Ze Roberto

Biography

José Roberto Bertrami, known as Zé Roberto, was born on February 21, 1946, in Tatuí, São Paulo state, Brazil, the eldest of seven children in a musical family where his father was a classical violinist and four siblings became musicians. Growing up immersed in music, he discovered jazz influences like Bill Evans and Miles Davis, alongside bossa nova, particularly admiring pianist Luiz Eça of the Tamba Trio. At age 13, he enrolled in a conservatory but was expelled after two years for breaking rules, such as holding jam sessions; by 19 in 1965, he recorded his debut album with Os Tatuís, featuring his composition 'A Bossa do Zé Roberto' alongside works by bossa nova masters like Antonio Carlos Jobim and Roberto Menescal, followed by the José Roberto Trio album in 1966 with his brother Claudio on double bass.[1][2][3][5][6][9]

Fun Facts

• As a teenager, Zé Roberto regularly sneaked off by train from Tatuí to São Paulo nightclubs to perform.[1]
• He was expelled from conservatory for organizing a prohibited jam session, after compressing seven years of study into two.[2]
• The first Azymuth album was a soundtrack for the film O Fabuloso Fittipaldi, written and arranged by Bertrami in 1973.[2]
• Bertrami composed 'A Bossa do Zé Roberto' as a teen, praised for standing alongside bossa nova greats like Jobim.[1]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Bill Evans - major jazz influence (general stylistic inspiration) [early teens]
• Luiz Eça - seminal bossa nova pianist of Tamba Trio (inspirational piano style) [early teens]
• Miles Davis - key jazz discovery (general influence) [early teens]

Key Collaborators

• Claudio Henrique Bertrami - brother and double bassist (Os Tatuís (1965), José Roberto Trio (1966)) [1965-1966]
• Flora Purim - joined her band with Airto Moreira and Raul de Souza (progressive bossa nova performances at João Sebastião Bar) [mid-1960s]
• Airto Moreira - percussionist in Flora Purim's band (São Paulo nightclub performances) [mid-1960s]
• Ivan Conti (Mamão) - drummer and Azymuth bandmate (Azymuth albums including O Fabuloso Fittipaldi (1973), Limite do Horizonte (1974)) [late 1960s-2012]
• Alex Malheiros - bassist and Azymuth bandmate (Azymuth formation and albums) [early 1970s-2012]
• Elis Regina - joined her group as pianist (two-year stint as session player) [early 1970s]
• Milton Nascimento - performed together (Festival of Popular Music, Canecão nightclub) [1967]
• Robertinho Silva - drummer in trio (Rio nightclub performances at Canecão) [1967]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia