Gismonti doing YES & Mahavishnu with Brazilian flavour.... 1974

[Scrotum Scissor]

He mentions that Academia de Danças inspired John to produce Apocalypse.

Wow, I didn't know this at all!

I merely found the common "large-scale scope" of both records fairly reminiscent. I was never among the ones who hated Apocalypse or second-phase Mahavishnu in general, but there's still a way to go to reach the immense layers of a work like Dancas. The latter is a truly artistically "authoritative" piece.

[calyx]

He mentions that Academia de Danças inspired John to produce Apocalypse.

I have no particular inclination to be skeptical about the above, but I'm just wondering how an album copyrighted 1974 (even 1975, some sources claim) could possibly have been an influence on an album recorded in March that same year, and likely composed in the earliest days of 1974. Unless somehow John McL was privy to Egberto's project well prior to release... Maybe he means an earlier album ?

[BobM]

What I find absolutely incredible about EG is his amazing technique on both guitar and piano, let alone his imagination and compositional skills. Incomparable.

[Scrotum Scissor]

^ Valid points for sure, Aymeric - but of course Gismonti was already on his way into orchestrated avant-garde-jazz/rock by the time of Agua e Vinho in '72 and particularly Arvore in '73.

I suppose what was new about the Dancas project was the detailed level of adjusted production and intstrumentation. The ensemble was notably bigger, so he must have had the resources to hire in hands. Recording Matanca do Porco with a string-quartet nearly ruined Som Imaginario in '73 (according to Wagner Tiso's notes on the subject), and they were at that point already "successful" in Brazil. It must have been sheer hell to assemble ambitious and "radical" artistic works like this in the severe bureaucratic circumstances and climate of the junta's regime on politics and culture. The Minas Gerais project of Paulo Coelho and Raul Seixas had resulted in imprisonment and torture as a warning to most artists only a year or two earlier.

[Conti]

I have no particular inclination to be skeptical about the above, but I'm just wondering how an album copyrighted 1974 (even 1975, some sources claim) could possibly have been an influence on an album recorded in March that same year, and likely composed in the earliest days of 1974. Unless somehow John McL was privy to Egberto's project well prior to release... Maybe he means an earlier album ?

Aymeric, of course you have a point, but what I have understood from his interview is that Gismonti and John have in fact had some sort of interaction or musical collaboration before Academia and Apocalypse were even released, either in a John's visit to Brazil or the other way around. Maybe Gismo nti was even playing live that material before releasing it? I don't know. I would take that statement with a grain of salt, anyway. Gismonti can be difficult or picky at times (it reminds me a bit the story that Mike Oldfield would have stolen tubular bells from Christian Vander, which is debatable to say the least).

[Conti]

Ok, I have searched in the web and managed to find the interview (https://violao.org/topic/1044-entrev...erto-gismonti/). This is what Gismonti says about John:

"Voltei ao Brasil com um equipamento imenso e fiz um disco, Academia de Danças, que tinha máquinas acústicas e sinfônicas tocando simultaneamente. Por causa disso, o John McLaughlin guitarrista, que eu não conhecia pessoalmente, me telefonou e disse: 'Acabei de lançar um disco chamado Apocalypse, que tem estilo semelhante ao trabalho lançado por você no Brasil'. Resolvemos fazer uma turnê juntos. Era um som de lata velha que a gente fingia que estava legal e pronto"

Basically I was not correct in stating that one disc influenced the other. Actually, Gismonti says that received a call from John, who told him he had just released an album (Apocalypse) that was very close in spirit to Academia de Danças. So, they decided to make a tour together with a poor sounding equipment.

Never trust your memory, I should have known better. But...what about such tour, was it ever documented? I don't know.

[timehat]

Seems really cool! I went ahead and saved this to do some future listening

[MIO Records]

Well, happy to see people who didn't know this GEM liked it, another VERY IMPORTANT musician from Brazil and might be unknown is Hermeto Pascoal, for example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Oit01_B7w

OR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d24Qq0wpBIY

Enjoy....

M

[flytomars]

Well, happy to see people who didn't know this GEM liked it, another VERY IMPORTANT musician from Brazil and might be unknown is Hermeto Pascoal, for example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Oit01_B7w

OR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d24Qq0wpBIY

Enjoy....

M

I love Zabumbe, was going to mention Hermeto in this thread but figured out that he is more well-known than Gismonti (I think?)
Had the pleasure of seeing Hermeto Live, it was quite an experience

[jkelman]

Hello all,

Not sure if this fantastic album is known to many progressive rock fans, if not, highly recommended:
https://open.spotify.com/album/5HQsY...Tu6-3WEabYj8yQ

If you don't have spotify there is something on youTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKoj8zv_EHI

A real unique voice in guitar world of the 70s...

M

I don't need Spotify...I own the CD and have for a couple of decades. It is, indeed, spectacular stuff (the ECM AdD disc of the two disc set, the other a solo EG set) is also wonderful...

[jkelman]

Well, happy to see people who didn't know this GEM liked it, another VERY IMPORTANT musician from Brazil and might be unknown is Hermeto Pascoal, for example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Oit01_B7w

OR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d24Qq0wpBIY

Enjoy....

M

I'm with you on Pascoal. While I have owned a couple of his albums for a few decades, I righted the wrong and picked up everything I could get for a reasonable price in the past couple years and there's not a single dud amongst them.

For a place to start I'd highly recommend Slaves Mass.

[Marco]

Those interested in Hermeto Pascoal's work will surely love his longtime bass player Itiberê Zwarg's output.

The Itiberê Orquestra Família, an assembly of Itiberê, his children, and students from his música universal workshop has put out the finest albums of Brazilian music in the past 20 years. Sometimes it sounds like Dave Holland's big band playing Hermeto's music. Pedra do Espia is a great place to start with.