R.I.P.: Helvius Vilela

(born December 26, 1941 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil;

died January 28, 2010 in Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil)

Brazilian pianist/composer/arranger Helvius Vilela Borges (pictured above by José Ricardo Velozo) played with such Brazilian artists as Miucha, Marisa Gata Mancha, Carlos Lyra, Nana Caymmi (having also performed with the Familia Caymmi group at the Montreux Jazz Festival), Paulinho da Viola, Baden Powell, Toquinho, Elizeth Cardoso, Milton Nascimento, Edu Lobo, Nana Caymmi, Chico Buarque, Nilvado Ornelas, Yana Purim, Paulo Moura, Carlos Malta, Vittor Santos, Chico Batera, Sebastião Tapajós, Baden Powell, Eliana Pittman, Taiguara, Alceu Valença, Tito Madi, Quarteto em Cy, Wagner Tiso and, most recently, Ana de Holanda.

In the 60s, he was a member of the groups Tempo Trio (alongside Paulo Horta and Pascoal Meirelles) and Vox Populi. Vilela also recorded a cult album as a leader, "Planalto dos Cristais," engineered by Toninho Barbosa at Sonoviso Studios and released as an independent project in 1982. The self-titled "Tempo Trio" album, recorded for Odeon's London label in 1965, includes Milton Nascimento's first recorded tune, "... E A Gente Sonhando," and was reissued on CD in 2006 by the Paradise Masters label. "Vox Populi", originally released on the Musidisc label in 1969, re-appeared on digital format by the London-based label What Music, featuring Helvius Vilela, Fernando Leporace, Guto Graça Melo, Gegê de Souza, Laudir de Oliveira, Amaury Tristão, Tavinho and Marisa.

The "Tempo Trio" CD can still be purchased on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tempo-Trio---Tempo-Trio(1965)-CD-Paradise-Masters-PM110_W0QQitemZ170428333034QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20100107?IMSfp=TL100107052004r31596

まさにジャズ・ボサ黄金期を謳歌していた1965年当時、ピアノ・トリオ最高峰の一つと謳われた伝説的グループ「テンポ・トリオ」の激レア・アルバムが遂に世界初CD化!! テンポ・トリオは当時のジャズ・ボサ・シーンの中心であったリオ、サンパウロではなく、後のブラジル音楽飛躍の一翼を担うミナス・ジェライスで結成。メンバーは現在も活躍する名手パスコアル・メイレリス(dr)、ロー・ボルジェスで知られるミナス音楽名家ボルジェス・ファミリーのピアニスト、エルヴィウス・ヴィエラ・ボルジェス(※後にVOX POPULIに参加)、 そしてトニーニョ・オルタの実兄パウロ・オルタ (ベース)というサプライズ的な強力布陣。レパートリーは同時期にジョンゴ・トリオの演奏で一世を風靡した名曲 「O Menino Das Laranjas」をはじめ、エドゥ・ロボの傑作ボサ「Aleluia」「Boranda」、マルコス・ヴァーリの「Tudo de Voce」「Terra de Ninguem」など、セレクトの素晴らしさは折り紙つき。ボッサ・トレス、サンバランソ・トリオなどに匹敵する、ハード・ドライヴィングなバランソで揺さぶるJAZZYな空気が全編を駆け抜ける至高の逸品。オリジナル・アナログは未だに$400前後の高値で取引されるという希少性の高さも含め、まさに禁断のCD化と言える超注目アイテムの登場!!

For more details (in Portuguese):

http://www.dicionariompb.com.br/helvius-vilela