Biography
Nelson Ayres stands out among Brazilian musicians as an arranger, pianist, and composer whose career includes performances and recordings alongside Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Carter, Milton Nascimento, César Camargo Mariano, Chico Buarque, Simone, Dori, Nana Caymmi, and additional artists. In his roles as musical director, composer, and arranger for theatrical productions and ballets, including Cidadão Corpo by Ivaldo Bertazzo, he received multiple awards. His work as arranger and conductor with the Orquestra Jazz Sinfônica has also drawn considerable attention.
Born to a mother who played piano, Ayres developed an early passion for Luiz Gonzaga upon receiving an accordion at age five. He entered São Paulo’s conservatory and switched to piano at twelve, bypassing conventional classical training, though he took lessons with Paul Ursbach between 1959 and 1962. In 1961 he became a member of the São Paulo Dixieland Band, remaining until 1968 and appearing on its 1963 recording. During 1967 he joined Os Três Morais and produced his earliest award-winning advertising soundtracks. His arranging work for vocalists began in 1968, the same year he served as musical director for the Augusto Boal-directed production Chiclete com Banana.
Ayres traveled to the United States in 1969 to attend the Berklee School in Boston, where he and Victor Assis Brasil became the institution’s first Brazilian students. While there he worked as an arranger and pianist, backing Astrud Gilberto and performing with Airto Moreira’s ensemble both live and on the album Free. After returning, he attracted interest from musicians such as Hector Costita, Amílson Godoy, and Roberto Sion, who sought jazz insights unavailable at Brazilian conservatories. These sessions produced written arrangements and improvisations that led to the formation of the Nelson Ayres Big Band, scored for five saxophones, four trumpets, and four trombones. The ensemble rehearsed weekly at the Opus 2000 bar from 1973 until 1981, when growing crowds forced a change of venue.
During this period Ayres and several bandmates began teaching at the Fundação das Artes de São Caetano, where their students included future members of Banda Mantiqueira. His arrangement of “Como um Ladrão” by Carlinhos Vergueiro earned first prize at the Festival Abertura organized by the Globo Network in São Paulo. In 1979 he issued his debut solo album on the MPBC series for Philips; the track “Projeto de Jingle” later received a new recording by Osvaldinho do Acordeon. That same year he helped organize and performed at the I Festival de Jazz de São Paulo. Two years afterward he released his second solo effort, Mantiqueira, on Som da Gente.
Persistent scheduling conflicts within the large ensemble prompted Ayres to seek a smaller format. He began performing at São Paulo’s Lei Seca bar with bassist Rodolfo Stroeter and drummer Azael Rodrigues. Roberto Sion soon joined, followed by Hector Costita. The musicians formalized the group as Banda Pau Brasil, a name suggested by Stroeter in reference to Oswald de Andrade’s Manifesto Antropófago. Unlike other Brazilian instrumental acts drawn toward jazz-inflected pop, the band pursued a deeper engagement with native musical traditions. It issued three albums and undertook multiple tours of Europe and Japan before Ayres departed.
In 1985 César Camargo Mariano invited Ayres to participate in the Prisma project, which placed the two keyboardists in front of extensive electronic instrumentation—the first such venture in Brazil—and kept them on the road for two years. Ayres chaired the jury of the First Visa Prize of Instrumental Music in 1998; André Mehmari and Célio Barros took top honors while Nelson Veraz, who later collaborated with Aldo Romano, placed fourth. The 2004 release Perto Do Coracao earned widespread praise for its broad stylistic range. Ayres continues to serve as arranger and conductor for artists spanning pop, rock, and jazz, among them Annie Haslam, Tom Ze, Sergio Santos, and Spokfrevo Orquestra.
During a 2016 visit to Brazil, British saxophonist and composer John Surman met Ayres and the two agreed to work together. In summer 2017, Surman, Ayres, and American vibraphonist Rob Waring convened at Oslo’s Rainbow Studio under producer Manfred Eicher. The resulting album, Invisible Threads, appeared the following January.
Born to a mother who played piano, Ayres developed an early passion for Luiz Gonzaga upon receiving an accordion at age five. He entered São Paulo’s conservatory and switched to piano at twelve, bypassing conventional classical training, though he took lessons with Paul Ursbach between 1959 and 1962. In 1961 he became a member of the São Paulo Dixieland Band, remaining until 1968 and appearing on its 1963 recording. During 1967 he joined Os Três Morais and produced his earliest award-winning advertising soundtracks. His arranging work for vocalists began in 1968, the same year he served as musical director for the Augusto Boal-directed production Chiclete com Banana.
Ayres traveled to the United States in 1969 to attend the Berklee School in Boston, where he and Victor Assis Brasil became the institution’s first Brazilian students. While there he worked as an arranger and pianist, backing Astrud Gilberto and performing with Airto Moreira’s ensemble both live and on the album Free. After returning, he attracted interest from musicians such as Hector Costita, Amílson Godoy, and Roberto Sion, who sought jazz insights unavailable at Brazilian conservatories. These sessions produced written arrangements and improvisations that led to the formation of the Nelson Ayres Big Band, scored for five saxophones, four trumpets, and four trombones. The ensemble rehearsed weekly at the Opus 2000 bar from 1973 until 1981, when growing crowds forced a change of venue.
During this period Ayres and several bandmates began teaching at the Fundação das Artes de São Caetano, where their students included future members of Banda Mantiqueira. His arrangement of “Como um Ladrão” by Carlinhos Vergueiro earned first prize at the Festival Abertura organized by the Globo Network in São Paulo. In 1979 he issued his debut solo album on the MPBC series for Philips; the track “Projeto de Jingle” later received a new recording by Osvaldinho do Acordeon. That same year he helped organize and performed at the I Festival de Jazz de São Paulo. Two years afterward he released his second solo effort, Mantiqueira, on Som da Gente.
Persistent scheduling conflicts within the large ensemble prompted Ayres to seek a smaller format. He began performing at São Paulo’s Lei Seca bar with bassist Rodolfo Stroeter and drummer Azael Rodrigues. Roberto Sion soon joined, followed by Hector Costita. The musicians formalized the group as Banda Pau Brasil, a name suggested by Stroeter in reference to Oswald de Andrade’s Manifesto Antropófago. Unlike other Brazilian instrumental acts drawn toward jazz-inflected pop, the band pursued a deeper engagement with native musical traditions. It issued three albums and undertook multiple tours of Europe and Japan before Ayres departed.
In 1985 César Camargo Mariano invited Ayres to participate in the Prisma project, which placed the two keyboardists in front of extensive electronic instrumentation—the first such venture in Brazil—and kept them on the road for two years. Ayres chaired the jury of the First Visa Prize of Instrumental Music in 1998; André Mehmari and Célio Barros took top honors while Nelson Veraz, who later collaborated with Aldo Romano, placed fourth. The 2004 release Perto Do Coracao earned widespread praise for its broad stylistic range. Ayres continues to serve as arranger and conductor for artists spanning pop, rock, and jazz, among them Annie Haslam, Tom Ze, Sergio Santos, and Spokfrevo Orquestra.
During a 2016 visit to Brazil, British saxophonist and composer John Surman met Ayres and the two agreed to work together. In summer 2017, Surman, Ayres, and American vibraphonist Rob Waring convened at Oslo’s Rainbow Studio under producer Manfred Eicher. The resulting album, Invisible Threads, appeared the following January.
Albums
