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The king of Brazilian bossa nova, Sergio Mendes is one of South America's most legendary and beloved musicians. The son of a physician, he studied at a local conservatory intending to become a classical musician before being diverted by jazz, which he started performing in night clubs. He was mentored by Antonio Carlos Jobim and worked with jazz icons Cannonball Adderley, Herbie Mann and Herb Alpert before landing a deal with Atlantic Records and moving to New York. Encouraged by the record company to turn his hand to pop, Mendes recruited American musicians Lani Hall (vocals) and Bob Matthews (bass) alongside Brazilian percussionists Jose Soares and Joao Palma and created the classic Latin-pop crossover project Brasil '66. The album turned The Beatles' Daytripper, musical show-tune The Joker and Henry Mancini's Slow Hot Wind into stylish, calypso, lounge-jazz; but it was the more traditional bossa nova of Mas Que Nada that brought them to the mainstream. The record was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and the group went on to release Equinox (1967) and Fool On The Hill (1968), scored two US Top 10 hits with The Look Of Love and The Fool On The Hill and gave an acclaimed performance at the Academy Awards in 1968. They also performed for Presidents Lyndon B Johnson and Richard Nixon at the White House, but Mendes soon moved on to other projects. The group had a lasting impact, however, and in 2006 Jurassic 5, John Legend and Justin Timberlake contributed to the tribute album Timeless, while Black Eyed Peas recorded a version of Mas Que Nada featuring Mendes' wife Gracinha Leporace.
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