Jacob do Bandolim

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Also known as

Jacob Pick Bittencourt

Years Active

1933–1969

Genres

choro, instrumental music, MPB

Instruments

mandolin, violin

Biography

Jacob do Bandolim, born Jacob Pick Bittencourt in Rio de Janeiro, was one of the most prominent musicians, composers, and mandolinists in the history of Brazilian choro. Emerging as a brilliant autodidact who began his musical journey playing the violin before finding his true calling with the mandolin, he rose to fame after winning a radio talent contest in 1934. Throughout his career, he modernized the traditional choro genre by incorporating unconventional instruments such as the accordion and the vibraphone, leaving behind timeless classics like "Noites Cariocas", "Doce de Coco", and "Assanhado".

Beyond his prolific solo output and extensive radio work, Jacob founded the legendary ensemble Época de Ouro in the early 1960s, a group that remains active and vital to Brazilian instrumental music to this day. He frequently collaborated with and admired many luminaries of Brazilian music, sharing deep artistic ties with figures such as Pixinguinha, Noel Rosa, and Elizeth Cardoso. His dedication to preserving and elevating Brazilian popular culture cemented his legacy as a pillar of traditional instrumental performance.

Jacob do Bandolim passed away in 1969 at the age of 51, suffering a fatal heart attack shortly after visiting his lifelong friend and collaborator Pixinguinha. Despite his relatively short life, his profound impact on choro endures, inspiring generations of mandolin players and instrumentalists. His legacy is preserved through his extensive discography, celebrated compositions, and institutions dedicated to his artistic memory.

Discography

• Jacob Revive Músicas de Ernesto Nazareth (1955)
• Época de Ouro (1959)
• Na Roda do Choro (1960)
• Chorinhos e Chorões (1961)
• Primas e Bordões: Jacob e Seu Bandolim (1962)
• Valsas e Choros Evocativos (1962)
• Jacob Revive Sambas para Você Cantar (1963)
• Jacob e Seu Bandolim com Radamés Gnattali e Orquestra – Retratos (1964)
• Assanhado (1966)
• Vibrações (1967)
• Elizeth Cardoso & Zimbo Trio & Jacob Do Bandolim – Vol. 1 (1968)
• Radamés Gnattali, Jacob do Bandolim, Época de Ouro, os Boêmios, Orquestra do Teatro Municipal – Pixinguinha 70 (1968)
• Isto É Nosso (1968)
• Elizeth Cardoso & Zimbo Trio & Jacob Do Bandolim – Vol. 2 (1968)
• Jacob do Bandolim, Paulo Tapajós – Os Saraus de Jacob (1971)
• Elizeth Cardoso, Jacob do Bandolim, Zimbo Trio, Época de Ouro – Vol. 3 - Fragmentos Inéditos do Histórico Recital (1977)
• Elizeth Cardoso, Jacob do Bandolim, Zimbo Trio & Conjunto Época de Ouro – Gravado Ao Vivo no Teatro João Caetano (1989)
• Original Classic Recordings Vol. I (1991)
• Prólogo - Vivendo no Jacob (1994)
• Original Classic Recordings Vol. II (1994)
• Caixa Jacob Do Bandolim (2000)
• Sempre JACOB (2007)
• Color do Brasil (2009)
• Feiticaria (2014)
• Celso Machado, Paulinho da Vida, Pixinguinha, Astor Piazzolla, Jacob do Bandolim, Margaret Herlehy – Rosewood Café (2018)
• Santa Morena (2018)
• 100 Anos (1918-2018) (2018)
• Para sempre 100 anos (2019)
• Noites cariocas (2019)
• Doce de coco (2019)
• Atlantico (2021)
• Summer in Rio de Janeiro (2022)
• Chôros Evocativos
• Valsas Evocativas
• Valsas Brasileiras de Antigamente
• Elizeth Cardoso, Zimbo Trio, Jacob do Bandolim, Época de Ouro – Ao Vivo no Teatro João Caetano