Airto Moreira

Airto! Where do I even begin? Maybe I'll discuss some of my favourite albums. I think I'll group them in terms of style or, I don't know, we'll see.

Touching You ... Touching Me

The first half of Amajour might fool you into thinking this is another cheesy jazz album, but just as this thought may start to set in, Joe Farrell comes in with possibly one of the funkiest sax licks you'll ever hear. He takes over the solo section and shortly after is accompanied by simple, catchy background vocals which have been set up by the keyboard. Try not to sing along, I dare you... para pa pa paaa ra pa…

Toque de cuíca is absolutely brilliant. It has the most ambiguous intro you could imagine, I mean, the tune could go absolutely anywhere from here, and then BAM! What is happening? Is he scatting? What?! It's so percussive. His scatting is even funkier than the guitar! What is he saying? I can only discern what I imagine is some form of deconstructed "tamborim, cuíca, ganzá, berimbau" thanks to Azymuth, who wrote the original tune.

Tempos Atras (Dreams Are Real) is cool as shi- (should I use bad words? I think I won't). A groovy intro is followed by a simple, yearning melody. The action picks up after the second chorus and Airto then comes in with his solo; vocal solo, that is. Just listen to that commanding cadence at around the 2:30 mark…

When I first discovered Airto I wrongly believed he was a percussionist "only", so I was amazed to discover he could also sing.

I'm Fine, How Are You?

The arrangements of I'm Fine, How Are You?, Meni Devol and La Tumbadora are just fantastic.

The intro of The Happy People always cracks me up because of the way he corrects the pronunciation of "Brazil". The tune itself never fails to put a smile on my face.

Do you hear those wailings that introduce The Road Is Hard (But We're Going To Make It)? That's Flora Purim with her incredibly distinct voice. Speaking of Flora…

Samba De Flora

You will probably find yourself dancing along to Samba De Flora's contagious rhythms without even noticing.

What a voice Airto has… listen to La Puerta and you will understand. Especially the first time he goes into the chorus singing "pero es que no supiste soportar" and the piano plays that low G, what a heart-shattering delivery. Oh, and the final "dejaste abandonada"…

Flora makes a return on vocals on an incredibly fun arrangement of Ruben Rada's Dedos.

If Yanah Amina doesn't turn you into a fan, then Latin Woman will.

Virgin Land

How good is Stanley's Tune? This is how you start an album. Right from the first couple of bars you know the whole thing is going to be amazing. And don't let the simple melody deceive you, Airto is about to embark on one of the most spectacular vocal solos you will hear. The groove is impeccable.

Virgin Land has a beguiling melody that is carried by the guitar and the voice, and its cadences are occasionally complemented by mystical vocalisations in the background. This time the guitar takes the lead with an incredibly restrained solo; the perfect solo for this tune.

Peasant Dance was written by Milcho Leviev, who also worked closely with Don Ellis, someone who I will definitely be discussing in the future.

Identity

Now, Identity, possibly my favourite album of Airto's. 

The intro of The Magicians (Bruxos) is so heavy that you might momentarily forget this is supposed to be a “jazz” album. We are soon greeted by Airto's voice, which guides us further into the organized chaos. The scatting is back, almost in unison with the guitar, and after bringing it down we find ourselves in another "verse", but this time the guitar is the highlight. Just listen to Gismonti's incredible playing, how it wraps itself around the percussion.

Tales From Home (Lendas) showcases the dynamic sensibilities of the group. My favourite part comes after the solo has disintegrated into a vacuum of cymbals, percussion, vocalisations and bass. The rhythm picks up again and this time we can feel something big is coming. Airto's voice is now orbited by syncopated percussion which soars towards "and all the world will be so free", leaping into another fiery outro.

Identity is a welcome change of pace and a masterful showcase of Brazilian percussion.

