Oscar Castro Neves

Oscar Castro-Neves 15/5/1940 - Rio De Janeiro Is A Gifted Brazilian Musician Settled In The U.S. Since 1966. Besides His Important Contribution To The Movement Usually Known As Bossa Nova He Has Also Taken Part In Projects With Joe Henderson Including Their Performances At The JVC Jazz Festival And Other Great Names Of Jazz Such As Dave Grusin Herbie Hancock Michael Brecker And Others. As A Producer Arranger And Orchestrator He Has Worked In Many Artists' Albums Conducting Some Of Them At The Same Time Wrote Music For American Movies And TV Series. As A Composer Enjoyed Great Success With His "Onde Está Você " Recorded By Various Important Interpreters. Beginning His Musical Discovery Very Early At Six He Already Played A Little Violão And Cavaquinho. With A Group Formed With His Brothers Leo Drums Ico Bass And Mário Piano He Performed In 1954 At Rádio Difusora Petrópolis RJ. The Musicians Interested In Renewing Brazilian Popular Music Were Bringing Classical Influences From Ravel Debussy And Others Incorporating Altered Chords Into The Bittersweet Samba-Canção Of Those Times And Castro-Neves Was Taken By It. Johnny Alf Deeply Influenced By American Jazz Was Presenting His Unusual Piano Playing At Cantina Do César Where Castro-Neves Would Go To Learn From Him As Would All Musicians Who Would Be Known As Bossa Nova Proponents. In 1959 The Nascent Bossa Nova Was Still Called Alternative Names Such As Festival De Samba Moderno Modern Samba Festival In University Presentations And Castro-Neves Joined Those Events In The First Wave. On Carlos Lira's First Album Recorded In 1960 For Philips Castro-Neves's "Chora Tua Tristeza" With Luverci Fiorini Was Included. Forming A New Group Along With His Brothers Ico And Leo He Performed At The Teatro Record's São Paulo SP Festival Nacional De Bossa Nova. They Also Performed At The Noite Do Sambalanço At P.U.C. University São Paulo SP . Gaining Strength The Nascent Movement Caught The Attention Of Philips' Executives Who Released The Album Bossa Nova Mesmo With Castro-Neves's "Chora Tua Tristeza" Interpreted By His Group And "Menina Feia" Recorded By Lúcio Alves . He And His Group Also Accompanied Other Artists On That Album. In 1962 He Took Part In The Historic Carnegie Hall Bossa Nova Festival With A Group Formed Of Percy Wilcox Guitar Ico And Roberto Ponte Drums . He Then Became Friends With Paul Winter With Whom He Would Record His Own Solo Album Oscar! Debuting On Winter's Label Living Music. Still In 1962 Castro-Neves Recorded An LP For Audio Fidelity With Drummer Milton Banana O Ritmo E O Som Da Bossa Nova Which Included Some Of His Own Compositions. He Performed At 1964's Historic Concert At Zum-Zum Nightclub Together With Vinícius De Morais Dorival Caymmi And Quarteto Em Cy. The Show Directed By Aluísio De Oliveira Was Recorded And Released By De Oliveira's Elenco. The Seminal Show O Fino Da Bossa Was Presented At São Paulo's Teatro Paramount Which Would Generate The TV Series Presented By Elis Regina Under The Same Title And Had Alaíde Costa Singing Castro-Neves's "Onde Está Você " Scoring A Hit With It. Castro-Neves's Group Was Also Recorded Live On Some Tracks And Released In 1965 On Several LPs Such As Bossa Nova No Paramount O Fino Da Bossa RGE And A Bossa Nova No Carnegie Hall Audio Fidelity . He Also Composed And Directed The Music For Roberto Farias' Movie Toda Donzela Tem Um Pai Que É Uma Fera And Millor Fernandes/Flávio Rangel's Play Liberdade Liberdade. Tom Jobim Included Castro-Neves's Song "Morrer De Amor" With Luverci Fiorini On His 1966 Album Tom Jobim Apresenta. Castro-Neves Then Headed For The States Where He Joined Sérgio Mendes' Brasil '66 Group. Hired By A&M Through Herb Alpert They Had Immediate Success In Blendin A Commercial Pop Vein Brazilian Jazz And American Popular Styles. When Castro-Neves Joined Them They Had Already Recorded Three Albums And He Took Part On All The Subsequent Ones Departing From Their Fourth Album Fool On The Hill Until 1981. As An Arranger Castro-Neves Worked For Quincy Jones Flora Purim Laurindo Almeida And Others. In 1970 When João Gilberto And Miúcha Were Living In Mexico City He Arranged João Gilberto In Mexico. In 1973 He Recorded For Odeon The LP $Alaíde Costa & Oscar Castro-Neves. In 1982 He Arranged And Directed The Soundtrack For Bruno Barreto's Movie Gabriela Cravo E Canela And Also For Blame It On Rio. He Worked With Yo-Yo Ma On The Cellist's Chart-Topping Tango Album And Played On David Darling's Cycles ECM . He Was A Conductor Producer And Arranger For Ottmar Liebert's Best-Selling Leaning Into The Night Album. Together With Paul Winter They Produced Winter's Albums Common Ground And Missa Gaia. Since 1992 He Has Promoted Brazilian Music Nights At The Hollywood Bowl. He Also Owns Kennis Enterprises Studio. His Discography In The U.S. Includes Tropical Heart More Than Yesterday Maracujá Brazilian Scandals Oscar! Big Band Bossa Nova And Big Band Bossa Nova. ~ Alvaro Neder All Music Guide read less