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Airto Moreira

Airto Moreira made an immediate impact on the American jazz scene by being the first Brazilian percussionist to be playing a lot of different instruments at the same time. He brought them all together with an avant-garde, progressive sensibility, and revolutionized the role of percussion, both in jazz and popular music. After him it was a wave, and he was at the forefront with his work with Miles, Weather Report, and Return to Forever.

Airto Moreira was born in 1941 in the small village of Itaiopolis - south Brasil, and was raised in Curitiba. Even before he could walk he would start shaking and banging on the floor every time the radio played a hot song. By the time he was six years old he had won many music contests by singing and playing percussion. The city gave him his own radio program every Saturday afternoon. At thirteen he became a professional musician, playing percussion, drums, and singing in local dance bands. He moved to Sao Paulo at the age of sixteen and performed regularly in nightclubs and television as a percussionist, drummer and singer.

In 1965 he met the singer Flora Purim in Rio de Janeiro. Flora moved to the USA in 1967 and Airto followed her shortly after. When in New York Airto began playing with musicians such as Reggie Workman, JJ Johnson, Cedar Walton and bassist Walter Booker. It was through Booker that Airto began playing with the greats - Cannonball Adderley, Lee Morgan, Paul Desmond and Joe Zawinul who recommended Airto to Miles Davis for a recording session in 1970 for the “Bitches Brew” sessions. He remained with Miles for two years, and appears on such releases as “Live/Evil,” “Live at the Fillmore,” “On the Corner,” “The Isle of Wight”, “Bitches Brew” and later releases including the “Fillmore Sessions”.

Following his stint with Miles, Airto was invited to form the original Weather Report with Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, Miroslav Vitous and Alphonse Mouzon with whom he recorded “The Weather Report.” Soon after, he joined Chick Corea’s original Return to Forever group with Flora Purim, Joe Farrell and Stanley Clarke and they recorded the albums, “Return to Forever” and “Light as a Feather”

In 1974 Airto formed his first band in the U.S., “Fingers” with Flora Purim. Since then they have performed constantly all over the world and recorded their own album for major record companies in Europe and America. Airto remains one of popular music’s most in demand percussionists. His collection of instruments, along with his knack for playing the right sound at the right moment, has made him the first choice of many producers and bandleaders.

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Liner Notes

Raul De Souza: Colors

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Raul De Souza's life can be seen as a one-of-a-kind story. Indeed, it would make a perfect novel or film script. It may not be as big a tragedy as 'Round Midnight or Bird, but it has drama, love, adventure, and great music. Picture this: a poor child grows up in Brazil working as a weaver and practicing trombone in conversations with a buffalo in the jungle, dreaming of someday becoming an internationally famous jazzman. Suddenly, this dream ...

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Reassessing

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Album Review

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Album Review

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Extended Analysis

Miles at the Fillmore - Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3

Read "Miles at the Fillmore - Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3" reviewed by Ian Patterson


It would have been inconceivable for Miles Davis in his post-sabbatical, 1980s reincarnation to have been billed as “an extra added attraction" on any festival or concert hall billing, but that's how it was when the trumpeter--already a legend--played his first ever gigs at the Filmore East, supporting Neil Young & Crazy Horse and the Steve Miller Band in March 1970. The initiative to stage Davis at the hallowed rock venue came from CBS President Clive Davis, no doubt with ...

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Extended Analysis

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Intensely intoxicating as much as it is wholly hypnotic, Miles Davis Live at the Fillmore becomes increasingly so through the course of its four compact discs. More than doubling the playing time of the original four-sided vinyl release, The Bootleg Series Vol. 3 posits an argument the band(s) of this era were among the finest ever led by the man with the horn. If that sounds hyperbolic, it's difficult not to rhapsodize about this archive series in general ...

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Extended Analysis

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Read "Miles at the Fillmore - Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3" reviewed by Maurizio Comandini


Finalmente la Sony Legacy pubblica ufficialmente e integralmente i quattro concerti del gruppo di Miles Davis al Fillmore East, mitico teatro posto più o meno all'incrocio fra la Sesta Strada Est e la Seconda Avenue a New York, nell'East Village. Era la metà del mese di giugno del 1970, il capolavoro Bitches Brew era stato pubblicato da pochi mesi e il gruppo era in forma straordinaria, a cominciare dal leader. In realtà, questi concerti erano stati immediatamente ...

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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Airto Moreira

Jazz Musician of the Day: Airto Moreira

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Airto Moreira's birthday today!

Airto Moreira made an immediate impact on the American jazz scene by being the first Brazilian percussionist to be playing a lot of different instruments at the same time. He brought them all together with an avant-garde, progressive sensibility, and revolutionized the role of percussion, both in jazz and popular music. After him it was a wave, and he was at the forefront with his work with Miles, Weather Report, and ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Airto Moreira

Jazz Musician of the Day: Airto Moreira

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Airto Moreira's birthday today!

