Walter Wanderley (; born Walter Jose Wanderley Mendonça, May 12, 1932 – September 4, 1986) was a Brazilian organist and pianist, best known for his

lounge Lounge may refer to: Architecture * Lounge, the living room of a dwelling * Lounge, a public waiting area in a hotel's lobby * Lounge, a style of commercial alcohol- bar * Airport lounge or train lounge (e.g., Amtrak's Acela Lounge), a premium ...

and bossa nova music and for his instrumental version of the song '' Summer Samba'' which became a worldwide hit.

Biography

Wanderley was born in Recife, Brazil. Already famous in his native country by the late 1950s, he became an internationally renowned star in the mid-1960s through his collaboration with the singer

Astrud Gilberto Astrud Gilberto (; born Astrud Evangelina Weinert; March 29, 1940 – June 5, 2023) was a Brazilian samba and bossa nova singer and songwriter. She gained international attention in the mid-1960s following her recording of the song " The Girl f ...

. He recorded six albums on the

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * '' The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee h ...

label between 1966 and 1968. Three of those albums, ''

Rain Forest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

'', ''Cheganca'' and

's '' A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness'', were with a trio consisting of Wanderley, Claudio Slon (drums) and Jose Marino (bass) and were produced in the United States by

Creed Taylor Creed Bane Taylor V (May 13, 1929 – August 22, 2022) was an American record producer, best known for his work with CTI Records, which he founded in 1967. His career also included periods at Bethlehem Records, ABC-Paramount Records (includin ...

, who initially brought the trio to the U.S. to record at the persuasion of

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

. Wanderley's U.S. recording of '' Summer Samba'' reached No. 26 on the ''Billboard'' charts in the summer of 1966. Another album recorded during that period was ''

Popcorn Popcorn (also called popped corn, popcorns, or pop-corn) is a variety of corn kernel which expands and puffs up when heated. The term also refers to the snack food produced by the expansion. It is one of the oldest snacks, with evidence of p ...

'', in collaboration with the Brazilian singer-guitarist Luiz Henrique Rosa. Around that same period Wanderley also established the Carnival with Bob Matthews, João Palma, José Soares, and Janis Hansen; all former members of Sérgio Mendes' Brasil '66. After the trio disbanded (though they were briefly reunited in 1971 for "The Return of the Original" on Canyon Records), Wanderley himself continued to record albums on Verve, A&M/CTI, and GNP Crescendo. During that time, he also made numerous personal appearances, including a concert tour of Mexico. Wanderley was known for his distinctive staccato stuttering style and mastery of the

Hammond B-3 The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...

organ and on later recordings and during live concerts an L Series Hammond. His later career was blighted by alcoholism and he died of bone cancer in 1986 in

San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, aged 54. He was married to , one of the most popular singers in Brazil. He is the grandfather of Brazilian actor and singer Rickkie.

Discography

Albums

* 1959: ''Festa Dançante'' (RGE) * 1960: ''Eu, Você e Walter Wanderley'' (Odeon MOFB-3085) * 196?: ''Feito Sob Medida'' (Odeon MOFB-3109) * 1961: ''Sucessos Dançantes Em Ritmo de Romance'' (Odeon MOFB-3155) * 1961: ''O Sucesso é Samba'' (Odeon MOFB-3204) * 1962: ''Samba é Samba'' (Odeon MOFB-3248) * 1962: ''O Samba é Mais Samba'' (Odeon MOFB-3285) * 1962: ''E O Bolero'' (Odeon MOFB-3289) * 1963: ''Samba No Esquema'' (Odeon MOFB-3358) * 1963: ''Walter Wanderley’s Brazilian Organ'' (Capitol ST-1856) * 1964: ''Entre Nós'' (Philips P 632.197 L) * 1964: ''Órgão Sax Sexy'' (Philips P 632.721 L) * 1964: ''O Toque Inconfundivel'' (Philips P 632.726 L) * 1965: ''Quarteto Bossamba'' (Som Maior) * 1965: ''O Autêntico Walter Wanderley'' (Philips P 632.757 L) * 1965: ''Samba So'' (Fermata) * 1966: ''Sucessos + Boleros'' (Philips P.632.894 L) * 1966: ''

'' (Verve V6-8658) * 1966: '' A Certain Smile, a Certain Sadness'' (with

, Verve V6-8673) * 1966: '' Chegança'' (Verve V6-8676) * 1967: ''Brazilian Blend'' (Philips PHM 600–227) * 1967: ''Organ-ized'' (Philips – PHM 200–233) * 1967: ''

Batucada Batucada () is a substyle of samba and refers to a percussive style, usually performed by an Musical ensemble, ensemble, known as a bateria. Batucada music is characterized by its syncopated style and fast pace with a marked rhythm. Originally fro ...

'' (Verve V6-8706) * 1967: ''

'' (Verve V6-8734) * 1967: ''Murmúrio'' (Tower ST 5058) * 1967: ''Kee-Ka-Roo'' (Verve V6-8739) * 1968: '' When It Was Done'' (A&M Records,

CTI Records CTI Records (Creed Taylor Incorporated) is a jazz record label founded in 1967 by Creed Taylor. CTI was a subsidiary of A&M before becoming independent in 1970. Its first album was '' A Day in the Life'' by guitarist Wes Montgomery in 1967. ...

SP-3018) * 1969: '' Moondreams'' (A&M Records, CTI Records SP-3022) * 1971: ''The Return of the Original'' (Beverly #SULP 19004) * 1980: ''Brazil's Greatest Hits! (GNP Crescendo) * 1981: ''Perpetual Motion Love'' (GNP Crescendo #GNPD 2142)

Singles

*"Summer Samba (So Nice)" US No. 26, 1966 *"Amanha" (1966) US AC #20 *"On the South Side of Chicago" (1967) Did Not Chart

Side work

Wanderley earliest appearances on recordings were contributions for other artists. Examples were Joao Gilberto, Elisete Cardoso and Dóris Monteiro.

References

External links

The Walter Wanderley Pictorial Discography

AOL biography page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wanderley, Walter 1932 births 1986 deaths Brazilian jazz organists Brazilian jazz pianists Brazilian jazz composers Bossa nova organists Lounge musicians Brazilian bossa nova pianists Brazilian people of Dutch descent Samba musicians Capitol Records artists Verve Records artists Deaths from cancer in California 20th-century Brazilian pianists 20th-century organists 20th-century jazz composers CTI Records artists