Laurindo Almeida

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Laurindo Almeida

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)
Occupations 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 guitarist and
composer who made many recordings of enduring impact in classical, jazz and Latin genres. He
is widely credited, with fellow artist Bud Shank, for creating the fusion of Latin and jazz which
came to be known as the Jazz Samba. Almeida was the first artist to receive Grammy
Awards for both classical and jazz performances. 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
o 8.1 As leader
o 8.2 As sideman
o 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 teenage years,
Almeida moved to So Paulo, where he worked as a radio artist, staff arranger and nightclub
performer. 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.
[2]

Returning to Brazil, Almeida continued composing and performing. He became known for playing
both classical Spanish and popular guitar. He moved to the United States in 1947; a trip financed
when one of his compositions, a song known as Johnny 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, and the music is enriched by their presence.
[3]
Famed
Kenton arranger Pete Rugolo composed "Lament" specifically for Almeidas cool, quiet
sound,
[4]
and Almeidas own composition Amazonia was also featured by the Kenton orchestra.
Almeida stayed with Kenton until 1952.
Almeidas recording career enjoyed auspicious early success with the 1953 recordings 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 (originally entitled The Laurindo
Almeida Quartet featuring Bud Shank).
[5]
Widely regarded as "landmark" recordings, Almeida
and Shanks combination of Brazilian and jazz rhythms (which Almeida labeled "samba-jazz"-
[2]
)
presaged the fusion of Latin and jazz, which is quite different in bossa nova, although jazz critic
Leonard Feather credited Almeida and Shank as the creators of bossa nova sound.
[1]

Other observers note that the beat, harmonic stamp, and economy of expression were different
than the bossa nova, giving Almeida and Shank's recording "...a different mood and
sound...certainly valuable in its own right."
[6]

Almeidas classical solo recording career on Capitol Records began in 1954 with The Guitar
Music of Spain. Almeida made a series of highly successful classical recordings produced
byRobert E. Myers.
[4]
Among Almeidas notable classical recordings is an album widely
considered to be the first classical crossover album, the 1958 Grammy winner Duets with
Spanish Guitarwith 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.
[6]
The result, according
to Hi-Fi and Music Review was "...a prize winner in my collection. Laurindo Almeidas guitar
playing captures the keen poignancy and rhythmic lan of Brazilian music with superb assurance
and taste...".
[7]
The recording was nominated for two Grammy Awards and won for Best Classical
Engineering for Sherwood Hall III at the first Grammy Awards ceremony. In her recent
memoir Simple Dreams, singer Linda Ronstadt discusses Duets With the Spanish Guitar and
notes that her aunt, the renowned Spanish 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, which featured guitarist Laurindo Almeida dueting alternately with flautist Martin
Ruderman and soprano Salli Terri. It became one of my most cherished recordings."
[8]

Of Almeidas five career Grammys, four were awarded in classical categories (listed below). His
classical recording discography also includes the debut recordings of two major guitar
works,Heitor Villa-Lobos' Guitar Concerto and Radams Gnattalis Concerto de Copacabana.
[9]

In 1964, Almeida again expanded his recording repertoire by joining forces with the Modern Jazz
Quartet on Collaboration (Atlantic Records), which combined classical with jazz, called chamber
jazz. Almeida also toured with the MJQ, both in the 1960s and again in the 1990s.
[1]

