Airto Moreira: Brief Profile
& Extended Discography
by Chris McGowan
& Extended Discography
by Chris McGowan
Airto Moreira spearheaded the Brazilian "percussion invasion" of the late 1960s and '70s that infused global jazz and popular music with new rhythms, percussive textures, and tone colors. He was one of the first percussionists, in Brazil or outside it, to play many different instruments in performances, rather than specialize in a particular type of percussion. He broke new ground by mixing them with an avant-garde sensibility, great improvisational skills, and a charismatic showmanship.
In concert, Moreira creates an atmosphere of surprise and discovery; at times he has an edge of wildness and at other moments he seems to go into a trance and tap into spiritual energies. Airto revolutionized the role of the percussionist with his performances with Miles Davis, Weather Report, Return to Forever, his wife Flora Purim, and other artists, and on his own solo albums. Afterwards, many bands added a percussionist with a wide array of instruments, and percussive coloration became common in jazz and fusion.
Airto was atypical of Brazilian
percussionists at the time. He was interested in progressive interpretations of
traditional Brazilian styles, and he was a multi-talented instrumentalist who
didn't fit into any one niche. At the time, Brazilian percussionists
specialized in just one instrument, such as a berimbau or cuíca or pandeiro. Airto played nearly
everything.
Airto astonished American musicians and producers with his vast array of percussion pieces—cuíca, berimbau, agogô, afoxê, ganzá, pandeiro (his strongest solo instrument), pau de chuva (rain stick), and various other rattlers, shakers, and drums, as well as musical devices that he had invented. Each instrument had different tones and textural possibilities, and their sum total—especially in Airto's dexterous hands—was all rather staggering for Americans who were seeing him perform for the first time.
Airto astonished American musicians and producers with his vast array of percussion pieces—cuíca, berimbau, agogô, afoxê, ganzá, pandeiro (his strongest solo instrument), pau de chuva (rain stick), and various other rattlers, shakers, and drums, as well as musical devices that he had invented. Each instrument had different tones and textural possibilities, and their sum total—especially in Airto's dexterous hands—was all rather staggering for Americans who were seeing him perform for the first time.
When Airto came to the United States, he arrived at the right moment. Jazz was especially ready for him in the late 1960s because of the syncretic nature of fusion and because many American musicians were intrigued by Brazil because of the success of bossa nova and the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim. It also helped that Airto, and his wife Flora, were at heart jazz musicians. Almost all the previous Brazilian musicians who had arrived in North America before him were conversant with bossa nova and other Brazilian idioms, or perhaps with "jazz bossa." But Airto and Flora were much more in tune with the musical sensibilities of artists like Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, and Joe Zawinul.
Airto & Weather Report
He and his wife Flora Purim were the most famous Brazilian jazz artists in the 1970s, and a crucial part of the burgeoning jazz-fusion scene of those years. Jazz fusion developed in the late 1960s from jazz played with an increased rhythmic emphasis (especially drawing from rock, funk, R&B, and Brazilian grooves); the use of heavily amplified electric instruments and electronic effects; and increased percussive coloration. While fusion is sometimes seen as synonymous with "jazz rock," it was far more expansive than that, as evidenced by the many albums featuring Airto and Flora.
Flora, Airto and Hermeto Pascoal
Airto had such an impact that Downbeat
magazine added a percussion category to its annual critics poll in 1974 and
readers poll a year later; Moreira took top honors in the first polls and on
more than twenty other occasions—most recently earning the no. 1 spot in the
2010 readers poll. He was also voted the number one percussionist on
various occasions by Jazz Times, Modern
Drummer, Drum magazine, Jazzizz, and Jazz Central Station's Global Jazz Poll.
READ MORE: Airto is interviewed in The Brazilian Music Book: Brazil's Singers, Songwriters, and Musicians Tell the Story of Bossa Nova, MPB, and Brazilian Jazz and Pop by Chris McGowan, which can be read on Kindle and Galaxy, iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac and PC with the free Kindle app.
Airto Extended Discography
(and Songs Recorded by Others)
(and Songs Recorded by Others)
Airto Moreira
Natural
Feelings.
Buddah Records, 1970.
Seeds on the
Ground.
Buddah Records, 1971.
Fingers. CTI, 1972.
Free. CTI, 1972.
Virgin Land. Salvation
Records, 1974.
Identity. Arista, 1975.
Promises of the
Sun.
Arista, 1976.
I'm Fine, How
Are You?
Warner Music (Japan), 1977.
Touching
You…Touching Me. Warner Music (Japan), 1979.
