Flautist Altamiro Carrilho (1924-2012) was one of the great choro performers of the 20th Century, and a prolific recording artist, both on his own records and innumerable other albums by a wide variety of artists. This discography only deals with records made under his own name, but a close inspection of albums in throughout the 1960s and '70s will reveal his influence throughout the years. Heres a quick look at his work...
Altamiro Carrilho "...E Sua Bandinha Na TV" (Copacabana, 1957)
Altamiro Carrilho "Natal" (Copacabana, 1957)
Altamiro Carrilho "Ouvindo Altamiro Carrilho" (Copacabana, 1957)
Altamiro Carrilho "...E Sua Flauta Azul" (Copacabana, 1957)
Altamiro Carrilho "Revive Pattapio E Interpreta Classicos" (Copacabana, 1957)
Carrilho's tribute to turn-of-the-century flautist Patapio Silva, a groundbreaking artist who was one of the earliest recording artists in Brazil. (Silva died in 1907, but made a number of recordings for Odeon, in the label's earliest years.) Carrilho skims the surface of Pattapio's hundreds of compositions, with nearly a dozen excellent, virtuosic performances... The music is antique and genteel, quite florid (and floridly arranged, in this recording) but compelling nonetheless... A nice slice of Brazilian cultural history.
Altamiro Carrilho "Recordar E Viver" (Continental, 1958)
Altamiro Carrilho "Boleros Em Desfile" (Continental, 1958)
Altamiro Carrilho "Enquanto Houver Amor" (Continental, 1958)
Altamiro Carrilho "Homenagem Ao Rei Momo" (Continental, 1958)
Altamiro Carrilho "...E Sua Bandinha Na TV, v.2" (Copacabana, 1958)
Altamiro Carrilho "Chorinhos Em Desfile" (Copacabana, 1959)
Altamiro Carrilho "Dobrados Em Desfile" (Copacabana, 1959)
Altamiro Carrilho "Boleros Em Desfile, v.2" (Copacabana, 1959)
Altamiro Carrilho "Parada De Sucessos" (Copacabana, 1960)
Altamiro Carrilho "A Bordo Do Vera Cruz" (Copacabana, 1960)
An homage to the music and culture of Portugal... Unfortunately, the music is a snoozy, sluggish mix of musica do banda, or brassy marching band music, somewhat in the style of the old Brazilian military and police bands, with a whiff of the kitschy orchestral pop of the radio-singers era. Although some of these songs were originally fados, they don't sound like it in these versions. Similarly, Carrilho's normally winsome, sprightly flute work is almost completely obscured by the toot-tootling tubas and other horns. A curio, but it didn't do much for me.
Altamiro Carrilho "Era So O Que Flautava" (Copacabana, 1960)
Altamiro Carrilho "Desfile De Sucessos" (Copacabana, 1961)
Altamiro Carrilho "Vai De Valsa" (Copacabana, 1961)
Altamiro Carrilho & Aloysio Figueiredo "O Melhor Para Dancar -- Flauta E Orgao" (Copacabana, 1961)
Altamiro Carrilho "A Bandinha Viaja Pelo Norte" (Copacabana, 1962)
An interesting, if not exactly "good" album... Certainly a change of pace for this renowned choro player, here plying his hand towards the music of Northern Brazil, the forro and baiao dance music made popular by Luiz Gonzaga and others. In all honesty, Carrilho doesn't seem to have much of a feel for the style -- this album lacks the bounce and grit of the real stuff, and sounds very much like a studio band going through the motions, playing "regional" music, but not really feeling it deep down inside. Listeners who are more immersed in these styles might have a much different opinion, but I wasn't really wowed by this one -- it felt too formal and stiff to me.
Altamiro Carrilho "Recordar E Viver, v.2" (Copacabana, 1963)
Altamiro Carrilho "Bossa Nova En Rio" (Copacabana, 1963)
Altamiro Carrilho "Recordar E Viver, v.3" (Copacabana, 1963)
Altamiro Carrilho "Choros Imortais" (Copacabana, 1964)
A delightful set of instrumental tracks... Carrilho's musical dexterity is amazing, and although an entire album worth of flute tootling might sound a little off-putting, there's a sweetness here that should win you over. Top-flight recordings that mark the best of the genre.
Altamiro Carrilho "...E Sua Bandinha Nas Festas Juninas" (Copacabana, 1964)
Altamiro Carrilho "No Mundo Encantado Das Flautas De Altamiro Carrilho" (Copacabana, 1964)
Altamiro Carrilho "Choros Imortais. v.2" (Copacabana, 1965)
Altamiro Carrilho "Uma Flauta Em Serenata" (Copacabana, 1965)
Altamiro Carrilho "A Banda E O Sucesso" (Copacabana, 1966)
Altamiro Carrilho "...E Sua Bandinha No Largo Da Matriz" (Copacabana, 1966)
Altamiro Carrilho "Dois Bicudos" (CBS, 1966)
Altamiro Carrilho "A Furiosa Ataca O Sucesso" (Som, 1972)
Altamiro Carrilho & Niquinho "A Flauta De Prata E O Bandolim De Ouro" (CBS, 1972)
Altamiro Carrilho & Carlos Poyares "Pixinguinha De Novo" (Discos Marus Pereira/EMI, 1975)
A pretty-sounding, mellowed-out modern interpretation of classic Pixinguinha material. Flautists Carrilho and Poyares appear to trade off as soloists, although the liner notes don't make clear which one is playing where, or on which songs. The backing is simple, elegant, standard-issue choro fare: guitar, bandolim and percussion, though all are well in the background, leaving the spotlight on the flute work, which is uniformly trilling and sweet. Maybe a bit too tame, but mostly quite lovely.
Altamiro Carrilho "Antologia Do Chorinho" (Phonogram, 1975)
Altamiro Carrilho "Antologia Da Cancao Junina" (Phonogram, 1976)
Altamiro Carrilho "Antologia Do Chorinho, v.2" (Phonogram, 1977)
Altamiro Carrilho "Antologia Da Flauta" (Phonogram, 1977)
Altamiro Carrilho "Altamiro Carrilho" (Continental, 1978)
Altamiro Carrilho "Classicos Em Choro" (Philips, 1979)
Bach, Beethoven, Boccherini and other classical composers are covered, choro style...
Altamiro Carrilho "Classicos Em Choro, v.2" (Philips, 1980)
Altamiro Carrilho & Luiz Eca "Patapio Silva" (Funarte, 1983)
Altamiro Carrilho "Bem Brasil" (Polygram, 1983)
Altamiro Carrilho "50 Anos De Chorinho" (Phonogram, 1990)
Altamiro Carrilho & Ulisses Rocha "Instrumental No CCBB" (Tom Brasil, 1993)
Altamiro Carrilho & Arthur Moreira Lima "Brasil Musical" (Tom Brasil, 1996)
Altamiro Carrilho "Flauta Maravilhosa" (Movieplay, 1996)
Altamiro Carrilho "Millennium" (Universal, 2001)
Modern choro instrumentals, featuring the deft flute work of bandleader Altamiro Carrilho. Most of this collection draws on albums made in the late 1970s, but also stretches into a later period in the '90s. A few of his compositions are incorporated, along with classics by Waldir Azevedo, Jacob Do Bandolim and Pixinguinha, as well as a pepped-up runthrough of Mendelssohn's "Song Of Spring." Carrilho's approach is slightly sugary, but still quite pleasant; he shifts choro away from its normally hyperactive feel into something subtler, yet manages to avoid sounding saccharine or stuffy. A nice record; definitely worth checking out.
Altamiro Carrilho "Para Sempre" (2004)
