Bossa Nova

See Sérgio Mendes. Sérgio Santos Mendes (born Niteroi, 11 February 1941) is a Brazilian musician. Born the son of a physician in Niteroi, Brazil, Mendes attended the local conservatory with hopes of becoming a classical pianist. As his interest in jazz grew, he started playing in nightclubs in the late-1950s just as bossa nova, a jazz-inflected derivative of samba, was taking off. Mendes played with Antonio Carlos Jobim (regarded as a mentor), and many U.S. jazz musicians who toured Brazil.

Owner of a distinctive, harsh voice (even if considering the conspicuous Armstrong mannerisms), Elza Soares is one of the most swinging samba singers, the peak of her success achieved in the late sixties. Soares always had her artistic career complicated by her personal life, which certainly impeded her of enjoying a more widespread popularity. Soares lived in extreme poverty throughout her childhood and teens.

There are several artists who go by Pat Thomas: 1) Born 27 July 1960; Piano, electronics. Pat Thomas started playing at the age of 8 and studied classical music and played reggae. He began playing jazz at sixteen after seeing Oscar Peterson on television then listened to snatches of jazz on the radio before, in 1979, playing his first serious improvised gigs. From 1986 he played with Ghosts which was Pete McPhail and Matt Lewis.