Airto Moreira made an immediate impact on the American jazz scene by being the first Brazilian percussionist to be playing a lot of different instruments at the same time. He brought them all together with an avant-garde, progressive sensibility, and revolutionized the role of percussion, both in jazz and popular music. After him it was a wave, and he was at the forefront with his work with Miles, Weather Report, and ...

2

Event

Djerassi Films Presents: Resurrection! Airto Moreira And Preservation Hall Jazz Band At The 24th Unaff

Djerassi Films Presents: Resurrection! Airto Moreira And Preservation Hall Jazz Band  At The 24th Unaff

Source: Press Junkie PR

Djerassi Films is excited to present Resurrection! Airto Moreira and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band at the 24th UNAFF on Saturday, Oct. 23rd. In this new documentary, producer/director Dale Djerassi brings two powerful forces in the world of jazz together and takes us behind the scenes as famed percussionist Airto Moreira joins the Preservation Hall Jazz Band during Mardi Gras in the Big Easy. Airto Moreira is a world-renowned jazz drummer and percussionist from Brazil, who exhibited great talent at ...

6

TV / Film

Djerassi Films Presents 'Resurrection! Airto Moreira And Preservation Hall Jazz Band'

Djerassi Films Presents 'Resurrection! Airto Moreira And  Preservation Hall Jazz Band'

Source: Press Junkie PR

With an upcoming premiere at the Woodstock Film Festival Djerassi Films is excited to present Resurrection! Airto Moreira and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. In this new documentary, producer/director Dale Djerassi brings two powerful forces in the world of jazz together and takes us behind the scenes as famed percussionist Airto Moreira joins the Preservation Hall Jazz Band during Mardi Gras in the Big Easy. Airto Moreira is a world-renowned jazz drummer and percussionist from Brazil, who exhibited great talent ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Airto Moreira

Jazz Musician of the Day: Airto Moreira

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Airto Moreira's birthday today!

Airto Moreira made an immediate impact on the American jazz scene by being the first Brazilian percussionist to be playing a lot of different instruments at the same time. He brought them all together with an avant-garde, progressive sensibility, and revolutionized the role of percussion, both in jazz and popular music. After him it was a wave, and he was at the forefront with his work with Miles, Weather Report, and ...

1

TV / Film

Resurrection! Legendary Percussionist Airto Moreira & The Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Resurrection! Legendary Percussionist Airto Moreira & The Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Source: Glass Onyon PR - William James

Two powerful forces in the world of jazz come together in Resurrection! Airto Moreira and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Airto Moreira is a world-renowned jazz drummer and percussionist from Brazil, who exhibited great talent at a young age. In his twenties he traveled to the U.S.A. in pursuit of Flora Purim, the woman with whom he had fallen in love, who had left Brazil to sing Bossa Nova with saxophonist Stan Getz. Over the years, Airto became a major ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Airto Moreira

Jazz Musician of the Day: Airto Moreira

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Airto Moreira's birthday today!

Airto Moreira made an immediate impact on the American jazz scene by being the first Brazilian percussionist to be playing a lot of different instruments at the same time. He brought them all together with an avant-garde, progressive sensibility, and revolutionized the role of percussion, both in jazz and popular music. After him it was a wave, and he was at the forefront with his work with Miles, Weather Report, and ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Airto Moreira

Jazz Musician of the Day: Airto Moreira

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Airto Moreira's birthday today!

Airto Moreira made an immediate impact on the American jazz scene by being the first Brazilian percussionist to be playing a lot of different instruments at the same time. He brought them all together with an avant-garde, progressive sensibility, and revolutionized the role of percussion, both in jazz and popular music. After him it was a wave, and he was at the forefront with his work with Miles, Weather Report, and ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Airto Moreira

Jazz Musician of the Day: Airto Moreira

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Airto Moreira's birthday today!

Airto Moreira made an immediate impact on the American jazz scene by being the first Brazilian percussionist to be playing a lot of different instruments at the same time. He brought them all together with an avant-garde, progressive sensibility, and revolutionized the role of percussion, both in jazz and popular music. After him it was a wave, and he was at the forefront with his work with Miles, Weather Report, and ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Airto Moreira

Jazz Musician of the Day: Airto Moreira

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Airto Moreira's birthday today!

Airto Moreira made an immediate impact on the American jazz scene by being the first Brazilian percussionist to be playing a lot of different instruments at the same time. He brought them all together with an avant-garde, progressive sensibility, and revolutionized the role of percussion, both in jazz and popular music. After him it was a wave, and he was at the forefront with his work with Miles, Weather Report, and ...

Aaron Liddard
saxophone, tenor
Thiago de Mello
percussion
Just East
band / ensemble / orchestra
Rodrigo Simoes
guitar, electric

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From: Trust
By Airto Moreira

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