Vinicius Mendes

Vinícius Mendes is a saxophonist, flautist, composer, improviser and researcher from the inland state of Minas Gerais in Brasil, known not only for its wealth of minerals and mining activities, but for its deep musical traditions founded by such pioneers as Milton Nascimento and Lô Borges.

Having graduated from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, one of the most important centres of excellence in Brasil, with a BA in Popular Music and an MA in Music, Mendes continued to research Improvisation in Free Jazz and in Brasilian Popular Instrumental Music at the university.

In Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais’ capital city, he became embroiled in the instrumental music scene - a style that’s always been a challenge to Brasileiros, who have a tradition of needing something to sing along to! The counter-tradition though, inspired by artists like Victor Assis Brasil and Hermeto Pascoal, who developed a more sophisticated sound that echoed the work of North American jazz artists like John Coltrane and Horace Silver, was still alive and well and very much being practised by local musicians like Rafael Martini and Federico Heliodoro.

In 2014, Vinícius released his first instrumental work at the Savassi Jazz Festival, and one year later he recorded the album NAU - a heady mix of free jazz and traditional Brasilian music, and something of a prelude to Macunaísmo Tardio, the album he recorded Volume One of in 2021 with Volume Two following in 2022 and one that is finally available in full via Sonar Kollektiv’s sub-label Notes On A Journey.

Tags