Apart from the fact that this story tells us that even the greatest musicians still attend concerts it shows the high esteem of other fellow professionals towads the music of HERMETO PASCOAL. His impact especially on Brazilian music extends well beyond his own hefty output as a writer an multiinstrumentalist. As the father-figure for vanguard Brazilian Jazz, Pascoal's pioneering music has prepped a generation of musicians who are now having a great deal to say about the direction of the American music scene. The Pascoal lesson is a memorable one, and students like Flora Purim, Airto Moreira, Milton Nascimento and Hugo Fatteruso don't forget. Airto, Down Beat's number one percussionist for the last seven consecutive years recently had this to say about his mentor: "He is the most complete musician I ever met in my life. I consider him almost a genius".

Born in 1936 in Lagoa da Canoa, a small town in northeastern Brazil, Pascoal, some will tell you is a primitive man. A man of the jungle. A enigme. A mystical presence. A folk hero. Musically they all agree, he is nothing less than fascinating. His rputation in Brazil is the result of a varied career. As a juvenile he learned to play the flute, appearing on a multitude of occasions. When his family moved to Recife in 1950 he spent the following six years as an accordeon player for radio stations, ending as the director of a complete orchestra. Pascoal then moved on to Rio, stunned by the possibilities and musical opportunities arising for him.

In 1964 he joined Aito Moreira in a group called "Trio Sambraza". Two years later, again with Airto, a first record was released in Brazil with the "Quarteto Novo". When in 1969 the group broke up and Airto Moreira left for the States to play with Miles Davis, Hermeto stayed behind. Pascoals' International career began two years later. Airto called him to arrange his productions in New York. Miles Davis, who was fascinated by the wilfulness of Brazilian and especially Pascoals music gave him room fo two compositions of his own on the albm "Live Evil". In the same year 1972, Hermeto Pascoals first album, together with Flora Purim, Airto Moreira and Ron Carter was released; called "Hermeto".

Due to the recognition Pascoal received in the States, the Brazilian record industry's interest grew rapidly. In 1973 he released an album called "A Musica Livre De Hermeto Pascoal". It was due to his innovative power, his restlessness, his search for unconventional musical instruments – bottles, stones and almost everything else thet could create sounds – that people started calling him "Bruxo", the wizard. His masterpiece, a milestone in the Brazilian musicworld, was the album "Slaves Mass", released 1977. Many other relaeses followed after this breakthrough.

His album "So Nao Toca Quem Nao Quer" gives many hints to the extremeness of the Brazilian world. His music is settled in the surroundings of jazz, rock and experimentl, popular and traditional Brazilian musicstyles. He resembles ultimately what worl music is and can be. Based on the traditional elements of Brazilian music, Pascoal steps into a much larger environment, approaching a music of the world. His music is free of any fast passing trends, incorporating past, present and future elements. Pascoal is one of the most important Brazilian instrumentalists with a music that is truly original, surprising and fascinating.

There are only a few musicians in the world who are, let's take term "out of control". But these few have the capacity to cerate something genuinly new for a music of the nineties. Hermeto Pascoal in one of them.

Discography