Manfredo Fest

Manfredo Irmin Fest (May 13, 1936 – October 8, 1999) was a bossa nova and jazz pianist, keyboardist, and bandleader from Brazil. Legally blind, he was born in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and he died at 63 years old in Tampa Bay, Florida. He was husband of the composer Lili Fest and father of the guitarist Phill Fest.

Biography Manfredo Fest was of German descent: his father was a concert pianist from Germany who taught at University in Porto Alegre. Although he was blind, Fest learned to read music in Braille. His initial musical training had been classical, but at 17 years old, he became interested in the jazz works of George Shearing and Bill Evans. At college he gained steady work playing bossa nova in São Paulo.

In 1961, Fest graduated in piano from the University of Rio Grande do Sul. He also learned to play keyboards and saxophone. One year later, he started his musical career playing in bars, clubs and pubs. In 1963, he recorded his first LP, called Bossa nova, nova bossa. In this album, he counted with Humberto Clayber (bass), Antonio Pinheiro (drums) and Hector Costita (saxophone and flute).

In the 1970s he traveled to the United States where he worked with Sérgio Mendes. His American debut album Manifestations was released in 1978. He was relatively obscure, but worked with noteworthy groups including Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. Fest was a semi-regular at Fandango's on Siesta Key, near Sarasota, Florida.

Fest died of liver failure at the age of 63 in Tampa, Florida, not far from his home in Palm Harbor, where he had lived for 12 years.

Discography 1961: Classicos Dos Boleros 1963: Bossa nova, nova bossa 1963: Evolução 1965: Manfredo Fest Trio 1965: Some people 1966: Alma Brasiliera 1969: Bossa Rio 1970: Alegria 1972 After Hours 1972: Bossa rock blues 1976: Brazilian Dorian dream 1978: Manifestations 1987: Braziliana (DMP) 1989: Jungle Cat (DMP) 1992: Manfredo Fest and friends 1994: Oferenda 1995: Começar de novo (To begin again) 1996: Fascinating rhythm 1997: Amazonas 1998: Just Jobim (DMP) [SACD]