Jazz, soul & blues
Hermeto Pascoal
Hermeto Pascoal (1936-2025), nicknamed “O Bruxo” (the sorcerer), was a multi-instrumentalist genius of Brazilian music. A pianist, accordionist and flautist, he drew music from anything within reach, teapots, toys or his own body. His 1979 concert in Montreux produced one of the greatest records of Brazilian instrumental music.
Hermeto Pascoal, the sorcerer of sounds
1979: the Montreux record
In 1979, Hermeto Pascoal and his group gave the Montreux Jazz Festival a wildly energetic concert, where jazz mixed with forró, samba and chorinho. Warner drew a double live album from it, often cited as one of the peaks of Brazilian instrumental music.
Surrounded by regulars such as bassist Itiberê Zwarg and pianist Jovino Santos Neto, “O Bruxo” unfolded all his art there: limpid melodies, unpredictable breaks, and that taste for making the most unexpected objects sing.
Two magicians, one photo
The paths of Hermeto Pascoal and Chick Corea crossed more than once. In 1978, in São Paulo, a photograph brought them together, alongside guitarist Celso Mendes: two keyboard explorers, one from American jazz, the other from the Brazilian backlands.
