Laurindo Almeida – The Most Legendary Jazz Music Guitarist Ever!
The international acclaim of audiences and music critics alike has recognized Laurindo Almeida (1917-1995) as one of the industry’s truly stellar concert guitar players, and yet he is also well remembered as a showcased soloist with the Modern Jazz Quartet on two critically acclaimed world tours. From Beethoven and Bach to Bossa Nova, Broadway hits and jazz standards — all of these kinds of guitar music are an element of his seemingly limitless performance repertoire. Many of Laurindo’s guitar arrangements are available in his collection books of jazz guitar tabs and jazz guitar tablatures. Most appreciably, he did it all with outstanding talent and artistry.
Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, he acquired his initial musical training on the piano from his mother who was a concert pianist. His sister Maria was the family guitar student, but it was Laurindo who was to master the classical guitar and eventually become a virtuoso on the instrument as well as one of Brazil’s most highly acclaimed musicians.
Leaving a successful profession in live concert and radio performance in Brazil, he relocated to Hollywood, California in 1947 where he worked for a year performing concert events and movie work. But jazz lured him to the orchestra of the innovative jazz musician Stan Kenton. He presented to Kenton, and the world, his new and innovative conception, Bossa Nova. His world premier presentations of Pete Rugulo’s “Lament” and his own “Amazonia” at the Chicago Opera House and Carnegie Hall drew serious acclaim! Today’s jazz guitar performers still remain guided by the revolutionary ideas he introduced during the Stan Kenton years.
Capitol and Decca record companies spearheaded new triumphs for Almeida’s superlative live performance career with classical guitar recordings. He was selected for world premier recordings of works by two of Brazil’s best composers, “Concerto for Guitar” by Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Radames Gnattali’s “Concerto de Copacabana.” Almeida has more than 200 compositions to his credit in addition to many transcriptions and arrangements of the classics for guitar.
A consistent champion in Downbeat and Playboy magazines jazz polls and a Film Poll champion since 1947, Laurindo was nominated 16 different times by The Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and won 5 Grammy awards. For one Grammy, his composition “Discantus for Three Guitars” tied with Igor Stravinsky’s “Moments for Piano and Orchestra” for Best Contemporary Composition. Amongst the many nationwide and international citations he acquired was a Certificate of Honor for having the distinction of becoming a “reference file” in the Library of Congress, Washington, DC, where all of the manuscripts will eventually reside. All told, Laurindo Almeida was a consumate guitar performer and musician of the highest order whose legacy will continue for all time! Luckily, for aspiring guitarists Laurindo published numerous collection books of his guitar arrangements and transcriptions that are still available today!
Peabody Conservatory trained guitarist Steven Herron helps people become better guitar players His company ChordMelody.com features an enormous selection of jazz guitar tablatures
as well as instructional DVDs by Laurindo Almeida himself. Find out more and claim Steven’s popular free monthly guitar lesson e-course available at: =>
Laurindo Almeida guitar tabs
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