Jacob do Bandolim
1918 - 1969

The most influential Brazilian artist on the instrument that became part of his name, Jacob raised the mandolin (bandolim, in Portuguese) to a place of honor within Brazilian folk music. Predecessors like Luperce Miranda had been trying to do that before, but Jacob was the one to definitely establish the mandolin as an adequate instrument for solos. Born on February 14, 1918 in Rio de Janeiro, he got his first mandolin in his teens. In spite of having played with instrumental groups from the very beginning, he never really became a professional and always held jobs unrelated to music: he worked as a sales person, a pharmacist, an insurance broker and a scrivener. Not depending on music to make a living allowed Jacob to compose more freely, without being pressured by recording companies or publishers.

He was very disciplined, in every respect, personally and professionally, having researched and rescued part of the traditional choro repertoire, which eventually would embrace his own production in songs like "Noites Cariocas", "Receita de Samba", "A Ginga do Mané", "Doce de Coco", "Assanhado", "Treme-treme", "Vibrações" and "O Vôo da Mosca". After lining up the band Jacob e sua Gente and participating in historic recording sessions with Ataulfo Alves ("Ai, Que Saudade da Amélia", by Ataulfo/Mario Lago)) and Nelson Gonçalves ("Marina", by Dorival Caymmi), he made his first solo album in 1947, followed by other two in the next couple of years on Continental. In the 50s, he made albums on Victor. In 1966, he set up the group Época de Ouro, with big choro names like Dino 7 Cordas (7-string guitar), César Faria and others. Reaching expressive popularity, Jacob and Época de Ouro helped promoting the traditional choro in shows and discs like the emblematic "Vibrações" (1967). The group is still in activity. One of Jacob's last live performances - a show with Elizeth Cardoso and Zimbo Trio in 1968 -, was recorded and released as a double album, but hasn't been re-released on CD in Brazil. Other collections have been produced, but only for the international market. Jacob's son, songwriter Sérgio Bittencourt, did homage to his father with the song "Naquela Mesa", a hit in Elizeth Cardoso's interpretation. In 1997, professor Ermelinda Paz put out the book "Jacob do Bandolim" on Funarte publishing house.

Jacob do Bandolim, more for the achievement of his expression than for his high technique, his force and musical consciousness made him probably the biggest all star legend of the instrument in Brazil, forming a countless number of followers to gratify his musical influence of his sonority, and specially with an emphasis on his rhythm and harmonic backup. His clean picking and the creativity for his unique expression for syncopation made him become a music legend forever. Jacob passed away on august 13, 1969 by a sudden heart attack when he was returning from a meeting with another choro legend, Pixinguinha.

	Jacob do Bandolim & Época de Ouro