Quarteto Novo

Origin

São Paulo, SP

Also known as

Trio Novo

Years active

1966–1969

Genres

instrumental music, bossa nova, brazilian jazz, mpb

Instruments

double bass, acoustic guitar, viola caipira, electric guitar, drums, percussion, flute

Biography

Quarteto Novo was a seminal instrumental music group formed in 1966 in the city of São Paulo. Originally conceived under the name Trio Novo by Theo de Barros, Heraldo do Monte, and Airto Moreira, the ensemble emerged with the purpose of accompanying singer-songwriter Geraldo Vandré in live performances and in the studio, notably participating in the 1968 album Canto Geral.

With the subsequent addition of the talented flutist and multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal, the lineup consolidated as Quarteto Novo and released their acclaimed and only self-titled studio album in 1967. In the same year, the group achieved great national prominence by accompanying Edu Lobo and Marília Medalha in their performance of Ponteio, the winning song of TV Record's 3rd Brazilian Popular Music Festival.

The quartet's work stood out for mixing jazz elements with northeastern rhythms, especially baião, exerting a profound influence on Brazilian instrumental music and opening doors to innovative sonorities. Although the group disbanded in 1969, the legacy of their sophisticated arrangements remains a fundamental reference in the country's musical history, dialoguing with the trajectory of artists such as Dori Caymmi and Luiz Gonzaga.