A Barca Do Sol

A Barca do Sol assembled several musicians already building reputations elsewhere, among them Jaques Morelembaum through his associations with Caetano Veloso, Egberto Gismonti, and his own Quarteto Jobim/Morelembaum, pop singer and composer Ritchie, and Nando Carneiro, who had performed and recorded alongside Egberto Gismonti and additional artists. Despite the caliber of its members, the ensemble never received the recognition it merited. Its carefully crafted pieces fused instrumental choro and MPB with progressive rock, an approach further distinguished by the contributions of lyricist Geraldo Carneiro, who had been working with Gismonti since 1971. Gismonti himself oversaw production of the band’s debut LP, A Barca Do Sol, released in 1974 and notable for its early incorporation of the synthesizer. That record contained the group’s best-known track, “Lady Jane,” credited to Nando Carneiro and Geraldo Carneiro. Two further albums appeared: Durante O Verão in 1976 and Pirata in 1979, each later reissued on CD during the 1990s.