Misa
Espiritual: Airto's Brazilian Mass. Harmonia Mundi, 1984.
Latino: Aqui Se
Puede.
Montuno, 1986.
Samba de Flora. Montuno,
1988.
Struck by
Lightning.
Venture, 1990.
The Other Side
of This.
Rykodisc, 1992.
Airto Moreira
and the Gods of Jazz: Killer Bees. B&W (U.K.), 1993.
Jump.
Westwind, 1995.
Revenge of the
Killer Bees. Electric
M.E.L.T. (Switzerland), 1998.
Homeless. M.E.L.T. 2000
(Switzerland), 2000.
Life After That. Narada, 2003.
Airto Live at
the Modern Drummer Festival. Hudson Music, 2009.
Airto Moreira and Flora Purim
Humble People. Concord,
1985.
Three-Way Mirror
(with
Joe Farrell). Reference Recordings, 1987.
The Magicians. Concord,
1986.
The Sun Is Out. Concord,
1987.
The Colours of
Life.
In+Out Records, 1988.
Live in
Berkeley.
Airflow, 2012.
Jacob Anderskov
and Airto Moreira
Ears to the
Ground.
ILK Music, 2008.
Chick Corea,
Eddie Gomez and Airto Moreira
The Boston
Three Party.
Universal (Japan), 2007.
Fourth World
(Airto, Flora, José Neto & others)
Fourth World. B&W,
1992.
Live in South
Africa 1993.
B&W, 1993.
Encounters of
the Fourth World. B&W, 1995.
Last Journey of
the Fourth World. B&W, 1998.
Mickey Hart,
Airto Moreira, and Flora Purim
Dafos. Rykodisc,
1982.
Mickey Hart
(with Airto and others)
The Rhythm
Devils Play River Music: Apocalypse Now Sessions. Rykodisc,
1980.
At the Edge. Rykodisc, 1990.
Planet Drum. Rykodisc,
1991.
Mickey Hart's
Mystery Box.
Rykodisc, 1996.
Flora Purim
(with Airto)
Butterfly
Dreams.
Milestone, 1973.
500
Miles High. Milestone, 1974.
Stories
To Tell. Milestone,
1974.
Open
Your Eyes You Can Fly. Milestone,
1976.
Encounter. Milestone, 1976.
Nothing
Will Be as It Was...Tomorrow. Warner,
1977.
Everyday
Everynight. Warner,
1978.
That's
What She Said. Milestone,
1978.
Carry On. Warner, 1979
The
Midnight Sun. Virgin, 1988.
Queen
of the Night. Sound Wave,
1992.
Speed
of Light. B&W
Music, 1995.
Flora
Purim sings Milton Nascimento. Narada,
2000.
Perpetual
Emotion. Narada,
2001.
Speak No Evil. Narada, 2003.
Flora's Song. Narada, 2005.
Flora's Song. Narada, 2005.
Return to
Forever (with Airto)
Return to
Forever.
ECM, 1972.
Light as a
Feather.
Polydor, 1973.
Quarteto Novo
(with Airto)
Quarteto Novo. EMI (Brazil),
1967.
Sambalanço Trio
(with Airto)
Sambalanço Trio. Audio Fidelity (Brazil), 1964.
À Vontade Mesmo (with Raul de Souza). RCA Victor (Brazil),
1965.
Reencontro com Sambalanço Trio. Som Maior (Brazil), 1965.
Lennie Dale & Sambalanço Trio no Zum Zum. Som Maior (Brazil), 1965.
Sambalanço Trio. Som Maior (Brazil), 1965.
Sambrasa Trio (with Airto)
Em Som Maior. Som Maior (Brazil), 1965.
Weather Report
(with Airto)
Weather Report. Columbia,
1971.
Select Airto Appearances on Other
Recordings
9 O'Clock. 9 O'Clock. Caligola (Italy), 2006.
Cannonball
Adderley. The
Happy People. Capitol,
1970.
_______. The Black Messiah. Capitol, 1972
_______. Soul
of the Bible. Capitol,
1972.
_______.
Big Man. Milestone,
1975
_______.
Lovers. Milestone,
1975.
_______. Phenix. Milestone, 1975
_______.
Music, You All.
Capitol, 1976.
Apocalypse Now (soundtrack). Elektra, 1979.
Gato Barbieri.
Bolivia. Flying Dutchman, 1973.
_______.
Under Fire. Flying
Dutchman, 1973.
_______.
El Gato. Flying
Dutchman, 1975.
George Benson.
White Rabbit. CTI, 1971.
Brecker
Brothers. Détente. Arista, 1980.