Film and television[edit]
In addition to his recording achievements, Almeida continued his work with the film studios
throughout his career, playing guitar, lute, mandolin and other instruments for more than 800
motion picture and television soundtracks (such as The High Chaparral and "The Gift," an
episode of The Twilight Zone). Almeida made cameo appearances in the 1954 movie A Star is
Born
[10]
and on a 1959 episode of Peter Gunn titled "Skin Deep". His performing credits included
major motions pictures such as Good-bye, My Lady (1956), Funny Girl (1968), and The
Godfather(1972). He composed the complete film scores for ten motion pictures and portions for
hundreds of others, including Charles and Ray Eamess 1957 film Day of the Dead.
[4]
His final
film work was underscoring and performing for Clint Eastwoods Unforgiven (1992). Some
articles report Almeida won at least one Oscar award for film composition; however, while he was
involved in films that were nominated, he did not receive an Oscar for his film work.
Later career[edit]
In the 1970s, Almeida reunited with Bud Shank, forming the LA Four with Ray Brown and Chuck
Flores (later Shelly Manne and then Jeff Hamilton).
[11]
From 1974-1982, the LA Four toured
internationally and recorded a series of albums for Concord Jazz, including The Four Scores!, an
acclaimed live recording from the 1974 Concord Jazz Festival.
[12]
In 1980, Almeida joined forces
with Charlie Byrd on a series of highly regarded recordings, including Latin Odyssey, Brazilian
Soul and Tango.
[5]
He also recorded with Baden Powell, Stan Getz and Herbie Mann, among
others. His guitar trio, Guitarjam, with Larry Coryell and Sharon Isbin played Carnegie Hall in
1988. In the 1990s, Almeida toured again with the Modern Jazz Quartet. In 1992, Concord
Records issued Outra Vez, an October, 1991 live recording with bassist Bob Magnusson and
drummer Jim Plank; JazzTimes wrote that Outra Vez was "...a testament to his enduring genius
as a concert guitarist, composer and arranger".
[13]

In discussing Outra Vez, John Storm Roberts noted "...there was nothing retro about its tour de
force, a phenomenal duet of Almeida performing Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata' while bassist
Bob Magnusson played Thelonius Monk's 'Round Midnight.'"
[5]

Honors and Awards[edit]
Laurindo Almeida was nominated for sixteen Grammys and received the award five times:
1960 The Spanish Guitars of Laurindo Almeida Best Classical Performance Instrumental
Soloist or Duo
1960 Conversations with the Guitar Best Classical Performance Vocal or Instrumental
Chamber Music
1961 Discantus Best Contemporary Classical Composition (tied with Igor Stravinsky)
1961 Reverie for Spanish Guitars Best Classical Performance Instrumental Soloist without
Orchestra
1964 Guitar from Ipanema Best Instrumental Jazz Performance-Large Group
In 1992, he was honored with the Latin American & Caribbean Cultural Society Award for "his
illustrious career as a performer and composer and his dedicated promotion of the music of the
Americas." Shortly before his death, the Brazilian government honored Almeida, awarding him
the "Comendador da Ordem do Rio Branco." In 2010, Fanfare inducted his 1958 Duets with
Spanish Guitar into its Classical Recording Hall of Fame.
[14]

Death[edit]
Almeida was teaching, recording and performing until the week before his death on July 26, 1995
at age 77 in Los Angeles, California.
[1]
He died of Acute Leukemia.
Legacy[edit]
Laurindo Almeida's archives are housed at the US Library of Congress. He composed more than
1000 separate compositions, including 200 popular songs. In 1952 Almeida formed his own
publishing company, Brazilliance, which has been influential in the dissemination of Latin
American music. As described by authors Chris McGowan and Ricardo Pessanha, Laurindo
Almeida was "...an artist known for his harmonic mastery, subtle dynamics, rich embellishments
and adept improvisatory skills in a variety of idioms".
[6]

