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Egberto Gismonti

Egberto Gismonti was born in 1947 in Carmo, Brazil. He began his formal music studies at the age of six. After studying classical piano for 15 years, he went to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger (orchestration and analysis), and composer Jean Barraqué, a disciple of Schönberg and Webern. Returning to Brazil, Gismonti began to glimpse a reality broader than that of classical music alone. He was attracted by Ravel's ideas of orchestration and chord voicings, as well as by choro, a Brazilian popular instrumental genre where varied kinds of guitars, reeds and percussion are featured. To play this music he made the transition from piano to guitar, beginning on the 6-string classical guitar and switching to the 8-string guitar in 1973. He spent two years experimenting with different tunings and searching for new sounds, which is also reflected in his use of flutes, kalimbas, sho, voice, bells, etc. By the early '70s, he had laid the groundwork for his current conception and was listening to musicians as wide-ranging as Django Reinhardt and Jimi Hendrix. For him, Hendrix's achievements were proof that "popular" and "serious" idioms need not remain opposite poles: "There's no difference between the two kinds of music..." Gismonti's first ECM record, Dança das Cabecas (ECM 1089), a duo LP featuring percussionist Naná Vasconcelos, dating from 1977, was nominated Album Of The Year by Stereo Review and received the Großer Deutscher Schallplattenpreis. Sol do Meio Dia (ECM 1116) found the duo augmented by saxophonist Jan Garbarek, percussionist Collin Walcott and guitarist Ralph Towner; the session following on a tour featuring Gismonti, the Belonging Quartet and Oregon. Gismonti dedicated this album to the Indians of the Xingu region of the Amazon, with whom he had lived for a period of time in the jungle. On his following 1979 ECM recording Solo (ECM 1136), he plays 8-string guitar, piano and bells, expressing a pure and comprehensive view of his music. Tha next album to present Gismonti was a trio recording entitled Magico (ECM 1151) with bassist Charlie Haden and saxophonist Jan Garbarek, recorded in 1979. The same year, the trio toured Europe, including a concert at the Berlin Jazz Festival, and recorded a second Magico album, entitled Folk Songs (ECM 1170). In 1981, Gismonti again toured with Haden and Garbarek, performing throughout Europe. The album Sanfona (ECM 1203/04), is related to the Brazilian roots of his music. It features both group and solo work within the context of a single release.

Gaia Wilmer Large Ensemble: Folia: The Music of Egberto Gismonti

Read "Folia: The Music of Egberto Gismonti" reviewed by Mario Calvitti

by Mario Calvitti
January 30, 2023

L'importanza di Egberto Gismonti come compositore di musica contemporanea ha da tempo travalicato i confini del Brasile, suo paese natale (ma lui è discendente da madre siciliana e padre libanese), dove si è imposto subito come uno degli autori più influenti. La sua musica è un riuscito amalgama di tradizione folkloristica, canzone popolare e classica contemporanea, fin qui proseguendo nella scia di Heitor Villa-Lobos, con in più un deciso allargamento verso il jazz. Da tempo il chitarrista/pianista non ...

Live Review

ECMFest at SFJAZZ

by Harry S. Pariser
November 11, 2019

ECM Fest SFJAZZ San Francisco, California October 24-27, 2019 ECM (Edition of Contemporary Music) is an independent record label founded by in Munich In 1969 Karl Egger, Manfred Eicher and Manfred Scheffner had the brilliant foresight to found ECM (Edition of Contemporary Music) in Munich, Germany. The label has long been known for its tasteful covers and adventurous offerings, including artists such as Keith Jarrett, {{Paul Motian and Meredith Monk. In recent years, ...

Album Review

Haitian Rail: Solarists

Read "Solarists" reviewed by Stefano Merighi

by Stefano Merighi
September 30, 2015

La musica di Haitian Rail si distende al meglio in “Flare Star," diciassette minuti di elaborazione complessa che unisce elementi tematici e improvvisazione collettiva simultanea, in grado di informare sia sulla personalità dei singoli che sulla coesione di gruppo. Il quartetto propone un originale accostamento timbrico tra chitarra elettrica e trombone, sebbene i due strumenti non svettino su quelli della “sezione ritmica," in questo caso paritari nella condotta delle parti. Eppure è questo che rimane impresso all'ascolto ...

Extended Analysis

Carta de Amor

by John Kelman
October 30, 2012

It's sure been a banner year for fans of the ECM label, with a slew of fine new releases from artists including guitarist John Abercrombie (Within a Song), bassist Arild Andersen (Celebration), pianist Tord Gustavsen (The Well), and saxophonist Tim Berne (Snakeoil). Previously out-of-print or never-before-in-print studio recordings from saxophonist Jan Garbarek (Dansere) and pianist Jon Balke (Magnetic Works: 1993-2001 ) are now back in circulation. And, for the first time since bassist Charlie Haden's duet record with pianist/guitarist Egberto ...

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Album Review

Egberto Gismonti: Rarum XI: Selected Recordings

by Michael P. Gladstone
April 19, 2004

Along with eleven others, ECM's Rarum Series has recently chosen to visit the works of the Brazilian musician/composer/ethno-musicologist Egberto Gismonti. After 27 years of recording for this label, Gismonti remains a quixotic and innovative contributor to his countrymen and a worldwide audience.

Originally trained as a pianist, he adapted keyboard techniques for his customized 8, 10 and 14 string guitars and began his studies of the primitive music of the Amazon Indian tribes. After several years of establishing ...

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Recording

Sol Do Meio Dia (ECM 1116)

Source: Between Sound and Space - An ECM Records Resource
January 31, 2011

Egberto Gismonti Sol Do Meio Dia Egberto Gismonti guitars, piano, kalimba, percussion, flute, voice Nana Vasconcelos berimbau, percussion Ralph Towner guitar Collin Walcott tabla Jan Garbarek soprano saxophone Recorded November 1977 at Talent Studio, Oslo Engineer: Jan Erik Kongshaug Produced by Manfred Eicher Inspired by his time spent with the Xingu Indians of the Amazon, to whom the album is also dedicated, Sol Do ...
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Recording

Yeahwon Shin pairs with Egberto Gismonti

Source: Clay Wilson
November 5, 2010

Yeahwon Shin's debut ArtistShare project “Yeahwon," has brought much acclaim from her fans worldwide and as such it is no surprise that the project continued selling participant offers up to the last minute. Yeahwon teams up with Egberto Gismonti, Mark Turner, Kevin Hays, Ben Street, and Jeff Ballard to share her personal reflections on Brazilian classics. Tracks such as Na Baixa do Sapateiro, Aquarela do Brasil, and Chovendo Na Roseira show Yeahwon's incredible talent through both her singing and arranging. ...
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Recording

Yeahwon Shin partners with Egberto Gismonti on "Yeahwon"

Source: Clay Wilson
September 16, 2010

Yeahwon Shin's knowledge of Brazilian music has impressed Korean audiences for some time and now for her fans around the world, Yeahwon has teamed up with Egberto Gismonti, Mark Turner, Kevin Hays, Ben Street, and Jeff Ballard to create “Yeahwon." This project showcases her intimate understanding of the music through originals, traditional Brazilian compositions, and Korean songs arranged in a Brazilian style. To preview four tunes from Yeahwon's first fan-funded project through ArtistShare, simply redeem your certificate log in number ...
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Recording

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