Naná Vasconcelos

Naná Vasconcelos (1944-2016) is a percussionist who was a favourite collaborator of a number of ECM recording artists, including Pat Metheny, Jan Garbarek and fellow Brazilian Egberto Gismonti. He was born in Recife. His father was a professional guitarist, and he began to perform with him on bongo and maracas at local dances from the age of 12. At that age, he needed a special permit to perform in licensed premises and wasn’t allowed to leave the stage. He became interested in jazz listening to artists like Dave Brubeck, Thelonious Monk and Ornette Coleman on ‘Voice of America’, and taught himself to play the drums. It was Brubeck who first interested Vasconcelos in unusual time signatures. He was also influenced by the rhythms used in the ceremonies of the Afro-Brazilian religion, Candomblé. He learned the berimbau in order to play capoeira for a theatre show in Recife in 1964.

While playing at a festival in Rio De Janeiro, he was invited to a party at Milton Nascimento‘s house, where he ended up jamming with Nascimento using pots and pans in the kitchen. This impromptu session led Vasconcelos to stay in Rio and to a productive collaboration with the singer that would last decades. His work with Nascimento led Vasconcelos to become in demand as a session player. A call from Gato Barbieri in 1970 led to international tours and a recording session in New York, which resulted in Barbieri’s album Fénix. Vasconcelos also began to record albums as a band leader. In 1976, he was invited to work with Egberto Gismonti in a duo setting on the multi-instrumentalists debut album for ECM, Dança das Cabeças. Gismonti returned the favour, appearing on Vasconcelos’ own ECM record Saudades from 1979, an album which includes a virtual concerto for berimbau. He also formed a trio Codona with Colin Walcott and Don Cherry, releasing three albums for the label between 1979 and 1982. His association with ECM continued through the 1980s as he teamed up with first Pat Metheny, and then Jan Garbarek.

Vasconcelos was named percussionist of the year by Downbeat magazine for seven years in a row from 1984. He recorded with Eliane Elias in the early 1990s, and also appeared with Caetano Veloso, Yellowjackets, David Sanborn, Orphy Robinson, Nigel Kennedy, Arild Andersen and countless more artists in a prolific career that also earned him eight Grammys. He died of lung cancer in 2015.

Key Recordings:
With Egberto Gismonti, Jan Garbarek, Pat Metheny
Codona (ECM 1978)
Saudades (ECM 1979)