Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Hermeto Pascoal: No Mundo Dos Sons

Hermeto Pascoal: No Mundo Dos Sons

By Harry S. Pariser
October 12, 2017
View read count

The packaging for the two-CD set from Brazil's

Hermeto Pascoal

flute
b.1936

" data-original-title="" title="">Hermeto Pascoal, an 81-year-old multi-instrumentalist, shines of its own accord. Its trifold paper cover, unfolds like a lotus to reveal two CDs and a sleeve containing a large fold-out glossy paper. The insert unfolds to read "Hermeto Pascoal & Grupo," along with the title No Mundo Dos Sons. The reverse side has the details of each track in Portuguese. Homage is paid, in terms of song titles (a type of "shout out"), to artists as diverse as

Antonio Carlos Jobim

piano
1927 - 1994

" data-original-title="" title="">Antonio Carlos Jobim,

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis,

Sivuca

accordion
1930 - 2006

" data-original-title="" title="">Sivuca (the late a Brazilian accordionist and guitarist), Astor Piazzolla,

Chick Corea

piano
1941 - 2021

" data-original-title="" title="">Chick Corea,

Thad Jones

trumpet
1923 - 1986

" data-original-title="" title="">Thad Jones and

Ron Carter

bass
b.1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Ron Carter. Spin either of the two CDs and you are in for a treat.

Wide ranging and eclectic, Pascoal is known as "The Wizard" because he can extract a sound from anything. While one cannot always be sure exactly what instrument in his arsenal he is deploying at any particular point in time, the results are marvelous, defying easy (or any) categorization. The 18 tracks, each of which have their own distinct personality and character, include elements of traditional jazz Brazilian jazz, traditional Brazilian music, pop, African, symphonic element, as well as music from Pascoal's cerebrum. All are imbued with Pascoal's tools of the trade—whistles, screams, scales, keyboard, kettles, spoons, squeeze toys, children's voices, prepared piano and geese calls.

Band members—whose ranks include such standouts as Jo?o Paulo Ramos Barbosa ("Jota P") and

Itiberê Zwarg

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Itiberê Zwarg —add Brazil's pandeiro, surdo, caixa, apitos, bonecos and agogos, as well as more conventional Western instruments such as soprano and tenor saxophones, flute, electric piano, electric bass and other instruments. Musicians and genres such as

Terry Riley

composer / conductor
b.1935

" data-original-title="" title="">Terry Riley,

Frank Zappa

guitar, electric
1940 - 1993

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Zappa,

Weather Report

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Weather Report, Javanese gamelan and Indonesian kulintang,

Philip Glass

composer / conductor
b.1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Philip Glass and others come to mind, but there is no real overlap: Pascoal has his own special brew.

No Mundo Dos Sons (Selo Sesc, 2017) is Pascoal's first recording with his band in 15 years. He recently told Brazil's Anoticia that "My music is not commercial; it's not like selling bananas or soap. I'm not in a hurry to record. My whole life is to do shows.... I have a frightening amount of music, almost 9,000 compositions on paper. But do not confuse quantity with quality, see? I always worry about quality."

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

CD1: Vivo S?o Paulo!; Vinícius Dorin Em Búzios; Para Thad Jones; Para Miles Davis; Mazinho Tocando No Coreto; Viva Piazzolla!; Forró Da Gota Para Sivuca; Carlos Malta Tupizando; Som Da Aura.

CD2: Entrando Pelos Canos; Para Tom Jobim; Ilza Nova; Salve, Pernambuco Percuss?o!; Viva Edu Lobo!; Para Ron Carter; De Fabio Para Jovino Santos; Um Abra?o Chick Corea; Rafael Amor Eterno; Rafael Accioli Pascoal.

Personnel

Hermeto Pascoal

flute

Hermeto Pascoal: percussion, piano; Ajurinh? Zwarg: drums; Itiberê Zwarg: bass; Fabio Pascoal: percussion; Jota P.: woodwinds; André Marques: piano

Album information

Title: No Mundo Dos Sons | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: Selo Sesc

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Kami Fusen
< Previous

Songbook Volume 1
Next >

Hermeto Pascoal Concerts

Sep 18 Thu

Hermeto Pascoal

Place Des Arts - Cinquième Salle
Montréal, Canada

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.