Manfredo Fest isn't the name of a pop-culture convention or multi-day rock concert for kids. Fest was a Brazilian bossa nova and jazz keyboardist whose music was an eclectic and fascinating blend of bossa nova, classical and electronic fusion.
Fest's father was a German concert pianist who emigrated to Porto Alegre in Southern Brazil, near Uruguay, where he taught at the university there. Blind from birth, Fest learned to read music in braille and studied formally. Influenced by Bill Evans and George Shearing, Fest, at 17, turned to jazz. He gigged at bossa nova clubs in São Paulo in 1961 and recorded his first album, Bossa Nova, Nova Bossa, in 1963. The album remains a classic.
By the 1970s, Fest was exploring synthesizers. One of his best albums from this period was Brazilian Dorian Dream, with Fest on synths and Fender Rhodes, Thomas Kini on bass, Alejo Poveda on drums and Roberta Davis on vocals. Out of print for years, the album now has been reissued by Far Out Recordings. It's the closest you'll come to the beach this summer if you're wisely remaining indoors.
Stylistically, Fest on the album has much in common with Eumir Deodato and George Duke, blending bossa nova lyricism and swing with American fusion. The other bright light on this album is Roberta Davis, a little-known American jazz singer. Other than her recordings with Fest (Manifestations in 1978 and Braziliana in 1987), she recorded on Billy Higgins's The Soldier in 1979 for Timeless Records. A shame, given her enormous talent on Brazilian Dorian Dream.
Fest is barely known in the U.S., where other Brazilian artists such as Deodato, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Sergio Mendes were more prominent. Fest's music was unashamedly bossa pop, but his classical background added a layer of dazzling sophistication and churning intensity that your ear will pick up on. His albums are irresistible and much more than ear candy. Brazilian Dorian Dream is a solid entry point and perfect for the summer heat.
Manfredo Fest died in 1999; Roberta Davis died in 2007.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Manfredo Fest's Brazilian Dorian Dream (Far Out Recordings) here.
JazzWax clips: Here's the full album...
If you have time for just one track, here's That's What She Says...
Here's Roberta Davis in 1979...
Here's Fest's Bossa Nova, Nova Bossa (1963)...