Dee Dee
Bridgewater. Just Family. Elektra,
1978.
Donald Byrd. Kofi. Blue Note, 1969.
_______.
Electric Byrd. Blue
Note, 1970.
The
Carpenters. Lovelines. A&M, 1977.
Chicago. Chicago 13. Columbia, 1979.
Stanley
Clarke. Stanley Clarke. Epic, 1974.
_______.
I Wanna Play for You.
Epic, 1979.
Norman
Connors. Dance of Magic. Sequel,
1972.
Chick Corea. Secret Agent. Polydor, 1978.
_______.
Tap Step.
Warner, 1980.
Hank Crawford.
Help Me Make it Through the Night.
Kudu, 1972.
Miles Davis. Bitches Brew. Columbia, 1969.
_______.
Isle of Wight.
Columbia, 1970.
_______.
Miles Davis at Fillmore. Columbia, 1970.
_______.
Live-Evil. Columbia, 1971.
_______.
On the Corner.
Columbia, 1972.
_______.
Big Fun. Columbia,
1974.
_______.
Get Up with It.
Columbia, 1974.
Eumir
Deodato. Prelude. CTI, 1972.
Eumir
Deodato and João Donato. Donato Deodato.
Muse, 1973.
Depeche
Mode. Exciter. Reprise, 2001.
Paul
Desmond. Summertime. A&M, 1968.
_______.
From the Hot Afternoon. A&M,
1969.
_______.
Bridge Over Troubled Water. A&M,
1971.
Al
DiMelola. Soaring Through a Dream.
Manhattan, 1985.
_______.
Cielo e Terra. One Way, 1985.
George
Duke. Feel. MPS, 1974.
_______.
The Aura Will Prevail. MPS, 1975.
_______.
I Love the Blues, She Heard My Cry.
MPS, 1975.
_______.
Liberated Fantasies. MPS, 1976.
_______.
A Brazilian Love Affair. Epic, 1979.
_______.
Snapshot. Warner, 1992.
_______.
Is Love Enough? Warner, 1997.
Elements
(Mark Egan and Danny Gottlieb). Spirit
River. RCA/BMG, 1990.
Gil
Evans. Where Flamingos Fly. Artists
House, 1971.
Joe
Farrell. Outback. CTI, 1971.
_______.
Night Dancing. Warner, 1978.
Stan
Getz. Captain Marvel. Columbia, 1972.
_______.
Best of Two Worlds. Columbia, 1976.
Astrud
Gilberto. Astrud Gilberto with Stanley
Turrentine. Columbia, 1971.
Dizzy
Gillespie. Rhythmstick. CTI, 1990.
Dizzy
Gillespie and the United Nations Orchestra. Live
at the Royal Festival Hall. Enja, 1989.
Herbie
Hancock. Dis is da Drum. Mercury,
1994.
Paul
Horn. Brazilian Images. Black Sun,
1989.
Freddie
Hubbard. First Light. Columbia, 1971.
_______.
Sky Dive. CBS, 1972.
_______.
Polar AC. CTI, 1975.
Bobby
Hutcherson. Color Schemes. Landmark,
1985.
Bob
James. H. Columbia, 1980.
_______.
Flashback Follow Bob James. Tappan
Zee, 1981.
Keith
Jarrett. Expectations. Columbia,
1972.
Antonio
Carlos Jobim. Tide. Polygram, 1970.
_______.
Stone Flower. Epic, 1970.
_______.
Jobim. MCA, 1972.
Chaka
Khan. Chaka. Tattoo/Warner, 1978.
John
Klemmer. Arabesque. MCA, 1978.
_______.
Brazilia. MCA, 1979.
Kodo.
Mondo Head. Red Ink, 2002.
John
McLaughlin. My Goal's Beyond.
Rykodisc, 1970.
Sérgio
Mendes. Primal Roots. A&M, 1972.
_______.
Brasil '88. Elektra, 1978.
Joni
Mitchell. Don Juan's Reckless Daughter.
Asylum, 1977.
Milton
Nascimento. Courage. Polygram, 1968.
_______.
Milton. A&M, 1976.
Hermeto
Pascoal. Brazilian Adventure. Muse,
1972.
_______.
Slaves Mass. Warner, 1977.
Duke
Pearson. I Don't Care Who Knows It.
Blue Note, 1968.
_______.
How Insensitive. Blue Note, 1969.
Dianne
Reeves. Dianne Reeves. Blue Note,
1987.
_______.
Quiet After the Storm. Blue Note,
1995.
Boris
Salchak and Christy Doran. Shaman.
