À Vontade Mesmo
Raul de Souza
1964
Why This Album Matters
À Vontade Mesmo, released in 1965 (some sources cite 1964 as the recording year), marks the solo debut of the legendary trombonist Raul de Souza, then known as Raulzinho, and is a cornerstone in the fusion of samba with jazz in Brazil. This instrumental album is an early testament to his mastery of the trombone, characterised by inventive phrasing and a rich sound that became his signature. It solidifies the samba-jazz proposition, a style that emerged strongly in the 1960s and which Raul de Souza helped define with his unique approach.
Context
Before À Vontade Mesmo, Raul de Souza was already an active figure in Rio de Janeiro's effervescent music scene. Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1934, he started playing trombone in his teens and quickly gained prominence in gafieira clubs and jam sessions at emblematic venues such as Bottle's Bar and Little Club in Copacabana. His career included stints with groups like Turma da Gafieira and a collaboration with Eumir Deodato's combo Os Catedráticos in 1964, demonstrating his deep immersion in the samba and jazz dialogue that was thriving at the time. The release of his first solo album occurred during a period of intense creativity and experimentation in Brazilian music, with the country immersed in the cultural transformations of Bossa Nova and the emergence of new instrumental strands.
Recording
The album À Vontade Mesmo was recorded and released by RCA Victor (also referenced as RCA/BMG). Production was handled by Roberto Jorge, with supervision by Zaccarias. The recording engineers were Alberto Soluri and Barata. For this debut work, Raul de Souza had the support of one of the most influential samba-jazz trios, the Sambalanço Trio, which formed the backing band. The line-up included César Camargo Mariano on piano, Humberto Clayber on double bass, and the then-young Airto Moreira on drums, an ensemble that guaranteed a sophisticated rhythmic foundation and freedom for the trombonist's improvisations. The cover art was created by Tide Hellmeister, with photography by Mafra.
Songs
À Vontade Mesmo is a predominantly instrumental album that features an elegant blend of original compositions and reinterpretations of bossa nova and jazz classics. Among the standout tracks is the eponymous "À Vontade Mesmo", penned by Raul de Souza, which was, in fact, conceived as a response to João Donato's classic "Muito À Vontade", both utilising a popular 1960s slang to express a state of well-being. The repertoire includes gems such as "Olhou Pra Mim" (Ed Lincoln & Silvio César), "Pureza" (César Camargo Mariano & Humberto de Souza), "Estamos Aí" (Maurício Einhorn & Durval Ferreira), "Você E Eu" (Vinicius de Moraes & Carlos Lyra), in addition to standards like "Jor-Du" (Duke Jordan) and "Fly Me to the Moon" (Bart Howard). The album also revisits classics by Tom Jobim, such as "Inútil Paisagem" and "Samba do Avião", and by Carlos Lyra and Vinicius de Moraes with "Primavera", all interpreted with the characteristic expressiveness and improvisation of Raul de Souza's trombone.
Legacy
À Vontade Mesmo is recognised as Raul de Souza's first solo album and a landmark in his extensive discography. This work established him as an innovative force in Brazilian instrumental music, capturing the dynamism of the fusion between samba and jazz. Although Raul de Souza achieved greater international acclaim and recognition as one of the world's greatest jazz trombonists in his later career, with albums such as "Colors" even becoming a subject of study at the Berklee College of Music, À Vontade Mesmo is the foundation where his musical vision began to flourish. His ability to integrate Brazilian rhythms with jazz elements and his distinctive trombone tone would be characteristics that accompanied him throughout his career, influencing generations of musicians and contributing to the richness of Brazilian jazz.
Rankings
Tracks
Credits
Carioca, José Alves
Alaide Costa, Biba, Flora Purim, Gal Costa, Johnny Alf, Marcos Moran, Miucha, Thais Do Amaral, Wilson Simonal, Yana Purim
Vinicius Cantuária, Walter Santos
Bebeto Castilho
Luiz Eça
André Neiva, Carlos Monjardim, Edson Lobo, Humberto Clayber, Luiz Alves, Luiz Marinho, Manuel Gusmao, Novelli
Neco, Rosinha de Valença
Emílio Baptista, Euclides Conceição, Jorge Ferreira Da Silva, Pedro Luiz De Assis, Zé Canuto
Alberto Gonçalves, Aurino Ferreira
Iura Ranevsky
Arnaldo DeSouteiro
GianCarlo Pareschi
Airto Moreira, Arrudinha, Dom Um Romao, Jurim Moreira, Milton Banana, Nelson Serra De Castro, Normando, Pascoal Meirelles, Robertinho Silva, Rubinho
Hélcio Milito
Alex Malheiros
Marcio Montarroyos
Danilo Caymmi, Hermeto Pascoal, João Theodoro Meirelles, Zé Luis
Marcos Teixeira
Walter Wanderley
Sidinho Moreira
Antonio Adolfo, Dom Salvador
Cristóvão Bastos, César Camargo Mariano, Eumir Deodato, João Donato, Mario Castro Neves
Antonio Carlos Jobim
Cipó, João Theodoro Meirelles, Leo Gandelman
Edmundo Maciel, Edson Maciel, Raul De Souza, Serginho Do Trombone
Hamilton, Maurilio, Papudinho, Pedro Paulo
Arnaldo DeSouteiro
Dirk Rudolph
Books
Analyses
Raulzinho (Raul De Souza) - A Vontade Mesmo (1965)
toque-musicall.com
Desta vez, temos um discaço do genial trombonista Raul de Souza. O cara já era uma sensação no início dos anos 60 quando atuou no histórico lp de Sergio Mendes "Você ainda não ouviu nada". Em 1965 lança então este seu primeiro disco, "À Vontade Mesmo", um album que é puro samba jazz.
Raulzinho (Raul De Souza) - A Vontade Mesmo (1965)
toque-music-all.blogspot.com
Desta vez, temos um discaço do genial trombonista Raul de Souza. O cara já era uma sensação no início dos anos 60 quando atuou no histórico ...
Cliquemusic : Disco : À VONTADE MESMO
cliquemusic.com.br
1 À vontade mesmo (Raul de Souza) 2 Olhou pra mim (Ed Lincoln, Sílvio César) 3 Pureza (César Camargo Mariano, Humberto de Souza) 4 Estamos aí (Maurício Einhorn, Durval Ferreira) 5 Você e eu (Vinícius de Moraes, Carlos Lyra) 6 Jor-du (Duke Jordan) 7 Inútil paisagem (Antonio Carlos Jobim, Aloysio de Oliveira) 8 Fly me to the moon (Bart ...
Raulzinho - À Vontade Mesmo (1965) (1980 RCA Japan)
flabbergasted-vibes.org
Because although trombonist Raul de Souza is the leader, it's the band itself who is the star here. As a unit they're just unreal. In the 1970s, Raul de Souza would have a comfortable career in the U.S. making jazz-funk / fusion records. This is nothing like those.
Discogs
À Vontade Mesmo – Discogs
discogs.com