Encounter (Encontro No Bar) - here we go again. With an intro like this, you just know we are going to get an unpredictable, chaotic, explosive gem. I think Herbie Hancock might be the one hammering those chords and sweeping those arpeggios in the background (actually, it’s probably Gismonti?) and, in my opinion, they take this tune to a whole other level. Another insane outro which, if you're not careful, will posses your body and make you dance to a frenzy.

Get ready for the next one. Wake Up Song (Baião Do Acordar)/Café is simply incredible. I don't even know what to say... What do I even focus on? Airto's hypnotic singing? The ghostly trombone? The amphibian percussion? The diluvial guitar? The ominous bass? The fleeting piano? What's this? Flora's joining in? Oh, hold on. Wait, a new section? What is happening? Those ascending chords were incredible, let me - They're harmonizing the melody now. And what's that's whistling in the background? What is going on? We still have 5 minutes to go?! Oh come on, yet ANOTHER action-packed section! Ah, I recognize that descending bit from the beginning. We're getting a solo now? The rhythm section is unstoppable... This sounds very different, it must be the Café section? Is that Wayne Shorter?!

Mãe Cambina... I have no words...

I can never decide if Flora On My Mind disrupts the unity (dare I say the identity?) of the album, but it packs so much emotion that it serves as a cohesive ending. 

Seeds On The Ground

Andei (I Walked) is worth a listen even if just for the loud berimbau that sounds throughout.

Flora shines on O Sonho (Moon Dreams), especially in the last 3 minutes. Madness! Genius! 

Papo Furado (Jive Talking) was written by Hermeto Pascoal and it's another one of those characteristically simple-but-fun tunes that Airto so easily brings to life.

Natural Feelings

Alué is a very memorable tune. Simple, but splendid, and as confident as debut tracks can be.

Bebe is another highlight owing to its pervasive atmosphere.

Promises of the Sun

All of the tracks on this album are so unique.

Batucada does what it says on the tin.

Zuei features a very prominent electric guitar, which contributes to a heavy-ish sound that Airto has managed to exploit on numerous occasions.

Promises of the Sun is a rather simple jam that the band manages to pull off effortlessly.

On Candango listen to Airto's vocal mastery and control at 3:35 - it's PERFECT.

La De Casa could easily be on the Identity album. The more I listen to it, the more I like it.

Ruas do Recife is a tune with incredible momentum and this becomes apparent at ~1:05.

The sultry Georgiana has Airto and Flora interweaving vocals in what might be one of my favourite tracks they've ever recorded together. Flora really is incredible. How many singers can command such attention without any lyrics? The break that comes in at 3:10 is well earned and, after a rather heavy section, Flora sees us out. What a voice…

The Colours Of Life

Listen to Partido Alto at full volume; crank it up to eleven.

Fourth World

Africa, Earthquake and Lua are some of my favourites on this album.

Lua in particular is so heavy that not even the flute can lighten the heaviness. However, I also recommend listening to the Lua Flora version from The Sun Is Out. In my opinion it's the superior version, as Flora gives an incredible vocal performance which glides over a very heavy rhythm section, which is especially noticeable as of 4:50.

Latino / Aquí Se Puede

For more of Airto's voice, listen to Aquí Se Puede. The guitar that comes in for the chorus is so good! Also, listen out for the keyboard in the verses and how it dances with the voice. And that little percussion roll at ~0:50.

Jump reminds me of Lua because of how heavy it is and also because of how fantastic Flora sounds on both tunes.

The Return is a superb track, quite unusual for Airto and Flora; not unusual because it’s superb, but because of its style.

Sete Sementes is another track that makes me grin from ear to ear. It's so much fun.

I think most people will recognize the last minute of Tombo.

Other gems include Sâo Francisco River, O Túnel, It's Time For Carnival, Asas Da Imaginação and Olivia (Changes).

I also recommend checking out Flora’s own discography for a whole other set of incredible tunes, such as Dr. Jive (Part 1), From the Lonely Afternoon, Carry On, Samba Michel, I Just Don't Know and Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly.

I'm going to have to stop here because my hands hurt from typing, but I think I've covered everything I wanted to. See you at the next one.