Sergio & his PERCUSSIONISTS!

[Jilanha]

Can we stop talking about Sergio's GORGEOUS SINGERS(momentarily,of course.) I want to talk about his handsome percussionists. ALL OF THEM-Rubens, Laudir, Dom, Chico, Claudio, Chalo, Paulinho, Sebastiao, Nailton, & Sergio HIMSELF as a percussionist. Rubens Bassini was the CRAZY one who was always shouting.Sebastiao was the bassist turned SERIOUS percussionist in 1977.Chalo was the one who played his CIUCA to sing ONE NOTE SAMBA during Sergio concerts from 1987-1997. Laudir later became a member of CHICAGO.Paulinho is the most popular session percussionist in the music buz.Chico was before 66 and Nailton is Sergio's current percussionist(since 1991-12 YEARS NOW.)DOM is the percussionist/drummer who had started it all.He is the one who was a teacher/mentor to many of the other percussionists I have mentioned.

 

[Harry]

Hi Jill,

Since you're from Philly, perhaps you attended one of the Brasil '66 concerts here. I was at the one they headlined at the Academy of Music around the time of Crystal Illusions. I remember enjoying the evening quite a bit, finally getting a chance to see Sergio, Lani & company in action. Indeed, his percussionists were impressive, and their rhythms were certainly infectious that night, as they always were on record, perhaps even moreso on the live albums.

I still have a newspaper review from the Philadelphia Inquirer. Here's the text:

Brasil '66 Appears Before Mixed Group​

By HOAG LEVINS​

Of The Inquirer Staff​

In a rare moment Sunday night, the Academy of Music became a temporary foot bridge across the generation gap as young and old found common ground in an area where they are usually farthest apart: music. It was a full house, containing as many starched collars as it did bellbottoms, that greeted Sergio Mendes and his Brasil '66 group on their third Philadelphia appearance in as many years. And it was nothing but smiles and mutual delight for all ages who found themselves swaying or tapping along to the jazz-cum-Latin arrangements with catchy rhythms, but gentle impact.

ALPERT PROTEGE
Mendes, who came to fame in 1966 as a protege of Herb Alpert has come into his own right as a star and each number during Sunday's hour-long show was greeted with thundering applause. His music has a strange haunting quality that defies placement in a category. It is an unusual blending of classical, bossa nova and jazz bags Mendes has been in and out of during his years on musical travel from South America to the top of the American musical heap.

STRUCTURE DRAMATIC
The diminutive Brazilian carries a heavy load on stage with only an electric bass and two drummers to back up his piano work. It poses no problem, though, and his liquid finger work and rhythm-within-a-rhythm techniques would make a blind man swear it was really two pianists playing instead of one. The dramatic structures of almost all of Brasil '66's songs such as "What The World Needs Now," and "Norwegian Wood," add a feeling of suspense and a sense of urgency, that lift an audience out of a passive watcher's role. It's drumming fingers and tapping feet all along.

LATIN SPICE
Out front on stage and adding visual appeal are two longhaired vocalists whose sultry lyric work comes near to being vocal erotica. They manage well to project much of the spice that is Latin music into numbers such as "Dock Of The Bay," "Fool On The Hill" and "The Look Of Love." Theirs was one of the most refreshing performances seen at the Academy this year. Accompanying Brasil '66 was Bossa Rio. The sextet did a lively job of loosening the crowd up as the show opened.

COMEDIAN APPEARS
Into a very Latin-oriented sound, similar to Mendes's, the group did well on such numbers as "Eleanor Rigby" and "San Jose". Sandwiched between the music was comedian Don Sherman, who won the audience with his opening "Philadelphia is the gateway to Camden." The balding Sherman, with mutton chop sideburns and a walrus moustache took jabs at religious groups and pulled peals of laughter out of the crowd.

Harry
...remembering a fabulous night at the Academy of Music, online...

 

[Jilanha]

Hello Harry!It's a pleasure to hear from you. I never saw Sergio Mendes & brasil 66 perform in Philly. I am one of the younger Sergio fans.I wasn't born until 1971 and I didn't become a fan until I turned 13 in 1984.It's hard to believe that I Have Been A Sergio Mendes FAN for nearly 20 years now. I'll Never forget the day I "discovered' my mother's copy of YE-ME-LE.My mother is the same age as KAREN PHILIPP.I looked at the back cover photo and I thought to myself "What a strange looking group of people!"But then I listened to the whole album and I was dancing arond my mother's living room. Thanks for sharing the newspaper article.

 

[Trevor]

It was difficult to choose just one.
To me, percussions are so important to the sound.
Which reminds me...
I hope someone can further explain this...
Paulinho da Costa has been on more albums than anyone else. It's as a percussionist, but I hear he is one of the most used studio musicians in history (her-story for you Lani fans).
Someone help me on this, please.
Trevor

 

[Garden State Ken]

Listening to Sergio Mendes afforded me the first opportunity to hear and appreciate the sounds of timbales and congas. Of course, this was before such musical artists/groups as Santana, Steven Stills, Chicago, etc., utilized these instruments in their songs.

Mr. Mendes' musicians were all such consummate professionals. It really is difficult to select just one. However, I will say that I have always been impressed with the great talent of the late Claudio Slon. The man was a phenomenal percussionist. And, Mr. Slon belied the stereotype that all great drummers were lean, ectomorphic types like Buddy Rich, Ginger Baker and Danny Seraphine of Chicago.

Excuse me while I put Pais Tropical on the turntable and listen to Mr. Slon excel (a/k/a "wail") on "Zanzibar"!

 

[Jilanha]

One of the the reasons I had started this post aout Sergio's percussionist is because I am a percussionist myself( a FEMALE percussionist which is RARE.)I am also the daughter of a Brazilian percussionist.My late father was born in Rio de Janiero and came to the U.S.A. in the early 60's when he was 16 years old. NO, my father Never played with Sergio but he had met Sergio on a few occasions. Everybody at this forum is OBSESSing over SERGIO'S GORGEOUS SINGERS. Please give the percussionists the credit that they truly deserve. Sergio and his players have been highly influential in my father's career. I dont think anyone appreciates the true art of playing percussion. Right now I am teaching my five year old daughter Angelea the art of playing percussion since she is of Brazilian and Puerto Rican descent.( Her father is Puerto Rican and I am half Brazilian, half Scandinavian.) Watch out everybody because Angelea is going to be the next Sheila E. !!