Oscar Castro-Neves

Oscar Castro-Neves
Photo from official website
Photo from official website
Background information
Birth nameCarlos Oscar de Castro-Neves
Born(1940-05-15)May 15, 1940
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
DiedSeptember 27, 2013(2013-09-27) (aged 73)
Los Angeles, California
GenresBossa nova, Latin jazz, new age
OccupationMusician
InstrumentGuitar
Years active1955–2013
Formerly ofPaul Winter Consort, Sérgio Mendes

Oscar Castro-Neves (May 15, 1940 – September 27, 2013[1]), was a Brazilian guitarist, arranger, and composer who is considered a founding figure in bossa nova.

Biography

He was born in Rio de Janeiro as one of triplets and formed a band with his brothers in his youth. At 16 he had a national hit with Chora Tua Tristeza. In 1962 he was in a bossa nova concert at Carnegie Hall, and later he toured with Stan Getz and Sérgio Mendes. He went on to work with musicians from different genres, including Billy Eckstine, Yo Yo Ma, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Stevie Wonder, João Gilberto, Eliane Elias, Lee Ritenour, Airto Moreira, Toots Thielemans, John Klemmer, Carol Welsman, Stephen Bishop, and Diane Schuur. During the 1970s and early 1980s he was member of the Paul Winter Consort. With Mendes, Castro-Neves, was a key guitarist in the A&M release "Fool on the Hill" and continued with the classic "Stillness" which was to see the last Brasil '66 grouping. Castro-Neves re-appeared with Sergio Mendes & Brasil 77 on the Vintage '74 album.

He lived in Los Angeles, California where he worked as an orchestrator for several films including Blame it on Rio and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.[2] He died of cancer in Los Angeles on September 27, 2013.[1]

Discography

As leader

  • Tristeza with Luis Bonfa, Lalo Schifrin (Verve, 1963)
  • Alaide Costa and Oscar Castro Neves (Odeon, 1973)
  • Um Encontro with Lee Ritenour (Evento, 1974)
  • Oscar! (Living Music, 1987)
  • Brazilian Scandals (JVC, 1987)
  • Maracujá (JVC, 1989)
  • More Than Yesterday (JVC, 1991)
  • Tropical Heart (JVC, 1996)
  • Simpatico with John Klemmer (JVC, 1997)
  • Brazilian Days with Paul Winter (Living Music, 1998)
  • Playful Heart (Mack Avenue, 2003)
  • All One (Mack Avenue, 2006)
  • Live at Blue Note Tokyo (Zoho, 2012)

As sideman

With Eliane Elias

With Antônio Carlos Jobim

With John Klemmer

  • 1977 Arabesque
  • 1978 Simpatico
  • 1979 Brazilia

With Sergio Mendes

With Airto Moreira

  • 1986 Aqui Se Puede
  • 2003 Life After That

With Flora Purim

  • 1974 Stories to Tell
  • 1978 Everyday Everynight
  • 2001 Perpetual Emotion
  • 2003 Speak No Evil

With Lee Ritenour

With Diane Schuur

With Paul Winter

With others

References

  1. ^ a b Morre Oscar Castro Neves (in Portuguese)
  2. ^ Jazz Review Archived 2006-12-09 at the Wayback Machine