R.I.P. Dom Um Romão

[Harry]

Photo from Brasil '66 Tour Book​

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=6721

Dom Um Romão, Brazilian drummer and percussionist, dies at 79
Posted: 2005-07-27

Dom Um Romão, legendary brazilian drummer and percussionist, with famous associations w. Cannonball Adderley, Flora Purim, Sérgio Mendes, Weather Report and many other cats, died yesterday, at 79, at his sisters home, in Rio de Janeiro.
David Benechis, jazz reviewer Rio de Janeiro, Brazil For complete jazz news in Brazil (portuguese language), visit www.cjub.com.br, the most celebrated forum of jazz journalists, reviewers and educators in the country, suc as luminaires like José Domingos Raffaelli, Luiz Orlando Carneiro, Luiz Carlos Antunes and Arlindo Coutinho, besides many others.

Truly sad news, he'll be missed. But his infectious rhythms will live on in the many recordings he graced us with.

Here's a recent photo of Dom pictured with Arnie DeSouteiro around the time of the 2002 re-issues Sergio Mendes' albums. Arnie sent the photo to myself and B.J.Major who assisted Arnie on some original liner note information.

Harry
...saddened by the news of the loss of another great one, online...

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Sad news indeed. While I'm sure many here will talk about the Brasil '66 stuff that Dom was on, I would recommend some other recordings that he also excelled on. First was The Complete Muse Recordings, which was reissued on 32 Jazz back in 1999. These included his Dom Um Romao and Spirit Of The Times albums. Great Brazilian jazz! I would also recommend Weather Report's Mysterious Traveller album, which was remastered and reissued a couple of years ago. Dom was a major force on this album. A great talent that will be missed.

And I still think Dom would've made a great Klingon on the Star Trek series.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Rudy]

R.I.P.

He was also Jobim's personal drummer in his pre-Brasil '66 days. I remember Stan Cornyn's liner notes for the Sinatra/Jobim album, saying he looked like a "road company Buddhist".

His "Hotmosphere" album is a good one, and still available on CD.

 

[Cortnee]

Yes, I,m a truly and deeply saddened by the loss of the phenomenal Dom Um Romao, he's was the greatest Brazilian drummer/percussionist of all time. Here's another link that tells us a little more http://www.pas.org/News/

Here's where I'm a little confused though, he suffered a stroke during a recording session on July 24th, but yet he had died at his sister's home in Rio De janiero on July 26th. Why wasn't he in the hospital?Something is HORRIBLY WRONG here...................

 

[TulitaPepsi]

Cortnee, maybe the stroke was so severe that there was nothing his family could do.

Better to go that way - during something he loved - than lingering in a hospital or nursing home for weeks, months or years. R.I.P, Dom - he wasn't old!

(and this IS Dom who's always shouting "Go Go Go!!" " YeeeAAAHH!" in the background on LIVE AT the EXPO '70, right?)

 

[Harry]

Thanks Cortnee. The text of that article is:

In Memoriam
Dom Um Romao
August 3, 1925 - July 27, 2005

Dom Um Romao died at age 79 following a stroke suffered during a recording session on July 24. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Romao began working professionally at age 16. During the early 1960s he performed with Sergio Mendes, and in 1962 he recorded with Mendes and Cannonball Adderley. Romao moved to the U.S. in the mid-'60s, first working in Chicago with Oscar Brown Jr. and then touring internationally with Mendes and Brazil 66 from 1967-70. Romao was the percussionist in Weather Report from 1971-74, after which he settled in New York. In 1977 he appeared on the album Percussion Profiles with Colin Walcott, Jack DeJohnette, Pierre Favre, Fredy Studer and David Friedman, and he also performed and recorded with the Swiss group Om. During his career, he also worked and/or recorded with such artists as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Helen Merrill, McCoy Tyner, Ron Carter, Astrud Gilberto, Walter Wanderley, Stanley Turrentine, Flora Purim, Luiz Henrique and Ithamara Koorax.

Harry

 

[Cortnee]

Cortnee, maybe the stroke was so severe that there was nothing his family could do.

Better to go that way - during something he loved - than lingering in a hospital or nursing home for weeks, months or years. R.I.P, Dom - he wasn't old!

(and this IS Dom who's always shouting "Go Go Go!!" " YeeeAAAHH!" in the background on LIVE AT the EXPO '70, right?)

I didn't expect his family to do anything, but he still could have went to the hospital at least. Maybe he did end up going to the the hospital, but the numbskull doctors released him WAY TOO soon. I know about strokes because my 78 year grandmother has had 3 of them within the last 15 years.I highly doubt that Brazil's medical care is that much different from the one we have up here in the States. Anyway, it sounds like MEDICAL MALPRACTICE.

However MasterLcZ, you do have a very good point though about Dom dying while doing something he had loved. I also do agree with you as far as Dom being better off dying as opposed to being stuck lingering in a nursing home for a long time. Rosinha de Valenca had a stroke either in 1990 or 1992 and she was in a coma until her death on June 10th, 2004. I wouldn't want to see Dom in that situation at ALL.

