Johnny Alf
Johnny Alf (actually Alfredo José da Silva , born May 19, 1929 in Rio de Janeiro , † March 4, 2010 in São Paulo ) was a Brazilian musician ( piano , vocals ) of Bossa Nova .
Life
Alf learned to play the piano as a child and came to jazz through the music of George Gershwin and Cole Porter . As a teenager, he began to compose songs in which he was later to Samba - Beat merged with popular jazz and swing. Through the connection with the singer Dick Farney and the jazz journalist Jose Domingoes Raffaelli, he got an engagement in a nightclub in Copacabana . He then also performed in the Plaza , the cradle of Bossa Nova. During his career he worked with numerous Brazilian musicians such as Luís Chaves , Sérgio Mendes , Luís Carlos Vinhas and Leandro Braga . In 1952 his first single was released; his shellac album for Copacabana Brasil , released in 1955, is considered by musicologists to be the first bossa nova album. In the mid-1960s he moved to Sao Paulo, where he taught at a music conservatory. Among his most famous titles include Eu ea Brisa, Ilusão à Toa O que é Amar and Céu e Mar .
Discographic notes
- Diagonal (1964)
- Ele É Johnny Alf (1971)
- Olhos Negros (1990), with Gilberto Gil , Chico Buarque , Caetano Veloso , Roberto Menescal , Leny Andrade
- Eu ea Bossa (1999)
Web links
- Obituary in The New York Times
- Short portrait at Clique Music (Portuguese)
- Johnny Alf at Allmusic (English)
- Johnny Alf at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Alf, Johnny |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Silva, Alfredo José da (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Brazilian musician (piano, vocals) of Bossa Nova |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 19, 1929 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Rio de Janeiro |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 4, 2010 |
| Place of death | São Paulo |