Airto Moreira
Airto Moreira. Photo by Renato Luiz Ferreira
Bio
A defining voice in jazz percussion, Airto Guimorvan Moreira’s skill on instruments ranging from the tambourine to the bongos led to him becoming one of the most influential musicians in his field, topping DownBeat’s critics’ and readers’ polls multiple times in the percussion category over his career.
Moreira was born in Itaiópolis, Brazil, and grew up in Curitiba. At a young age he showed a talent for percussion and had his own weekly radio program. By 13, he was earning a living as a professional musician and at the age of 16 moved to São Paulo where he performed regularly in nightclubs and on television. Moreira first gained international notice with the band Quarteto Novo, whose self-titled 1967 album fused baião, samba, and modern jazz.
In 1968, Moreira moved to the United States with vocalist Flora Purim, living in Los Angeles where he studied with musician and composer Moacir Santos before moving to New York. There, he performed with jazz musicians such as Cannonball Adderley, Walter Booker, Paul Desmond, and Lee Morgan, as well as Joe Zawinul who introduced him to Miles Davis. Davis recruited Moreira for his landmark Bitches Brew sessions (1969) and the tours that followed with jazz artists like Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, Keith Jarrett, and Wayne Shorter. Following two years of performing Davis, Moreira joined Weather Report for their 1971 debut album, and a year later, he joined Corea’s new band, Return to Forever, performing with Stanley Clarke, Joe Farrell, and Purim on their first two albums and cementing his impact in the jazz fusion era.
As a leader, Moreira released the album Natural Feelings in 1970 alongside Purim, bassist Ron Carter, and Brazilian musicians Sivuca and Hermeto Pascoal. His 1972 album, Free, included artists George Benson, Corea, Joe Farrell, Jarrett, and Hubert Laws.
Throughout the 1970s and '80s, Moreira was a highly sought after percussionist, appearing on tours and recordings with musicians Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Paul Simon, and Grammy-winning ensembles Mickey Hart's Planet Drum percussion ensemble and Dizzy Gillespie's United Nations Orchestra. He also composed film scores for movies such as Apocalypse Now and Last Tango in Paris. More recently, he appeared on Gretchen Parlato’s 2022 album, Flor, and Purim’s 2022 album, If You Will.
Moreira has taught in the ethnomusicology department at UCLA, and, in 2002, Brazil honored him and Purim with the Order of Rio Branco for cultural merit.
Selected discography
Natural Feelings, Buddah Records, 1970
Weather Report, Weather Report, Columbia, 1971
Free, CTI Records, 1972
Life after That, Narada Records, 2003
Aluê, Selo SESC SP, 2017
"I want to begin by thanking the NEA for this incredible honor. I never would have imagined that something like this would happen to someone like me because being the best was never my life’s motivation, and I never expected to excel at anything. Making good music with people and sharing it with the world was my real motivation, so I just kept playing my best and openly sharing what I feel with the people who came to see us.
I also made sure that I never stopped playing live shows because to me, the biggest reward was always the positive exchange of energy that happens between the musicians and the audience when we play. Being recognized by the NEA for my life’s work is such an unexpected and wonderful honor. It’s a validation that this joyful musical energy we create together is real. I am overwhelmed and overjoyed."