About

- The Analog Vault // Essential Listening -

"Musical magus and multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal has long been one of Brazil’s most renowned composers. Known for melding various Brazilian folk genres with classical, jazz, funk and MPB - his discography is as voluminous as it is visionary. This magnificent LP, Planetario Da Gavea, takes us back to one of Pascoal’s proudest moments, a mammoth live concert with his immortal superband O Grupo, recorded in 1981 at a Rio De Janeiro planetarium. 

Built on exhaustive rehearsals in the lead up, this magnificent performance consists of ten sprawling, spellbinding pieces - most of which were previously unissued and never performed again. Stretching across two hours, Hermeto Pascoal - who plays the saxophone, flutes, bass horn, and piano - and his preternatural ensemble conjures a labyrinthian odyssey of samba, free jazz, Latin and fusion that unspools into the cosmos with polyrhythmic wizardry." - The Analog Vault

"Dubbed by Miles Davis as "one of the most important musicians on the planet", a Hermeto Pascoal live show was (and still is) an experience like no other. Across the recording of the Planetário concert, wild improvisation meets groovy, virtuosic vamping on progressive, extended psychedelic jams. The tracks are generally built around a beautiful, transcendent melody; instantly recognisable as being Hermeto's, and for the most part, the musicians then solo over extended two chord vamps. There's a plethora of powerfully delivered rhythms, wild solos and the performances are punctuated by Hermeto's unpredictable, at times comical sonic antics.

Over forty years since this historic happening, Far Out Recordings is overjoyed to release this magical recording of Hermeto Pascoal e Grupo Live at Planetário Da Gávea, on double vinyl LP, CD and digitally for a February 4th 2022 release." – Far Out Recordings