Itibere Swarg – Bass

Swarg is a bass player and composer who was born in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1950. After starting studying music with his father, Antonio Bruno Zwarg, he began his career with the Ray Carelli group, playing in ballrooms in the city of São Paulo. In the 70’s, he was part of Xangô Três and Bossa Jazz Trio. He studied double bass with Nicolai Tchevtchenko. Since 1977, he has been playing with Hermeto Pascoal E Grupo all over the world, touring in Europe, North America, and Japan. In 1992, Itiberê began his career as composer and arranger, followed in 1999 by the creation of his huge youth orchestra Itiberê Orquestra Família – starting with 33 members – who changed name in 2011, being then referred to as Itiberê Zwarg & Grupo.

I enjoy the way Pascoal puts his tunes together and this one has a lot of his trademark voicings and arranging concepts. It is not as challenging as it sounds as the complex melodies are hung on a relatively simple bass part. Not a massively challenging read but, again, one of these charts that you think will be impossible to play when you first hear it but isn’t. The tune is ‘Sempre Feliz’ (Always Happy) from the 1986 Hermeto Pascoal & Grupo album, ‘Brasil, Universo’.