Manfredo Irmin Fest (May 13, 1936 – October 8, 1999) was a

bossa nova Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovativ ...

and jazz pianist, keyboardist, and bandleader from Brazil. Legally blind, he was born in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and he died at 63 years old in Tampa Bay, Florida. He was husband of the composer Lili Fest and father of the guitarist Phill 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 Braille. 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 William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

. 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 Hector Costita (born October 27, 1934) 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. He performed and recorded with Lalo Schifrin, Manfredo Fe ...

(saxophone and flute). In the 1970s he traveled to the United States where he worked with Sérgio Mendes. His American debut album ''Manifestations'' was released in 1978. He was relatively obscure, but worked with noteworthy groups including

Béla Fleck and the Flecktones Béla may refer to: * Béla (crater), an elongated lunar crater * Béla (given name), a common Hungarian male given name See also * Bela (disambiguation) * Belá (disambiguation) * Bělá (disambiguation) Bělá, derived from ''bílá'' (''whit ...

. Fest was a semi-regular at Fandango's on Siesta Key, near Sarasota, Florida. Fest died of liver failure at the age of 63 in Tampa, Florida, not far from his home in Palm Harbor, where he had lived for 12 years.

Discography

*1961: ''Classicos Dos Boleros'' *1963: '' Bossa nova, nova bossa'' *1963: ''Evolução'' *1965: ''Manfredo Fest Trio'' *1965: ''Some people'' *1966: ''Alma Brasiliera'' *1969: ''Bossa Rio'' *1970: ''Alegria'' *1972 ''After Hours'' *1972: ''Bossa rock blues'' *1976: ''Brazilian Dorian dream'' *1978: ''Manifestations'' *1987: ''Braziliana'' ( DMP) *1989: ''Jungle Cat'' (DMP) *1992: ''Manfredo Fest and friends'' *1994: ''Oferenda'' *1995: ''Começar de novo (To begin again)'' *1996: ''Fascinating rhythm'' *1997: ''Amazonas'' *1998: ''Just Jobim'' (DMP) ACD

References

Meiselman, Arthur- Danin Adler Scene4 Magazin
Around Midnight with Manfredo Fest
, June 2009

External links

Jazz House on Manfredo FestMusic Match guide
Bossa nova pianists Bossa nova keyboardists Brazilian jazz pianists Brazilian jazz keyboardists Latin jazz pianists Latin jazz keyboardists Jazz fusion pianists Jazz fusion keyboardists Jazz bandleaders Brazilian people of German descent Blind musicians 1936 births 1999 deaths 20th-century pianists Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul alumni Concord Records artists Candid Records artists Brazilian blind people {{Brazil-musician-stub