Paulo Cesar Pinheiro was one of the key members of the early 1970s Brazilian samba revival, a composer and interpreter who recorded several notable albums, particularly with his performing partners Eduardo Gudin and Marcia. Pinheiro's original compositions were absorbed by the resurgent samba and MPB movements, widely recorded by a number of artists. Here's a quick look at his work...
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro/Baden Powell/Os Cantores Da Lapinha "As Musicas De Baden Powell E Paulo Cesar Pinheiro" (Elenco, 1970)
(Produced by Joao Mello)
I'm not even sure if Powell is the guy playing guitar on this album, but it certainly is a lovely, alluring set. "Os Cantores" turn out to be two members of Quarteto Em Cy and two of their male counterparts from MPB-4, along with Elizete Cardoso singing the leads. Not a bad lineup! The music is pretty nice, too -- some of the most overtly sambaed-out Powell material you're ever likely to hear. All but one of the songs the songs are Powell-Pinheiro compositions (the exception being a collaboration with the album's producer, Joao Mello), with the drums and cuica keeping the beat throughout, and fine, swinging vocals. Only on one song do the Em Cy gals go a little overboard and slip into one of their facile, saccharine harmonies... Otherwise, this is a lovely, lovely album, a little known gem of the era.
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro "Paulo Cesar Pinheiro" (EMI-Odeon, 1974)
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro/Eduardo Gudin/Marcia "O Importante E Que A Nossa Emocao Sobreviva" (EMI-Odeon, 1975)
Live performances from the long-running show, O Importante E Que A Nossa Emocao Sobreviva...
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro/Eduardo Gudin/Marcia "O Importante E Que A Nossa Emocao Sobreviva, v.2" (EMI-Odeon, 1976)
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro "Paulo Cesar Pinheiro" (EMI-Odeon, 1980)
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro "Poemas Escolhidos" (EMI-Odeon, 1983)
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro "Afros E Afoxes Da Bahia" (Polygram, 1989)
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro & Joao Nogueira "Parceria - Ao Vivo" (Universal, 1992)
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro/Eduardo Gudin/Marcia "Tudo O Que Mais Nos Uniu" (Dabliu, 2000)
A reunion of the trio that recorded two albums worth of material from their long-running O Importante E Que A Nossa Emocao Sobreviva shows... This warm, stately bossa nova concert, recorded in 1996, features music that was composed by Gudin and Pinheiro between 1967 and 1976. Mostly it's quite lovely, occasionally on the syrupy side, but with sufficient rough edges and earthiness to satisfy our traditionalist impulses. Nice stuff with a heavy samba flavor.
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro "Clave De Sal" (Gryphus, 2003)
Paulo Cesar Pinheiro "O Lamento Do Samba" (Biscoito Fino, 2004)
