Hermeto Pascoal

Hermeto Pascoal (born 1936) is a Brazilian multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader from Lagoa da Canoa, Alagoas. Born albino and nearly blind, he developed extraordinary musicianship across piano, flute, saxophone, guitar, and numerous other instruments, and is known for his ability to extract music from almost any object — teapots, animals, natural sounds. His recordings, particularly Slaves Mass (1977) recorded with Miles Davis's rhythm section, demonstrate a synthesis of Brazilian regional music, jazz, and free improvisation that remains idiosyncratic and unclassifiable. He has produced an enormous body of work across more than five decades.