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Flora Purim

For those who know Flora, an introduction is unnecessary. Her music has interwoven the life fabric of anyone with a passing interest in Latin and American jazz music for over 25 years.

Her once-in-a-generation six-octave voice has earned her two Grammy nominations for Best Female Jazz Performance and Downbeat magazines Best Female Singer accolade on four occasions. Her musical partners have included Gil Evans, Stan Getz, Chick Corea, Dizzy Gillespie and Airto Moreira, with whom she has collaborated on over 30 albums since moving with him from her native Rio to New York in 1967.

Her musical genius was inbred thanks to a Russian émigré father who played violin and a mother who was a talented pianist in her own right. Before leaving Brazil to escape the repressive military regime of the time, she had mastered piano and guitar and liberated an exhilarating vocal talent.

In New York, she and Airto became central to the period of musical expression and creativity, which produced the first commercially successful Electric Jazz groups of the 70s.

Blue Note artist Duke Pearson was the first American musician to invite Flora to sing alongside him on stage and on record. She then toured with Gil Evans about whom she says, this guy has changed my life. He gave us a lot of support to do the craziest stuff. This was the beginning for me. Her reputation as an outstanding performer gained her work with Chick Corea and Stan Getz as part of the New Jazz movement that also contained the nurturing influence of sax man Cannonball Adderley.

Shortly after, Flora started in earnest to re-educate discriminating musical minds, after linking up with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Joe Farrell to form "Return To Forever" in late 1971.

Two classic albums resulted - "Return to Forever" and "Light as a Feather" - nodal points in the development of fusion jazz. When Chick decided to drive further still down the electric road, Flora and Airto chose their own path. Airto by this time had already begun to create his own legend by playing with Miles Davis in 1970, before helping to found the jazz wellspring that was "Weather Report".

Her first solo album in the US, Butterfly Dreams was released in 1973, which put her right away to the Top Five Jazz Singers on the Downbeat Magazine Fame Jazz Poll.

Flora went on to contribute to some of the greatest recording of the seventies - Carlos Santana, Hermeto Pascoal, Gil Evans, Chick Corea and Mickey Hart all benefiting from her vocal and arranging skills. In the mid-Eighties, Flora and Airto resumed their musical partnership to record two albums for Concord - "Humble People" and "The Magicians" for which she received Grammy nominations. In 1992 she went one better by singing on two Grammy winning albums - "Planet Drum" with Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart (Best World Music Album) and the Dizzy Gillespie "United Nations Orchestra" (Best Jazz Album).

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Radio & Podcasts

Just In Time - New Rickie Lee Jones Single Plus Releases By Anat Fort, Vince Mendoza, Jane Irving, Nadia Washington & More

Read "Just In Time - New Rickie Lee Jones Single Plus Releases By Anat Fort, Vince Mendoza, Jane Irving, Nadia Washington & More" reviewed by Mary Foster Conklin


This broadcast includes new releases from Anat Fort, Vince Mendoza & Metropole Orchestra, Jane Irving, Nadia Washington with a single from Rickie Lee Jones, plus birthday shoutouts to Idit Shner, Keely Smith, Bobby McFerrin, Marilyn Harris, Flora Purim and Jane Irving, among others. Thanks for listening and please support the artists you hear by seeing them live and online. Purchase their music so they can continue to distract, comfort, provoke and inspire.Playlist Idit Shner & Mhondoro “Step by ...

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Album Review

Flora Purim: If You Will

Read "If You Will" reviewed by Ian Patterson


Everyone loves a great comeback, and, after a lengthy hiatus, Flora Purim obliges with If You Will, the Brazilian's first studio album since Flora's Song (Narada, 2005). Released to coincide with her 80th birthday, If You Will is a somewhat nostalgic celebration that polishes a few old gems from a recording career that began--under military dictatorship--with the groundbreaking Brazilian jazz album é M.P.M. (1964, RCA). The production values are excellent, as are the performances from Purim and the trusted collaborators ...

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Radio & Podcasts

Flora Purim, Yelena Eckemoff, Lynne Arriale, John Taylor & More New Releases

Read "Flora Purim, Yelena Eckemoff, Lynne Arriale, John Taylor & More New Releases" reviewed by Ludovico Granvassu


This week we'll be test driving some of the most happening jazz rides we've found in our favorite dealerships, from the return of Flora Purim to Steven Bernstein's heartfelt tribute to the late Henry Butler, and a special focus on pianists with the latest albums by Yelena Eckemoff, Enrico Pieranunzi, Lynne Arriale and a reissue of an early John Taylor record.Happy listening!PlaylistBen Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Chance Hayden “Shag ...

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Radio & Podcasts

Celebrate Women's History Month With Birthday Celebrations for Flora Purim, Carol Sloane, Carole Bayer Sager And More

Read "Celebrate Women's History Month With Birthday Celebrations for Flora Purim, Carol Sloane, Carole Bayer Sager And More" reviewed by Mary Foster Conklin


March is Women's History Month and A Broad Spectrum begins another year on the air with the best of women-driven jazz music, past and present. This broadcast features new releases from vocalist Frances Coché, pianist Lara Downes and a single from trombonist Aubrey Logan plus birthday shoutouts to pianist Tomoko Ohno, vocalists Carol Sloane, Flora Purim, Rachelle Garniez and lyricist Carole Bayer Sager. Thanks for listening and please support the artists you hear by purchasing their music during this time ...

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Album Review

Flora Purim: Butterfly Dreams

Read "Butterfly Dreams" reviewed by John Kelman


Flora Purim may be one of the most unfortunate stories in jazz of the past 35 years. First coming to light with Duke Pearson and Gil Evans, it was the one-two punch of pianist Chick Corea's Return to Forever (ECM, 1972) and Light as a Feather (Polydor, 1973) that introduced the Brazilian singer to a broader audience. The momentum from these two albums resulted in a series of fine solo records for Purim throughout the 1970s, but personal circumstances sidetracked ...

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Album Review

Flora Purim: Speak No Evil

Read "Speak No Evil" reviewed by Javier AQ Ortiz


Quick and to the Point: Unyielding Purim’s flowering...

Festive restfulness, mature wits, shrewd phrasing intonation and taste, with absolutely no vocal bells and whistles. It’s Mrs. Flora Purim, Brazil’s gracious-sounding elder stateswoman.

Speak No Evil is Purim’s latest. Her vocals, secure and succulent, convey enough exotica brushes in her accented musical fountainheads –and sonic conduits– to extend intimacy into the listening experience. She is the vocal jewel adorning a soloist and ensemble, manifested through her ...

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Video / DVD

Under Your Skin Interviews: Goran Bregovic, Flora Purim, Airto Moreira & Jaqee

Under Your Skin Interviews: Goran Bregovic, Flora Purim, Airto Moreira & Jaqee

Source: All About Jazz

Goran Bregovic interview. Airto Moreira & Flora Purim interview Jaqee interview

These interviews are part of the book project “Under your skin" which includes Interviews with David Murray, Ornette Coleman, Chuck D - Public Enemy, Taj Mahal, Goran Bregovic, Melvin Gibbs, Bob James, Malika Zarra, ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

If You Will

Strut Records
2022

buy

CTI + RVG

CTI Records
2009

buy

Jazz Rock (Verve)

Verve Records
2008

buy

Butterfly Dreams

Milestone
2007

buy

Speak No Evil

Virgin Records
2003

buy

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