Andre Geraissati

Andre Geraissati, Brazilian jazz musician, is best known as part of Grupo D'Alma. From 1979 to 1985 he was a part of this guitar trio, which, playing its own repertoire, with strong Brazilian characteristics, charmed audiences from all the world. With Grupo D’Alma, Andre played in the main international jazz festivals.

Between 1982 and 1985, the musician alternated his activities with Grupo D’Alma with performances with Egberto Gismonti. ‘Entre duas palavras’, his first solo album,was released in 1983.

After 1985, Andre concentrated in his solo work. ‘Insight’, released on that year, was the first album recorded in Brazil in DDD format. In 1987, Andre released the double album ‘Solo’. In 1988, he performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, sharing the night with Bob McFerrin and Wynton Marsalis. In the same year the album ‘DADGAD’ was released, and in 1989, the album ‘7989’, titles which refer to tuning and harmonic tabs. These albums were released in Brazil and the world by Warner Bros. Records and reedited in CD in 2000 by Andre himself and ALG Music Production.

After 1992 Andre dedicated himself to a project: Putting together a series of concerts and recordings of ‘all’ the artists involved with Brazilian instrumental music, surrounding them with the best technology possible. A year later this project became a reality. With a contract made with Banco do Brasil, the Tom Brasil/ Banco do Brasil Musical project was born. There were hundreds of concerts and shows in theatres, universities, auditoriums, and public squares.

After this long period turned solely to the executive part of this project, Andre returned to looking at his guitar strings as a musician, and slowly the repertoire for a new record was born. ‘Next’ brings six compositions and an interpretation of Villa-Lobos’ ‘Trem Caipira’. For this album, Andre brought together the musicians Eduardo Queiroz, Emilio Mendonca, and Renato Martins. The group’s formation is very original: guitar, two keyboards and a clay jar, used as percussion. Each composition was recorded in a single take, after several rehearsals. Overdubs or samplers were not used in the entire album. All the material was recorded in High End system, top technology, that allows a higher contrast and deepness between all the sound elements that compose the musical piece.

In 2002, in an initiative together with CAVI Records, he released the first SACD totally recorded and mastered in Brazil, ‘Canto das Águas.’ In this SACD, DSD technology was used from the recording to the mastering.