I'm sad to report that the great Brazilian percussonist Naná Vasconcelos has passed away this wednesday, March 9th, after fighting against lung cancer.
He has many solo albums and played with many outstanding artists, like Don Cherry and Collin Walcott (in Codona) and Egberto Gismonti (in various albums).
This is a sad day for music.
Rest in peace, Naná.
Absolutely brilliant percussionist, in jazz, latino and tropicalia. His name is probably included on 1/3 of all Brazilian releases I've got.
I'll never forget that time in late '93 when the drummer in my own band stood mesmerized at the door of our rehearsal space at USF (in Bergen, Norway) and stammeringly whispered at how Vasconcelos was actually handling the Gretsch set he'd just bought for himself. Vasconcelos had been practicing for that night's appearance at the Nattjazz festival (held annually at the very same location) and smiled as he was passing us on his way out, to which my drummer asked "Did you enjoy the kit?", at which Vasconcelos answered "I didn't play it, you know - I just hung out on the stool..."
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
RIP Codona
Collin Walcott (April 24, 1945 – November 8, 1984)
Don Cherry (November 18, 1936 – October 19, 1995)
Naná Vasconcelos (August 2, 1944 - March 9, 2016)
How sad.Originally Posted by Svetonio
Steve F.
www.waysidemusic.com
www.cuneiformrecords.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin
Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]
"Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"
please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.
He also played (and contributed some vocals) on the album As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays
That is terrible news. I have many recordings that feature performances by Vasconcelos. Always enjoyed his music. Even when he was a guest musician on one or two songs, his contribution was never small, and at the same time, never overstated. A truly great and tasteful musician. Rest in peace, Naná.
We're trying to build a monument to show that we were here
It won't be visible through the air
And there won't be any shade to cool the monument to prove that we were here. - Gene Parsons, 1973
I saw him tour with the PMG, and he was awesome.
RIOP Nana
no tunes, no dynamics, no nosebone
RIP NANA VASCONCELOS
Pat Metheny on his FB page. ---'In addition to being one of the best percussionists in this music, Nana was also an amazing, wonderful person. Everywhere he went (berimbau always nestled on his shoulder) he made friends and brought an infectious joy to the people around him. His laugh was contagious and his ability to bring happiness to any situation spilled over to the bandstand. And what an incredible musician. As I moved towards using more and more electricity in the music, I really felt it was important to balance that with natural sound and Nana was able to offer that in a perfect way; including the way he used his voice. We will all really miss Nana!”
RIP... always loved his contributions to everything he appeared on.
I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.
Sad day indeed. First, news of George Martin now THIS. Crap.
So so utterly sad to read this! I was a big Codona fan so i knew of Nana then. And then being a huge Pat Metheny fan I found dozens more reasons to love the man. And then one time I had the opportunity to see the man in person. here is what i wrote on another forum a few months ago:
RIP Codona
Collin Walcott (April 24, 1945 – November 8, 1984)
Don Cherry (November 18, 1936 – October 19, 1995)
Naná Vasconcelos (August 2, 1944 - March 9, 2016)
...I had a similar experience at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, NY back in 83. I was (am) a huge Pat Metheny fan and when I saw that Nana Vasconcelos was going to play outside at the museum I knew i couldn't miss it. I got there early and there were only a few people there. I thought something was wrong. The start time came and went. Eventually people started filing in. I didn't really notice the make-up of the crowd (we New Yorkers get along with everyone) but one fellow puttering on stage had a magnetism to him. He looked right at me and gave me a huge smile. It seems dopey or New Agey but I felt an amazing connection and I swear he beamed about 5000 watts into my soul. Pretty cool roadie, eh? The crowd suddenly surged in. I was the only white guy there. But I was no stranger to that so I hung out. Of course, the "roadie" was Nana. He came out and played his Berimbau and did some of his famous vocalizations--vocals, bird cries, sound effects, etc. Simply sublime. I couldn't believe the SOUNDS he got out of that "little gourd and spindly string affair" with his stick. I already knew that old pieces of junk and crappy instruments could make music when the player had the right mindset and I knew from the Metheny records what a Berimbau could do but I learned a thousand lessons that night. But soon, I realized why the crowd was there, he largely turned the stage over to a series of break dancers and their thundering tracks. I had seen a lot in NYC that summer so I thought I knew what to expect. But these kids were gifted! It was a hell of a show. I was lucky to be there.
We were lucky to have Nana in our lives. Few percussionists FEEL the rhythm as he did. Rest in peace, Nana.
Reading this, I ran out to my car to retrieve my SD card with the Codona albums on it. NP: Codona
Damned cigarettes.
I'm saddened, it's such a shame and a great loss. I saw him several times when he was touring as part of Jan Garbarek's group and I loved the infectious sense of joy and invention in what he played. The berimbau will not see his like again.
Well spoken.
Truly, the man was a magician with a berimbau. He could coax so many sounds out of it. Even when he used his stick only on the gourd he had a range of sounds/effects more akin to a synthesizer. When I saw him I was shocked at how many of the ethereal sounds off the Pat Metheny stuff were in fact, berimbau.
By far my favorite Metheny LP.
Sad ... so sad!.
RIP!.
Pura Vida!.
There are two kinds of music. Good music, and the other kind. ∞
Duke Ellington.
Coincidentally, I just bought this album last week, on good old vinyl, and played it today, on my good old turntable. Wonderful stuff, as expected. RIP Naná.
RIP. A monster percussionist. He could produce countless different rhythms with the berimbau. I'll spin the Codona albums and "Organic Music Society" tonight, in memoriam.
As well as the live album Travels where he again added a touch of vocals.
Travels had the song "Goodbye" which I believe was the first of theirs where they had wordless vocals for the entire melody.
His version of Amazing Grace ("Estupenda Graca") on the Wichita album is bizarre, to say the least.
But a delightful and organic kind of bizarre. At the very least, MY kind of bizarre!
In what way is it bizarre?
Have you heard it? I say it's bizarre because, although the main melody line from the verse is there, there is so much extra added in that it's barely recognisable as the same song as sung by Judy Collins. It's really just an piece of improvised jazz-fusion that happens to use a portion of that tune, if you can manage to pick it out.
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