Manfredo Fest
Encyclopedia
Manfredo Irmin Fest was a legally blind
bossa nova
and jazz pianist and keyboardist
from Brazil
. He was also a famous bandleader
. He was born in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and he died at 63 years old in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA. He was husband of the composer Lili Fest and father of the guitarist Phil Fest.
. His initial musical training had been classical, but at 17 years old, he became interested in the jazz works of George Shearing
and Bill Evans
. At college he gained steady work playing bossa nova in São Paulo
.
In 1961, Fest graduated in piano from the University of Rio Grande do Sul. He also learned to play keyboards and saxophone. One year later, he started his musical career playing in bars, clubs and pubs. In 1963, he recorded his first LP, called Bossa nova, nova bossa. In this album, he counted with Humberto Clayber
(bass), Antonio Pinheiro (drums) and Hector Costita
(saxophone and flute).
In the 1970s he traveled to the United States where he worked with Sérgio Mendes
. His American debut album Jungle Cat was released in 1978. He was relatively obscure, but worked with noteworthy groups including Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
.
In 1999, Fest died after a period in coma. Only his wife, Lili Fest, was with him at that moment.
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
and jazz pianist and keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. He was also a famous bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
. He was born in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and he died at 63 years old in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA. He was husband of the composer Lili Fest and father of the guitarist Phil Fest.
Biography
Manfredo Fest was of German descent: his father was a concert pianist from Germany who taught at University in Porto Alegre. Although he was blind, Fest learned to read music in BrailleBraille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
. His initial musical training had been classical, but at 17 years old, he became interested in the jazz works of George Shearing
George Shearing
Sir George Shearing, OBE was an Anglo-American jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for MGM Records and Capitol Records. The composer of over 300 titles, he had multiple albums on the Billboard charts during the 1950s, 1960s, 1980s and 1990s...
and Bill Evans
Bill Evans
William John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...
. At college he gained steady work playing bossa nova in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
.
In 1961, Fest graduated in piano from the University of Rio Grande do Sul. He also learned to play keyboards and saxophone. One year later, he started his musical career playing in bars, clubs and pubs. In 1963, he recorded his first LP, called Bossa nova, nova bossa. In this album, he counted with Humberto Clayber
Humberto Clayber
Humberto Clayber de Souza is a Brazilian composer and musician. He was considered one of the best Bossa Nova bass player in 1960s and actually is acclaimed as one of the best harmonica players of the world...
(bass), Antonio Pinheiro (drums) and Hector Costita
Hector Costita
Hector Costita is a musician and composer. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. However, he is one of the most famous flutist and saxophonist in Brazilian music...
(saxophone and flute).
In the 1970s he traveled to the United States where he worked with Sérgio Mendes
Sergio Mendes
Sérgio Santos Mendes is a Brazilian musician. He has released over thirty-five albums, and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk....
. His American debut album Jungle Cat was released in 1978. He was relatively obscure, but worked with noteworthy groups including Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones is a primarily instrumental group from the United States, that draws equally on bluegrass, fusion and jazz, sometimes dubbed "blu-bop". The band formed in 1988, initially to perform once on the PBS series Lonesome Pine Specials. The Flecktones have toured extensively...
.
In 1999, Fest died after a period in coma. Only his wife, Lili Fest, was with him at that moment.
Discography
- 1961: Classicos Dos Boleros
- 1963: Bossa nova, nova bossaBossa nova, nova bossaBossa nova, nova bossa is the first album recorded by the Brazilian pianist and composer Manfredo Fest. Released on LP in 1963, this work counts on the musicians Humberto Clayber, Antonio Pinheiro and Hector Costita. It also counts on the participation of the vocal group Titulares do Ritmo on the...
- 1963: Evolução
- 1965: Manfredo Fest Trio
- 1965: Some people
- 1966: Alma brasileira
- 1969: Bossa Rio
- 1970: Alegria
- 1972: Bossa rock blues
- 1976: Brazilian Dorian dream
- 1978: Manifestations
- 1987: Braziliana - DMP Recordings
- 1989: Jungle Cat - DMP Recordings
- 1992: Manfredo Fest and friends
- 1994: Oferenda
- 1995: Começar de novo (To begin again)
- 1996: Fascinating rhythm
- 1997: Amazonas
- 1998: Just Jobim - DMP Recordings [SACD]