As far as Dom being old, yeah he was kind of old CHRONOLOGICALLY, but he was YOUNG BOTH IN SPIRIT & IN HEART. Listen to his cd LAKE of PERSEVERANCE and that is proof of he "YOUNG" he really was. When it came to making music, Dom Um was OPEN-MINDED & ADVENTUROUS and he didn't allow any barriers to overwhelm him which has made Dom Um Romao a truly remarkable artist.

 

[Cortnee]

Of course with Dom's passing, he's the final member of the 2nd version of the Brasil 66 rhythm section to leave us, thus definitely making a Brasil 66 reunion IMPOSSIBLE.Let's see, who is still alive today?
Sergio Mendes, Gracinha leporace, Karen Philipp-Proft, Lani Hall, Janis Hansen, Oscar Castro Neves, Laudir Soares De oliveira, Joao Palma, Jose Soares, & John Pisano.

I'm not so sure about Bob Matthews, didn't somone say that he died a while back or was that just a joke?

But farewell to Rubens, Sebastiao, Claudio, Bibi, and Dom.( Even though Bibi Vogel wasn't even with Brasil 66 for even a year, but she sure was BEAUTIFUL!)I never even heard her sing either, how was she?

 

[JMK]

We've been gone on our big summer vacation, and I just returned to see this. Very sad. Still skimming and catching up, so maybe this has been mentioned above, but Dom was Flora Purim's first husband (guess she has a thing for drummers, eh?).

 

[Cortnee]

We've been gone on our big summer vacation, and I just returned to see this. Very sad. Still skimming and catching up, so maybe this has been mentioned above, but Dom was Flora Purim's first husband (guess she has a thing for drummers, eh?).

No, actually Dom wasn't Flora's 1st husband, he was actually her 2nd husband( according to Dianna Moreira-Booker, Flora's daughter with Airto).

 

[JMK]

Maybe I misunderstood Flora when she told me he was her first husband (or at least that's what I remember her saying). We had been discussing Sergio & Lani when she brought up Dom.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Here's an obit from the Jazz Times site:

Drummer Dom Um Romao Dies

Portuguese drummer Dom Um Romao died July 26 in Rio de Janeiro of a cerebral hemmorage. He was 79.

Born on Aug. 3, 1925 in Rio de Janeiro, Romao was an influential bossa nova musician who began his career playing cabarets in the 1940s. He also played in Radio Tupi’s orchestra and in 1955, formed the Copa Trio in Copacabana with pianist Toninho and bassist Manuel Gusmao. In 1958, he worked with Elizeth Cardoso on the seminal Cancao do Amor Demais and in 1961, Romao began playing with Sergio Mendes and his Brazilian Jazz Sextet. The following year, he participated in the Bossa Nova Festival at Carnegie Hall with Mendes’ Bossa Rio Sextet. That same year, recorded with Cannonball Adderley on Adderley’s Cannonball’s Bossa Nova.

In 1965, Romao contributed to then-wife Flora Purim’s debut album, Flora E MPB and, later that year, was invited to the United States where he performed with Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz. After leaving Mendes’ group, Romao recorded The Movie Song Album with Tony Bennett, and in 1971, joined Weather Report, replacing Airto Moreira. He released his self-titled solo album in 1972 and his first American album, I Sing the Body Electric in 1971 with Weather Report.

Although Romao moved to Switzerland in the early 1980s, his Dom Um Romao Quintet continued to perform abroad and release albums, including 1993’s Saudades and 1998’s Rhythm Traveller.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Al A-S]

As noted above, there are some wonderful Dom performances outside both the Brasil '66 realm and his own recordings. Certainly the Sinatra/Jobim album is a high-water mark-- astonishing how he could fit his sound into the Ogerman arrangements, yet swing the hell out of 'em at the same time.

If you're a Romao cuckoo, you may know about a trio of earlier (1965) appearances on a pair of Andy Williams records-- with Jobim, by the way.
From "Andy Williams' Newest Hits", there's a Robert Mersey-arranged "Corcovado". And "Meditation" and "How Insensitive" (Mersey again) are part of "The Shadow of Your Smile". Uncredited performances all, and each a terrific example of classic Dom bossa swing. Jobim plays guitar on all these tunes, I believe. Even if you can't possibly stand Williams (I like him, so there!), I promise you the Romao/Jobim pieces make finding these records worth the effort. Enjoy!

 

[Cortnee]

Dom Um Romao was so legendary, he had even gotten the privelage to play with another music legend- Mr. Quincy Jones!

 

[Brasil_Nut]

Wow...this is very sad news. Mr. Romao was truly a kind spirit with a good heart. I remember meeting him after a Brasil '66 concert back in the early '70s. He was so genuine, friendly and warm. I remember this because he had an unusual appearance, and I recall being a bit nervous about seeing him in person. However, after watching his infectious style on stage, I was very happy to meet him face-to-face. Dom had an amazing smile and a glint in his eye. What a nice, gentle and genuine person he was!

His talent is unmatched in the world of Brasilian music. Dom will be missed. To his family and friends, our good thoughts and prayers go out to all of you.

