THE PULSE OF A MUSICAL REVOLUTION

Copi, Tom (1940–2015), photographer

Airto Moreira in Performance [Original Black-and-White Photograph] [Photographer's Copyright Stamp] c1980

AIRTO MOREIRA — BRAZILIAN RHYTHMS AND JAZZ FUSION.
An original black-and-white performance photograph of Brazilian percussionist and composer Airto Moreira (born 1941), taken by noted jazz photographer Tom Copi.

Captured in the midst of a performance, Moreira leans into his percussion instruments, his arms extended beneath the stage lighting. The close composition conveys the movement and energy of a musician whose inventive playing helped bring Brazilian rhythms into modern jazz and jazz-rock fusion.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS: ORIGINAL CONCERT PHOTOGRAPH.
+++ Black-and-white photographic print measuring approximately 7.5 × 9.5 inches, presented in a brown window mat measuring 10.75 × 13.5 inches.
+++ The verso bears Tom Copi's San Francisco studio copyright stamp. The photograph is secured to its backing with tape around the edges.

CONDITION: FINE PHOTOGRAPH; VERY GOOD MAT.
+++ The photograph presents well, with strong contrast and no visible significant fading or surface damage. Not examined outside its mount.
+++ The mat shows light handling wear, with a small blue mark on the reverse of the backing board, not affecting the photograph. The mounting tape has yellowed with age.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE — A NEW RHYTHMIC LANGUAGE FOR JAZZ
FROM BRAZIL TO THE AMERICAN JAZZ STAGE.
Airto Moreira became one of the leading percussionists of the jazz-fusion era, bringing Brazilian rhythms, unusual percussion instruments, and an adventurous improvisational style to American jazz.

His collaborations with Miles Davis, Weather Report, and Return to Forever helped shape the sound of jazz in the 1970s, while his own recordings established him as a distinctive bandleader and composer.

TOM COPI AND THE MUSICIAN AT WORK.
San Francisco-based photographer Tom Copi photographed many of the leading figures in jazz and popular music. His concert portraits often captured musicians absorbed in performance rather than posed for the camera.

This photograph is particularly effective in conveying Moreira's physical engagement with his instruments and the rhythmic energy of his playing.

GENRES: Original Photographs; Jazz Photography; Music Memorabilia; Concert Photography; Documentary Photography; Twentieth-Century Photography

SUBJECTS: Airto Moreira; Tom Copi; Brazilian Jazz; Jazz Fusion; Latin Jazz; Brazilian Percussion; Miles Davis; Weather Report; Return to Forever; Jazz Drummers; Concert Photography; 1970s Music; American Photography

Item #21232

Price: $95.00