R.I.P.: Sabá

Born Sebastião Oliveira da Paz, Sabá passed away on February 23, 2010, in São Paulo, Brazil, at age 83, of Alzheimer's disease. Curiously, the same problem that affected his brother, another great bass player, Luiz Chaves (from Zimbo Trio), who died in 2007 at age 75.

One of Brazil's top jazz and bossa bassists, Sabá was a founding member of two legendary trios: Jongo Trio (with Cido Bianchi on piano & Toninho Pinheiro on drums) and Som 3, aka Som Tres (with Cesar Camargo Mariano on piano & Toninho Pinheiro still on drums). Not to mention the many concerts, tours and recordings with Alaide Costa, Wilson Simonal, Claudette Soares, Dick Farney, Elizeth Cardoso, Elis Regina and Jair Rodrigues, amongst several others.

Besides a musical giant, he also was a true gentleman with whom I had the privilege to talk many times during the 80s and 90s. Since Sabá also acted as a radio DJ and interviewer, I used to visit him at work often, taking with me the artists with whom I was working. People like Dom Um Romão, Yana Purim, João Donato and many others.

For a very interesting interview (in Portuguese) with Sabá, conducted by Marcos Paiva, please check:
http://marcospaiva.wordpress.com/2007/05/24/entrevista-com-saba/
(Jongo Trio with Elis Regina, Jair Rodrigues and producer Walter Silva)