In Person At El Metador

Recorded live in 1965 at the El Matador club in San Francisco, In Person at El Matador captures Sérgio Mendes at a moment when his style was taking shape between modern jazz and bossa nova. Surrounded by Brasil ’65, he delivers a vibrant, elegant and highly spontaneous performance, reflecting the authentic atmosphere of club stages at the time. The fluid piano lines, supple rhythms and airy vocals already outline the sound that would soon bring him international recognition. Less famous than his later pop-bossa landmarks, this album remains a bright and valuable testimony to the early rise of an artist on the path to worldwide success.