Please note this is an old page and Fly Global Music has now moved. Please follow this link and search for the entry in the new site.

native São Paulo, under the auspices of Uruguayan maestro Issias Savio, but it is his time at the University of Paris-Sorbonne that had the greatest influence on his career. It was in France that he developed an interest in both jazz and Latin-American music.

On the surface his sound is often European but dig a little deeper and the influence of his homeland is clear. On ‘Mulher Renedeira’ for example the sax solo and guitar melodies build slowly and deliberately before breaking into warmer, surging Latin rhythms. Again on ‘Piainte’ we are given only snatched glimpses of Pereira’s Brazilian origins. His approach varies however — on ‘Um abraço no Bonfá’ it is the Latin rhythm that dominates driving the song forward, punctuated by simple percussion and a pounding bassline.

On Essence Pereira is joined by a trio of other accomplished players. Paul McCandless plays oboe, bass clarinet, cor anglais and soprano sax while Brazilians Natalino Neto and Marcio Bahia take up electric bass and drums/percussion respectively. The group provide a solid backing but it is Pereira’s guitar solos that are the driving force and form the highlight of the album.

is a mixture of Pereira’s own compositions and those other musicians including Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes and João Gilberto. Cesar Camargo Mariano’s ‘Cristal’ provides a wonderful demonstration of the simple effectiveness of the Latin guitar while Suite Baden Powell allows Pereira to showcase his versatility. ‘Carioca’ is probably the best of his compositions; a playful easygoing number punctuated with a quick fire sax solo from McCandless.

Essence is released through The Kind of Blue label.