Sergio Mendes

Sergio Santos Mendes (born Niterói, 11 February 1941) is a Brazilian musician. Born the son of a physician in Niterói, Brazil, Mendes attended the local conservatory with hopes of becoming a classical pianist. As his interest

Sergio Santos Mendes (born Niterói, 11 February 1941) is a Brazilian musician. Born the son of a physician in Niterói, Brazil, Mendes attended the local conservatory with hopes of becoming a classical pianist. As his interest in jazz grew, he started playing in nightclubs in the late 1950s just as bossa nova, a jazz-inflected derivative of samba, was taking off. Mendes played with Antonio Carlos Jobim (regarded as a mentor), and many U.S. jazz musicians who toured Brazil.

Mendes formed the Sexteto Bossa Rio and recorded Dance Moderno in 1961. Touring Europe and the United States, Mendes recorded an album with Cannonball Adderly and played Carnegie Hall. Mendes moved to the U.S. in 1964 and cut an album with Capitol Records. When sales were tepid, he switched to Herb Alpert's A&M label and released Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66. (Mendes' Brasil bands have been many: Brasil '65, Brasil '77. Brasil '99, etc.) The album went platinum and Mendes became the biggest Brazilian star in the U.S. He even played the White House in 1967.