Brazilian Guitarist Guilherme Monteiro Talks To Jazz Guitar Today

JGT contributor Joe Barth talks to guitarist Guilherme Monteiro about performing on pianist Helio Alves’ new album, Samba of Sorts.

Brazilian guitarist Guilherme Monteiro has been living and working in New York City since the year 2000.  He has performed and recorded with some of the most respected musicians in town, such as bassists Ron Carter and Marc Johnson, saxophonist Harry Allen, as well as singer Kurt Elling.  He has just released a new album with the Unity Quartet that also features pianist Helio Alves.

JB:  You haven’t been featured in JAZZ GUITAR TODAY.  So, before I ask about the new Samba of Sorts album, tell me about yourself.  You grew up in Rio de Janeiro, and you’ve studied at Berklee College and the Thelonious Monk Institute. During your college years, what was musically most helpful in your personal development as a guitarist?

GM:  When I was at Berklee, I had a Jazz Improv teacher, named Hal Crook, who was very influential in the way I think about music. His whole thing was finding the weak spots in your playing and working on those so you had no holes in your formation. This really built one’s playing from the ground up. He made me go back to some basics, like syncopation and improvising only using chord tones, which still help me today. 

JB:  To learn more about what shaped your musical values on the guitar, to you, what are three of the most influential guitar albums and why? (Please give details) 

GM:  When I got into jazz in the 1980s, we didn’t really have a lot of records available in Brazil, but we got the Pablo catalog which featured Joe Pass frequently. Checkmate, a duo album by Joe Pass and Jimmy Rowles, was very fundamental in my formation. Joe Pass was the perfect example of the actual application of jazz theory into practice, as everything he played was very much within the guidelines of what I was learning. Besides that, he was a genius melodist.

George Shearing and the Montgomery Brothers was also very influential. Wes was more outside of the box than Joe and other jazz guitarists from that era so I learned to trust my ears and instincts before I could rationally explain what he was doing. I still lacked back then the knowledge necessary to fully understand the harmony substitutions and all the hip things Wes was very fluent at.

Then, there’s Jeff Beck’s Wired. His guitar sound is still one of my main references for everything this instrument can do. All the shades and light, the sweetness and the assertiveness coming from his personality through his fingers. In a certain way, I don’t think anyone can touch Jeff Beck. He is in a league of his own.

JB:  You came to New York in 2000, what did you appreciate most about recording on Kurt Elling’s Night Moves with bassist Christian McBride and saxophonist Bob Mintzer?

GM:  Working with Kurt is always a blast. He is the epitome of professionalism and musicality, and always in a good, creative mood. I learned a lot about how to be a band leader by watching him.

JB:  Also with Eliane Elias’ Dreamer with bassist Marc Johnson and saxophonist Michael Brecker.

GM:  That was a nice album to work on. We rehearsed at Eliane’s place with Mark Johnson and producer Steve Rodby. Eliane is very precious about harmony and voicings and it was a lot of fun figuring out what worked between the guitar and the piano to better support her.  

JB:  Tell us about making the new Unity Quartet album Samba of Sorts with pianist Helio Alves, bassist Gili Lopes, and drummer Alex Kautz. 

GM:  This is a labor of love and a celebration of a long-lasting friendship. Helio and I have been playing together since my early days in NYC, and I’ve also known Alex for a long time. We’ve been playing together since our college days. We were playing regularly at this spot in Brooklyn, Bar Lunatico, with a very good American bassist, but when Gili joined us, the whole thing jelled like it hadn’t before. From that feeling, came the desire to form an actual band and record. We did it in two days at a studio in Brooklyn, and the whole thing came together better than any of us anticipated. It is very easy playing with those guys. The name Unity Quartet comes from this feeling of the four of us sounding as one entity. 

JB:  Tell us about your band Forro in the Dark and its Brazilian music.

GM:  Forro In The Dark is a band I have with Brazilian friends, expats in NY that play forro music, which is traditional party music, ballroom dance mixed with Rock, Jazz, Country, and whatever else we feel like throwing in the mix. We’ve traveled the world many times over and played most of the big festivals in the US and Canada (Bonaroo, Bumpershoot, Montreal Jazz Fest, etc). Currently, we are not touring as much, but we still keep making records.

JB:  You have several guitars. What do you appreciate about the 335 style guitar you currently play the most? 

GM:  Yes, I do own a lot of guitars, but the ES 335 is the one that I feel I can best express myself these days. It’s from 1979, a very specific model (CRR, only about 200 of those were made). Besides being an incredible instrument it has so much personality, it became my voice. It’s also very versatile. With the 335 and a Les Paul you are pretty much covered in the studio.

JB:  Before she died, you worked with Gal Costa.  What do you find refreshing about being a sideman with singers?

GM:  Sadly, Gal passed away a couple of years ago, but I did play with her constantly for about 4 years. She was by far the most “chill” singer I’ve worked with. A musical genius, and I don’t use that term lightly. I enjoy accompanying soloists in general, and if the singer is good, I take great pleasure in providing harmonic and rhythmic support to their vision. For me, music is always about collaboration, so being a good accompanist comes with the territory. Also, singers tend to get better gigs, so it’s not a bad idea to be needed by them.

JB:  New York is a town with hundreds of good guitarists, you’ve been there for over twenty years, so what’s the best piece of advice you’d give younger guitarists for building a career in music?

GM:  I would say learn as much as you can about different styles, cultures, and people. It’s good to focus in just one thing for a while (when you are in school, for example, focusing on Jazz or Funk) but when you are out in the world, the more you know, if you can branch out, the better your chances to find work. I get bored if I’m only playing one kind of music. One of the perks of living in New York is that I get to play all kinds of stuff. Moroccan, Brazilian, Folk, Jazz, Funk, and that’s what I like. It worked for me as a career choice, but I know it’s not for everyone.

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