Born in the Itaiópolis region of southern Brazil in 1941, Airto Moreira began playing a variety of musical instruments when he was barely in his teens, and later became a member of noted samba jazz group, Sambalanço Trio. Focusing on percussion, Moreira’s work with fellow Brazilian jazz multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal on the 1967 self-titled album by landmark jazz-pop group Quarteto Novo made him a household name, and he was spurred on to move to the US with his wife Flora Purim, long-known as the “Queen of Brazilian jazz,” shortly after its release. As part of the Stateside jazz scene, Moreira worked with Miles Davis, most notably on the groundbreaking album *Bitches Brew* during an intense period of jazz fusion experimentation, and toured with Davis from the late-’60s until the mid-’70s. In later years, Moreira worked with stars like Carlos Santana and the Grateful Dead, as well as symphony orchestras, jazz groups and as a solo percussionist.