In 2004 Almeida's guitar work from his version of The Lamp Is Low was sampled by the late
Japanese DJ/Producer Nujabes for the song Aruarian Dance which features on the soundtrack to
the Anime series Samurai Champloo
Discography[edit]
As leader[edit]
Brazilliance (vol. 1)
Brazilliance (vol. 2)
Happy Cha Cha Cha
Viva Bossa Nova!
Ole! Bossa Nova
Broadway Solo Guitar
Guitar From Ipanema
Stan Getz with Guest Artist Laurindo Almeida Polygram Int'l B0000046V9
Laurindo Almeida's San Fernando Guitars: New Broadway-Hollywood Hits
A Man and a Woman
The Look of Love
Conversations With the Guitar Capitol SP8532 1960
Reverie for Spanish Guitars Capitol P8571
Acapulco '22
Duets with Spanish Guitar (1958)
The Spanish Guitars of Laurindo Almeida Capitol P(SP) 8521
For My True Love Capitol SP8461 1959
The Intimate Bach, Duets with the Spanish Guitar Vol.2 Capitol SP-8582 (1962)
Impressoes do Brasil Capitol P-8381
Collaboration (Atlantic, 1964) - with the Modern Jazz Quartet
Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays (Reprise, 1966) - with Sammy Davis,
Jr.
Danzas! Capitol P8467
Contemporary Creations for Spanish Guitar Capitol P8447
The New World of the Guitar Capitol 8392
Guitar Music of Spain Capitol P-8295 1954
Guitar Music of Latin America Capitol P8321 1955
From the Romantic Era Capitol P-8341 1956
Vistas di Espana Capitol P-8367 1956
Impressoes do Brasil Capitol P-8381 1957
Contemporary Creations for the Spanish Guitar Capitol P(SP)-8447 1958
Danzas Capitol P(SP)8467 1959
Music for a Spanish Guitar Capitol P(SP)-8497 1959
The Guitar Worlds of Laurindo Almeida Capitol SP8546 1961
Latin Guitar Dobre Records DR1000
Jazz From A to B Unique Jazz UNQ1049
Brazilian soul (duo with Charlie Byrd)1981-1983
Latin Odyssey (with Charlie Byrd)1981-1983
Bachground Blues & Greens (with Ray Brown) Century City 80102
Classical Current Warner Bros.-Seven Arts WS 1803
Masters of the Guitar, Disk 7 Murray Hill S-4194
Music of the Brazilian Masters (with Charlie Byrd and Carlos Barbosa-Lima) Concord Picante
CCD-4389 (1989)
Virtuoso Guitar Crystal Clear CCS 8001 (1977)
As sideman[edit]
With Lalo Schifrin
Gone with the Wave (Colpix, 1964)
Concert Film[edit]
Tanya Maria: The Beat of Brazil with Special Guest Laurindo Almeida
Laurindo Almeida A Tribute to a Master
References[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:
a

b

c

d

e

f
Oliver, Myrna (1 August 1995). "Laurindo Almeida, 77; Classical, Jazz
Guitarist". Los Angeles Times.
2. ^ Jump up to:
a

b
Brookes, Tim (2005), Guitar: An American Life, Grove Press, p. 165
3. Jump up^ Sparke, Michael (2010), Stan Kenton This is an Orchestra, University of North Texas Press
4. ^ Jump up to:
a

b

c
Tynan, John (July 24, 1958), "The Artistry of Laurindo Almeida", Downbeat: 20
5. ^ Jump up to:
a

b

c
Roberts, John Storm (1999), Latin Jazz: The First of the Fusions 1880s to Today,
Schirmir Books, p. 74
6. ^ Jump up to:
a

b

c
McGowan, Chris; and Pessanha, Ricardo (2009), The Brazilian Sound; Samba,
Bossa Nova, and the Popular Music of Brazil, Temple University Press, p. 179
7. Jump up^ Hi-Fi and Music Review, May 1958
8. Jump up^ Ronstadt, Linda (2013), Simple Dreams A Musical Memoir, Simon and Schuster, p. 30
9. Jump up^ Summerfield, Maurice (2002), The Classical Guitar: Its Evolution, Players and Personalities
since 1800, Ashley Mark, p. 217
10. Jump up^ IMDB A Star Is Born (1954) - Full cast and crew
11. Jump up^ McGowan and Pessanha. p.180.
12. Jump up^ Weber, Bruce (April 7, 2009), "Bud Shank, Jazz Saxaphonist, is Dead at 82", The New York
Times
13. Jump up^ JazzTimes 22, 1992
14. Jump up^ "Laurindo Almeida Duets with Spanish Guitar on EMI", Fanfare, September 2010