#airto

Airto – Virgin Land

Virgin Land is an album by Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist Airto Moreira (who was credited simply as “Airto“) featuring performances recorded in 1974 and released on the Salvation label.

Drumroll, Please … Airto is 80

Drumroll, please: Airto turns 80 today.

There are a lot of musical worlds out there and the drummer and percussionist has used his eight decades to inhabit - or at least visit - many of them.

Born Airto Moreira in Brazil on Aug. 5, 1941, the mononym musician has fingerprints all over the jazz landscape, from Miles Davis’ early-’70s output to Return to Forever and Weather Report. He contributed to the Rhythm Devils’ Apocalypse Now soundtrack sessions and was a key member of Mickey Hart’s Plant Drum world-music collaborative.

Also a prolific recording artist on his own and with his wife Flora Purim, the pair occasionally guested during the “Drumz” portions of Grateful Dead concerts.

Such was his influence that in 1973 Downbeat magazine added a percussionist award to its annual readers and critics polls. Airto has won one or the other more than 20 times since then.

And the beat goes on …

Airto – Fingers (Album)

Fingersis a studio album by Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist Airto Moreira, credited simply as Airto. It was released on CTI Records in 1973. It peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.

Personnel: Airto – drums, percussion, vocals Hugo Fattoruso – keyboards, harmonica, vocals David Amaro – acoustic guitar, electric guitar Ringo Thielmann – double bass, vocals Jorge Osvaldo Fattoruso – drums, vocals Flora Purim – percussion, vocals