Laurindo Almeida

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Laurindo Almeida
Laurindo Almeida Gottlieb.jpg
Laurindo Almeida, ca. 1947
Background information
Born
September 2, 1917
So Paulo, Brazil
Died
July 26, 1995 (aged 77)
Van Nuys, California
United States
Genres Classical, Jazz (bossa nova)
Occupation(s) Guitarist, composer
Instruments
Guitar
Associated acts
Salli Terri
Bud Shank
Stan Kenton
Modern Jazz Quartet
Laurindo Almeida (September 2, 1917 July 26, 1995) was a Brazilian virtuoso guit
arist and composer who made many recordings of enduring impact in classical, jaz
z and Latin genres. He is widely credited, with fellow artist Bud Shank, for cre
ating the fusion of Latin and jazz which came to be known as the Jazz Samba. Almei
da was the first artist to receive Grammy Awards for both classical and jazz per
formances. His discography encompasses more than a hundred recordings over five
decades.[1]
Contents [hide]
1 Background
2 Early Career in the United States
3 Film and television
4 Later career
5 Honors and Awards
6 Death
7 Legacy
8 Discography
8.1 As leader
8.2 As sideman
8.3 Concert Film
9 References
10 External links
11 Further reading
Background[edit]
Laurindo Jose de Araujo Almeida Nobrega Neto was born in the village of Prainha,
Brazil near Santos in the state of So Paulo.[1]
Born into a musical family, Almeida was a self-taught guitarist. During his teen
age years, Almeida moved to So Paulo, where he worked as a radio artist, staff ar
ranger and nightclub performer.[2] At the age of 19, he worked his way to Europe
playing guitar in a cruise ship orchestra. In Paris, he attended a performance
at the Hot Club by Stephane Grappelli and famed guitarist Django Reinhardt, who
became a lifelong artistic inspiration.[3]
Returning to Brazil, Almeida continued composing and performing. He became known
for playing both classical Spanish and popular guitar. He moved to the United S
tates in 1947; a trip financed when one of his compositions, a song known as John
ny Peddler became a hit recorded by the Andrews Sisters. In Los Angeles, Almeida
immediately went to work in film studio orchestras.[1]
Early Career in the United States[edit]

Almeida was first introduced to the jazz public as a featured guitarist with the
Stan Kenton band in the late 1940s during the height of its success. According
to author Michael Sparke, Almeida and his fellow Kenton bandmember drummer Jack
Costanzo endowed the music of Progressive Jazz with a persuasive Latin flavor, an
d the music is enriched by their presence.[4] Famed Kenton arranger Pete Rugolo c
omposed "Lament" specifically for Almeidas cool, quiet sound,[5] and Almeidas own
composition Amazonia was also featured by the Kenton orchestra. Almeida stayed wit
h Kenton until 1952.
Almeidas recording career enjoyed auspicious early success with the 1953 recordin
gs now called Brazilliance No. 1 and No. 2 with fellow Kenton alumnus Bud Shank,
bassist Harry Babasin, and drummer Roy Harte on the World Pacific label (origin
ally entitled The Laurindo Almeida Quartet featuring Bud Shank).[6] Widely regarde
d as "landmark" recordings, Almeida and Shanks combination of Brazilian and jazz
rhythms (which Almeida labeled "samba-jazz"-[3]) presaged the fusion of Latin an
d jazz, which is quite different in bossa nova, although jazz critic Leonard Fea
ther credited Almeida and Shank as the creators of bossa nova sound.[1]
Other observers note that the beat, harmonic stamp, and economy of expression we
re different than the bossa nova, giving Almeida and Shank s recording "...a dif
ferent mood and sound...certainly valuable in its own right."[7]
Almeidas classical solo recording career on Capitol Records began in 1954 with Th
e Guitar Music of Spain. Almeida made a series of highly successful classical re
cordings produced by Robert E. Myers.[5] Among Almeidas notable classical recordi
ngs is an album widely considered to be the first classical crossover album, the
1958 Grammy winner Duets with Spanish Guitar with mezzo soprano Salli Terri and
flutist Martin Ruderman. In this recording, Almeida arranges standard classical
and folk repertoire through the prism of several Latin musical forms, including
the modenha, charo, maracatu and boi bumba.[7] The result, according to Hi-Fi a
nd Music Review was "...a prize winner in my collection. Laurindo Almeidas guitar
playing captures the keen poignancy and rhythmic lan of Brazilian music with sup
erb assurance and taste...".[8] The recording was nominated for two Grammy Award
s and won for Best Classical Engineering for Sherwood Hall III at the first Gram
my Awards ceremony. In her recent memoir Simple Dreams, singer Linda Ronstadt di
scusses Duets With the Spanish Guitar and notes that her aunt, the renowned Span
ish singer Luisa Espinel was a friend of vocalist Salli Terri: "Knowing I wanted
to sing, Aunt Luisa had sent me a recording, Duets with the Spanish Guitar, whi
ch featured guitarist Laurindo Almeida dueting alternately with flautist Martin
Ruderman and soprano Salli Terri. It became one of my most cherished recordings.
"[9]
Of Almeidas five career Grammys, four were awarded in classical categories (liste
d below). His classical recording discography also includes the debut recordings
of two major guitar works, Heitor Villa-Lobos Guitar Concerto and Radams Gnatta
lis Concerto de Copacabana.[10]