capable of making any and all objects he finds into musical instruments. Here's a quick look at the Pascoal albums I've heard so far...
Conjunto Som 4 "Conjunto Som 4" (Continental, 1964)
A rather bland jazz session featuring Hermeto Pascoal and cohorts Edilson (drums), Azeitona (bass) and Papudinho (trumpet). Although the compositions are from contemprary Brazilian bossa songwriters (all the usual suspects), the sound is pure North American jazz, indistinguishable from their cool, mainstream Stateside contemporaries, except for the inferior, unexciting performances. This album doesn't stack up well compared to Hermeto's infinitely more soulful Quarteto Novo sessions of a few years later. This is a dull, slow going, pale imitation of American jazz.
Sambrasa Trio "Sambrasa Trio Em Som Maior" (Som Maior, 1966)
Airto is still apparently working with bassist Humberto Clayber on this album (he is credited on several songs), although Cesar Camargo Mariano has left for new ground. Hermeto Pascoal also plays on here, one of the first of his and Airto's long period of productive, innovative collaborations.
Quarteto Novo "Quarteto Novo" (EMI Odeon, 1967)
An impressive late-'60s Braz-Jazz album, featuring early work by Pascoal and percussionist Airto Moreira, along with the politically-inclined MPB songwriter Geraldo Vandre, along with guitarists Theo De Barros and Heraldo Do Monte. The album opens with "O Ovo," a brisk update of the turn-of-the-century choro sound popularized by Pixinguinha, Dunga and other Brazilian musical pioneers. The album gradually progresses into more modern, straightforward jazz material (which isn't as much fun) and even a Luiz Gonzaga forro tune. The playing throughout is very rich, well recorded, and vastly superior to many of their more jittery jazz contemporaries, even dipping into a mellow Vince Guaraldi-style vibe. This isn't just a cool footnote into the early careers of several of Brazil's most important musicians, it's also a very enjoyable, well-performed album. Recommended!
Brazilian Octopus "Brazilian Octopus" (Fermata, 1969)
An odd, one-off ensemble, featuring Pascoal, Olmir Stocker, Ciro Pereira and others. Pascoal contributed two compositions, and plays throughout; tropicalia producer Rogerio Duprat also apparently collaborated on a few tunes.
Edu Lobo "Cantigua De Longe" (Elenco/Polygram, 1970)
(Produced by Aloysio Oliveira)
Yow! Creative, catchy post-bossa pop, with driving, baroquely-written instrumentation, subtle guitars and complex vocal arrangements. Hermeto Pascoal, Airto Moreira and a reconstituted edition of their famed Quarteo Novo back composer Edu Lobo on this fine, classic album; Aloysio Oliveira produced it as one of his later releases on the Elenco label. Recently reissued on CD, and worth checking out.
Airto Moreira "Natural Feelings" (Buddha, 1970)
Hermeto Pascoal "Hermeto Pascoal" (Buddha, 1970)
All songs written by Pascoal.
Airto Moreira "Seeds On The Ground: The Natural Sounds Of Airto" (Buddha, 1971)
Hermeto Pascoal "A Musica Livre De Hermeto Paschoal" (Verve, 1973)
Paradoxically, one of Pascoal's most accessible and most challenging albums, with a strong lyrical bent that is wed to relentless and ingenious experimentalism. This was the first album Pascoal recorded following a two-year sojourn to the United States, where he jammed with Miles Davis and the elite of the jazz fuson scene. The record caused a huge stir in Brazil when it came out because the disc was considered so "far out" that the military government placed a ban on it -- and Pascoal -- even though the record is all-instrumental!! The offending track was a manically flatulent free jazz composition called "Sereiarei," in which Pascoal toots and squonks along with a flock of farm animals -- turkeys, ducks, geese, rabbits and swine -- in what is certainly one of the most challenging tunes of the fusion jazz era. Also includes Pascoal-ized versions of Brazilian standards such as Luiz Gonzaga's "Asa Branca" and the Pixinguinha classic, "Carinhoso." Unless you're a diehard avant-jazz fan, this record will probably get on your nerves pretty quickly (although I think that's pretty much the idea...) yet it is a remarkably subtle, playful album, well worth checking out.
Hermeto Pascoal "Slaves Mass" (Warner/WEA, 1976)
Hermeto Pascoal "Zabumba-Bum-A" (Warner Brothers, 1979)
Pascoal buffets between kooky avant ramblings and glossier, poppier LA Express-style fusion melodies. A fairly tight, compact set of fast-paced tunes that are either "challenging" or "irritating," depending on your inclinations and mood. Rather Sun Ra-like, overall.
Hermeto Pascoal "Cerebro Magnetico" (Warner Brothers, 1980)
A kooky and far-ranging free-jazz album that makes extensive use of indigenous Amazonian percussion and avant-jazz philosophies. Mega-instrumentalist Pascoal plays most of the music on here, apparently multi-tracking on several tunes, to play saxophone, flutes, percussion, woodwinds, piano and guitar, while also drawing on the help of several talented Brazilian jazz players, notably pianist Jovino Jose dos Santos Neto. Although I personally have a pretty short attention span for avantnik jazz, I found this album to be engaging from beginning to end. It's pretty impressive and imaginative; definitely worth checking out.
Hermeto Pascoal "Ao Vivo Em Montreaux" (Atlantic/WEA, 1979)
Hermeto Pascoal & Elis Regina "Elis Regina - 13th Montreux Jazz Festival" (Westwind, 1982)
An excellent album featuring MPB diva Elis Regina, recorded in 1979, shortly before her untimely death, but not released until 1982. This album concentrates on her jazz chops, rather than the pop music she'd turned to in the late '70s. A strong, straightforward performance which was recorded in 1979 and released posthumously in '82, with multi-instrumentalist Pascoal providing impressive backup throughout. Recommended.
Hermeto Pascoal "Hermeto Pascoal & Grupo" (Som Da Gente, 1982)
Hermeto Pascoal "Lagoa Da Canoa, Municipio Da Araparaca" (Som Da Gente, 1984)
Hermeto Pascoal "Brasil Universo" (Som Da Gente, 1986)
Hermeto Pascoal "So Nao Toca Quem Nao Quer" (Som Da Gente, 1987)
Hermeto Pascoal "Hermeto Solo: Por Diferentes Caminhos" (Som Da Gente, 1988)
Hermeto Pascoal "Festa Dos Deuses" (Polygram, 1992)
Hermeto Pascoal & Renato Borghetti "Instrumento Do CCBB" (Tom Brasil, 1993)
Hermeto Pascoal "Eu Tu Eles" (Radio MEC, 1999)
Hermeto Pascoal & Aline Moreno "Chimarrao Com Rapadura" (Gaueste, 2006)
Stephan Kurmann "Stephan Kurmann Strings Play Hermeto Pascoal" (TCB, 2008)
Hermeto Pascoal appears as a guest performer.
Mark Weinstein "Tudo De Bom" (String Band Records, 2003)
New York-based jazz flautist Mark Weinstein in a jazzy tribute to Hermeto Pascoal, along with guitarist Richard Boukas and expatriate Brazilian players such as drummer Paulo Braga, bassist Nilson Matta and Vanderei Pereira on percussion.
