The Baden Powell Quartet Live in Paris

Baden Powell was one of the most gifted and influential guitarists of his generation, a true musical voyager who redefined every rule he came across. Having grown up with samba and choro, Powell soon mastered both styles before turning his hand to swing and jazz in order to blend these exciting new forms into the Brazilian repertoire he had been engaging with. By the early 60s he'd met the poet Vinicius de Moraes and the most fruitful period of his compositional career began, with Moraes penning the lyrics to many songs that aimed to go beyond the bossa nova milieu and into cross-genre sounds that included Afro-Brazilian forms like umbanda and candomblé. 

By 1968 Powell had permanently relocated to France, where he began recording with European labels. This concert takes place during his European years, in 1971, and he demonstrates the famous thumb plucking style that gave him such character and versatility, with traditional instruments like the cuica, the pandeiro and the berimbau forming a luscious background layer to the music. His jazz link is also present on his cover of the track "Round Midnight," by Thelonious Monk, a piece he recorded on several occasions. It is rare to come across such a beautiful recording of his genius at work.