M.E.L.T. 2000, 2000.
Santana.
Borboletta. Columbia, 1974.
_______.
Dance of the Rainbow Serpent.
Columbia, 1975.
Jovino
Santos Neto. Veja o Som (See the Sound).
Adventure Music, 2010.
Wayne
Shorter. Super Nova. Blue Note, 1969.
_______.
Native Dancer. Columbia, 1975.
_______.
High Life. Verve, 1995.
Paul
Simon. Paul Simon. Warner, 1971.
_______.
There Goes Rhymin' Simon. Warner,
1973.
_______.
Hearts and Bones. Warner, 1983.
James
Taylor. That's Why I'm Here.
Columbia, 1985.
Cal
Tjader. Amazonas. Fantasy, 1975.
Transglobal
Underground. International Times.
Nation Records, 1994.
Stanley
Turrentine. Salt Song. CTI, 1971.
_______.
The Sugar Man. CTI, 1973.
McCoy
Tyner. 13th House.
Milestone, 1982.
Geraldo
Vandré and Quarteto Novo. Canto Geral.
Odeon (Brazil), 1968.
Miroslav
Vitous. Magical Shepherd. Warner,
1976.
Narada
Michael Walden. Awakening. Atlantic,
1979.
Grover
Washington, Jr. Inner City Blues.
Kudu Records, 1971.
_______.
All the Kings Horses. Kudu Records,
1972.
Select Airto
Moreira Compositions and Co-Compositions Recorded By Others
9 O'Clock.
"Solo Percussion." 9 O'Clock.
Caligola (Italy), 2006.
Cannonball
Adderley. "The Happy People" (Anatelio). The Happy People. Capitol, 1970.
Betta
Daze. "Kazoulu." Future Earth
(EP). Atlantic Jaxx (U.K.), 1999.
Bellini.
"Celebration Suite." Samba de
Janeiro. Orbit Records (Germany), 1997.
Bond.
"Samba" (Samba de Janeiro). Classified.
Decca, 2004.
Marco
Bosco. "Brazilian Invention," "The Other Side of the Lake."
Tokyo Diary. Koala Records, 1993.
Donald
Byrd. "Xibaba." Electric Byrd.
Blue Note, 1970.
Oscar
Castro-Neves. "Caninana." Live
at Blue Note Tokyo. CT Music (Japan), 2009.
George
Duke. "I C'n Hear That." Liberated
Fantasies. MPS, 1976.
Nicola
Fasano with Pitbull. "Oye Baby" (single). Self, 2010.
Gil
Evans. "Solo." Gil Evans 75th
Birthday Concert. BBC, 2001 (recorded in 1987).
Herbie
Hancock. "Shooz." Dis Is Da
Drum. Mercury, 1994.
The
Heartists. "Belo Horizonti," "Celebration Suite." Belo Horizonti. Atlantic Jaxx (U.K.),
1996.
Kodo.
"Berimbau Jam," "Sange" "Maracatu." Mondo Head. Red Ink, 2002.
Sergio
Mendes. "Misturada." Brasil '88.
Elektra, 1978.
José
Neto. "Waiting for Zakir." Neto.
B&W Music, 1993.
Duke
Pearson. "I Don't Know," "Xibaba." I Don't Care Who Knows It. Blue Note, 1968.
Pitbull.
"Oye Baby." Planet Pit.
Polo Grounds Music, 2011.
David
Ray. "Misturado." Agradecido.
Jonive Records, 2003.
Rhythmatrix.
"Rhythmatrix Interlude." Rhythmatrix.
Rumbling Records (Japan), 2009.
Santana.
"Xibaba." Lotus. Columbia,
1974 (available only as import until 1991).
Jovino
Santos Neto. "Veja o Som (See the Sound)." Veja o Som. Adventure Music, 2010.
Cal
Tjader. "Xibaba." Amazonas.
Fantasy, 1975.
Cal
Tjader and Charlie Byrd. "Tambu: Tombo in 7/4." Tambu. Fantasy, 1973.
Read More:
Read More:
The Brazilian Music Book: Brazil's Singers,Songwriters, and Musicians Tell the Story of Bossa Nova, MPB, and Brazilian Jazz and Pop
(Kindle edition for Kindle, iPad, Galaxy, iPhone, Android, Mac and PC)
(Kindle edition for Kindle, iPad, Galaxy, iPhone, Android, Mac and PC)
by Chris McGowan
Also See:
The Brazilian Sound: Samba, Bossa Nova and the Popular Music of Brazil (available in print and Kindle editions)
