Bandleader/composer/arranger Severino Araujo (1917-2012) started his career in the 1930s, playing in regional bands and composing choro music... By the 1940s he fell under the sway of American big band music, and became a pioneer of the Brazilian jazz hybrid known as gafieira, bringing bright, punchy swing arrangements to the samba-cancao scene, and later, into the early bossa nova sound. His Orquestra Tabajara was one of Brazil's greatest touring bands, rocking it onstage and in-studio for several decades. Here's a quick look at some of their work...
Severino Araujo "...E Sua Orquestra Tabajara: Warner 25 Anos" (Warner-Brasil, 2001)
Nice collection! This is a great set of rockin' instrumentals, including several original Araujo compositions and radical reinterpretations of classics by Ary Barroso, Dorival Caymmi and Tom Jobim... The liner notes place these recordings as from 1969-84, but I think most tracks are actually from the band's late 1950s/early '60s tenure on the Continental label, which was later acquired by Warner. Regardless, it's really fun stuff! Highly recommended.
Severino Araujo "Nova Serie" (Warner-Brasil, 2007)
A nice overview... This collection ping-pongs between Araujo's work in the late 1950s/early '60s and stuff from the '70s. The 'Seventies tracks are poppier with a prefab, Vegas-y glitz, but some of them are fun as well. The real fire is on the old recordings, which have a delicious, swank feel to them. Some tracks are cheesy, but both eras offer gems -- I was particularly psyched to get a newly-remastered version of "Um Chorinho Pra Voce," one of the coolest pop-choro tunes I've ever heard. Recommended.
Severino Araujo "30 Anos" (Warner-Brasil, 2008)
Severino Araujo "Anos Dourados, v.1" (CID, 1998)
Severino Araujo "Anos Dourados, v.2" (CID, 1998)
Severino Araujo "Anos Dourados, v.3" (CID, 1998)
Severino Araujo "Anos Dourados, v.4" (CID, 1998)
Severino Araujo "Anos Dourados, v.5" (CID, 1998)
Severino Araujo "Anos Dourados, v.6: Tabajara Visita Sinatra" (CID, 1998)
Severino Araujo "Anos Dourados, v.7: Boleros" (CID, 1998)
(Produced by Severino Araujo & Esdras De Souza Pereira)
I had hoped that "anos dourados" meant that these were vintage recordings from the '50s or '60s, but unfortunately this set was recorded in the year 2000, and it's basically an orchestral dance-band oldies set: Doc Severenson without the bang. Because I like his older stuff, I tried to hang with with this record, but finally had to admit it was too syrupy and sluggish for me. Oh, well. Now I know.
Severino Araujo "Anos Dourados, v.8: No Cinema" (CID, 1998)
