Dois Destinos (2016) - Marco Pereira toca Dilermando Reis

Dilermando Reis (1916-1977)

Dilermando Reis (1916-1977) was an accomplished master of the Brazilian guitar tradition founded by the likes of Americo Jacomino Canhoto and João Pernambuco. Reis began his career in the 1930s, when he moved from São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro. There he gave guitar lessons at the Bandolim de Ouro and A Guitarra de Prata music stores and made the acquaintance of fellow guitarist and educator João Pernambuco. He worked sporadically at Radio Guanabara and in 1945 formed the regional for the Radio Club of Brazil that included Waldir Azevedo on cavaquinho. In 1956, he signed a contract with Rádio Nacional, where he remained until 1969. He had a successful career as a radio star in the 1950s and from the mid-1950 through the 1960s recorded many successful LPs of his own compositions and arrangements, and in 1970 Radamés Gnattali dedicated his Concerto #1 for violão and orchestra to Reis, who recorded it that same year. His preference was the traditional Brazilian guitar style: waltzes and choros. He recorded many of his own compositions, several became standards of Brazilian popular guitar, i.e. the waltzes Dois Destinos and Se Ela Perguntar and the choros Doutor Sabe Tudo and Magoado. In 1972, he recorded the LP Dilermando Reis toca Pixinguinha (- re-issued on cd) containing his arrangements of well known pieces by Pixinguinha in a duo setting - one of the most successful choro recordings before the choro revival and still highly recommended. Dilermando Reis also gave concerts outside Brazil and has been featured on TV in the USA. He had many students, both professional and amateur guitarists, a.o. the daughter of the Brazilian president Juscelino Kubitschek.

September 22 this year marked the Centennial of Dilermando Reis and this has been an occasion to celebrate his importance to the Brazilian guitar tradition. Here I like to focus on a new CD recorded by the Brazilian guitarist Marco Pereira, who released the CD Dois Destinos earlier this year devoted to music composed by Dilermando Reis in new arangements.

Dois Destinos, Marco Pereira toca Dilermando Reis (Borandá)

The CD has 12 arrangenments by Marco Pereira of Dilermando Reis compositions, only two tracks are solo renditions (Se Ela Perguntar and Flor de Aguapé) while the remaining ten tracks have Pereira accompanied by Toninho Ferragutti (acc), Toninho Carrasqueira (fl), Neymar Dias, Guto Wirtti (b), Sergio Reze (dm), Amoy Ribas (perc), Luca Raele, Diogo Maia (cl) in various combinations (- detailed info at Discos do Brasil, here)  

Marco Pereira (courtesy marcopereira.com.br)

The repertoire of the disc includes the waltzes Se Ela Perguntar, Flor de Aguapé, Noite de Lua and the title track Dois Destinos besides the batuque Xodó da Bahiana and the choros Gente Boa, Caxinguelê, Tempo de Criança, Feitiço, Vê Se Te Agrada, Dr. Sabe Tudo and Magoado. The performance of each track is excellent, both solo pieces like Se Ela Perguntar and the ensemble versions have Marco Pereira up front playing marvellous renditions of the music adding great improvisation to the themes in the ensemble pieces. The accompanying musicians are well chosen for a successful performance, and all involved contribute excellent support to Pereira's guitar work. The music at the CD is an updated issue of both well known and lesser known compositions by Dilermando Reis, and every track is a delight to listen to, highly recommended both as a great tribute to Reis' music and as a set of contemporary recordings highlighting Marco Pereira's skills both as a brilliant instrumentalist and as a great arranger. - The CD is available for purchase including audio examples here, and you may also buy it from CD Baby that features the album notes, here 

Below I'll insert a couple of uploaded YouTube videos featuring performance by Marco Pereira of music available at the Dois Destinos CD. Here is first Marco Pereira in solo performance of Reis' Se Ela Perguntar, recorded recently at the Ciclo Vilonístico de Niterói, RJ

Next, here is a live performance of Xodó da Bahiana featuring Marco Pereira accompannied by Guto Wirtti (baixo) and Bebê Kramer (accordion)

Finally, the promotion video of the Dois Destinos CD is inserted including spoken info by Marco Pereira and the producer of the disc Swami Jr. and the studio recording of Reis' Tempo de Criança a.o.

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Jo

choromusic.blogspot@gmail.com