Description
Even in the creative hothouse of Brazilian music, Hermeto Pascoal stands out as a particularly distinctive character. Affectionately known as “O Bruxo” (The Sorcerer), the ingenius composer and instrumentalist has cultivated a dazzlingly rich musical universe that draws on folkloric styles like frevo, xaxado and forro, with elements of jazz, rock and other musics. Pascoal cuts a fantastical figure on stage, with his translucent albino skin and flowing white hair, rushing from instrument to instrument. A prodigy on flute and accordion, Pascoal formed a series of influential groups in the mid ‘60s with percussionist Airto Moreira, including Sambrasa Trio and Quarteto Novo, which sought to reinterpret the styles of northeastern Brazil through a jazz sensibility. By the end of the decade he was performing and recording with Miles Davis and winning a cult following among luminaries like Gil Evans and Lyle Mays. Meanwhile, Airto became a legend as part of Chick Corea’s original Return to Forever band in 1972. Pascoal appears in the Bay Area on rare occasion, and this performance is an opportunity to hear one of the major figures at the crossroads of Brazilian music and jazz history.
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