Jon

 

[JMK]

Re: Andy Williams. Andy actually had a major, though largely unheralded, influence on bringing Brasilian music to a wider audience through his first, long-running NBC variety show (and to a lesser extent, the second, shorter-running one). Andy of course had (minor) hits with Dorival Caymmi's "And Roses and Roses" and Marcos Valle's "The Face I Love." Andy promoted Marcos on his show as well as Quarteto em Cy under their Americanized name The Girls from Bahia. And let's not forget that Janis Hansen was working on the Williams show when she was hired by Sergio!

 

[Cortnee]

Mr. Romao was truly a kind spirit with a good heart. I remember meeting him after a Brasil '66 concert back in the early '70s. He was so genuine, friendly and warm. I remember this because he had an unusual appearance, and I recall being a bit nervous about seeing him in person. Dom had an amazing smile and a glint in his eye. What a nice, gentle and genuine person he was!

His talent is unmatched in the world of Brasilian music. Dom will be missed. To his family and friends, our good thoughts and prayers go out to all of you.

Jon

True, very true. Dom um did have an unique appearance about him. But it was his exotic physical quality to had drawn me to listen to a B66 album.He did not look like a regular normal black man, because he was not a regular, normal black man.He was an Afro-Brazilian, and Brazil is nothing but a melting pot country just like The United States & Canada.Brazilians R BEAUTIFUL, ATTRACTIVE, EXOTIC LOOKING CREATURES.

As for his smile, Dom Um is the one who seemed to be smiling the most in the various album covers of B66. His smile always made me feel good about the group because at times the other members of b66 either had a serious look or they were scowling, or they had phony smiles.

Dom um Romao is the greatest Brazilian drummer of all time and he was indeed a great friend to many of his fellow musician peers.He was always willing to give his talent and support to people like Elis Regina, Astrud Gilberto, Quarteto Em Cy, Jorge Ben, and many others. However he was poorly underrated and he never recieved the recognition that he had sorely deserved and earned which is quite unfortunate. As far as i'm concerned, Dom Um deserves a tribute and I'll be anxiouisly waiting to see one come one day.

 

[Al A-S]

Re: JMK's Andy Williams comments above--

Not to mention that one of Jobim's all too rare appearances on American television was on the hugely popular Williams show of the period. The "Best of The Andy Williams Show" DVD/video is a prize just for those moments. Didn't know that about Janis Hansen there, JMK.

As I inferred, I'm a longtime (40-plus years), unapologetic Williams fan. Indeed, it was his versions of "Meditations" and "How Insensitive" which introduced me to Jobim's-- and by extension Romao's-- music. Which led me to "The Composer Plays", Brasil '66, "Wave", Desmond's "From The Hot Afternoon", Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock-- odd (and wonderful) where little musical doorways can lead, isn't it?

And however seemingly OT, JMK, thanks for the Andy appreciation.

 

[Dave]

I don't think any references to Andy Williams here is O/T (Off-Topic) as I, too, am a long-time Andy fan and have found still-sealed copies of nearly all of his albums on vinyl, just as they were coming out on CD's... The Brasilian-rhythm/Bossa-Nova experimentation on some of the songs from the albums, In The Arms of Love and especially, The Shadow Of Your Smile and even a few other albums he made during that time-period are I think just amazing and totally awesome! Andy should have made an album in Brasil... (as he did in Hawaii: Aloha From Hawaii...; and in Paris: Under Paris Skies, produced by Quincy Jones...)

Dom Um Romão (who might be from Brasil's North-East Coast) actually appeared on Herbie Mann's Brasil Once Again LP, playing percussion, back in '78--which featured the song dedicated to professional Brasilian Soccer player, also from Brasil's N/E Coast, "Pèle"!


Dave

 

[Al A-S]

Dave, I think it would've been no less than fabulous had Andy recorded an all-Brazil (all-Jobim?) album. Often wondered whether the released tracks with Jobim and Romao were the only ones recorded. And it always seemed especially appropriate for Williams and Robert Mersey to go the extra mile in inviting Jobim and Romao to perform the Jobim tunes on "Shadow of Your Smile". Their prescence lent an authenticity to the readings of Meditations and How Insensitive utterly missing from other contemporary interpretations.

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

I had no idea Andy Williams ever recorded with Jobim or Dom - how many tracks are we talking about from these various albums? Enough for a compilation?...

 

[Al A-S]

Far as I know, there were only the three tracks I mentioned above: Meditations and How Insensitive from The Shadow Of Your Smile (1965), which makes specific note of Jobim's appearances on his own compositions. Dom is not mentioned, but the drumwork is unmistakably his. The other Jobim/Romao appearance with Andy is from Andy Williams' Newest Hits (also 1965) wherein Andy's pretty reading of Corcovado is made all the more delightful by the composer's guitar and Dom's gently propulsive, absolutely classic bossa traps.
I rather think all these tunes were recorded at the same session(s). Again, I don't know whether any unreleased tracks exist. Perhaps Mr. Williams remembers, as he seemed at the time to have a genuine appreciation for Jobim's music.