Sergio Mendes was a Brazilian composer, arranger, pianist, and bandleader who brought bossa nova to a worldwide audience over a six-decade career. He came of age during the bossa nova explosion of the late 1950s, absorbing the harmonic language of Antonio Carlos Jobim and the rhythmic sophistication of samba. After early recordings in Brazil and collaborations with Cannonball Adderley, he relocated to the United States, where his group Brasil '66 scored a major pop hit with Mas Que Nada. Mendes released more than thirty-five studio albums, blending Brazilian rhythms with pop, funk, and later hip-hop production. He won a Grammy for Brasileiro in 1993 and composed music for the animated film Rio. Groovy Samba, featured on AllSolos, exemplifies the melodic charm and harmonic warmth that defined his writing.
