Ed Lincoln

Origin

Fortaleza, CE

Genres

samba-jazz, instrumental music, bossa nova, sambalanço

Instruments

double bass, piano, hammond organ

Biography

Ed Lincoln, born Eduardo Lincoln Barbosa de Sabóia in Fortaleza, was a pioneering Brazilian instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and producer who helped shape the sound of samba-jazz and instrumental dance music in the mid-20th century. After beginning his professional career as a journalist in his home state, he relocated to Rio de Janeiro in 1951, where he immersed himself in the city's vibrant nightlife, initially playing double bass before transitioning to the piano and the Hammond organ. During the 1950s, he collaborated with prominent artists such as Dick Farney, Luís Eça, and Luiz Bonfá, establishing himself as a fixture of the Rio club scene.

Throughout the 1960s, Lincoln achieved widespread renown by popularizing a distinctive organ-driven sound that defined the era's fashionable dances and ballrooms. Working extensively with the Musidisc label as both an artist and musical director, he released a string of acclaimed albums, including his landmark 1963 record Seu piano e seu órgão espetacular. His career was temporarily interrupted that same year by a severe automobile accident, but he made a triumphant return to music with his 1964 album A volta. Throughout his ensembles and recording sessions, he worked with and mentored numerous future legends of Brazilian music, such as Emílio Santiago, Tony Tornado, and Wilson das Neves.

In the later decades of his career, Lincoln expanded his creative output into arranging for renowned vocalists like Elza Soares and Beth Carvalho, composing commercial jingles, and experimenting with computer music. Although lingering health issues stemming from his car crash eventually led him to retreat to Petrópolis, his enduring legacy was celebrated in later years through documentary features, career retrospectives, and collaborations with contemporary artists like Marcelinho da Lua. Ed Lincoln passed away in 2012, leaving behind a rich musical heritage as a master of Brazilian groove and organ innovation.

Discography

• Luiz Bonfá e Eduardo Lincoln – Noite e Dia (1957)
• Órgão Espetacular (1960)
• Boite (1961)
• Ed Lincoln, Seu Piano e Seu Órgão Espetacular (1961)
• Album No. 2 (1962)
• Ed Lincoln, Seu Piano e Seu Órgão Espetacular (1963)
• Seu Piano e seu Orgão Espetacular | 2 (1963)
• A Volta (1964)
• Ed Lincoln / Orlann Divo / Nilo Sergio (1964)
• Ed Lincoln (1966)
• Ed Lincoln (1968)
• Ontem Hoje Sempre (1969)
• Órgão e Piano Elétrico (1971)
• Elza Soares, Ed Lincoln – Ritmos de Brasil (1977)
• Novo Toque (1989)
• Ed Lincoln (2023)