Waltel Branco (Paranaguá, November 22, 1929) is a Brazilian conductor, composer and arranger. In Curitiba he formed a jazz band along with his brother Ismael Branco (drums) and with the then revelation Gebran Sabag (piano). In 1949 he went to Rio de Janeiro and then to Cuba, still in his youth, along with singer Lia Ray, to be the arranger, musical director and guitarist of the group that formed. In this country, he had the opportunity to play with Perez Prado, Mongo Santamaria and Chico O'Farrel, helping to create the mix of jazz, Cuban and Brazilian music that changed the salsa and later influenced jazz fusion, of which Waltel is considered one of the precursors.
In the United States, around 1952/53, he joined the trio of drummer Chico Hamilton. Returning to Brazil was of fundamental importance in the format of bossa nova, living in a pension with Joao Gilberto, with whom he played a long partnership, being an arranger and friend ever since.
After a short tour of Europe and Asia, Waltel decided to study music and soundtrack, going back to the United States, where he had contact with the incidental music of the conductor Stanley Wilston and with the guitarist Sal Salvador, who in turn played with Nat King Cole , with whom Waltel came to form a trio, besides producing a disc for the brother Fred Cole and for the daughter Natalie Cole. Later she met singer Peggy Lipton (who married Quincy Jones) and her sister Lede Saint-Clair, whom she married.
With a career agitated by jazz and erudite music, in the midst of great names, he got to know the conductor Henry Mancini and to integrate the team that this one commanded, responsible for several sound tracks and compositions, among them the famous Panther Cor-de -Pink. Still in the United States he worked and recorded with Franco Rosolino, Charles Mariano, Sam Noto, Dizzy Gillespie, Mel Lewis and Max Bennett.
It was in 1963, far from home, the conductor came to meet the businessman Roberto Marinho, who, recognizing his talent, called him to the then young Rede Globo, where he would compose a select team of radio station musicians with Radamés Gnatalli, César Guerra Peixe and Guido de Moraes.
In Rio de Janeiro, he recorded the records Guitarra em Chamas 1 and 2, along with guitarist Baden Powell and, having contact with the then innovative bossa nova, participated in the arrangements of Chega de Saudade, by João Gilberto, with whom he came to work for a long period...
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário