Beyond Brilliant Brazilian Composer Marco Antonio Araujo, RIP

After hearing the Nuevos Aires, including the stunning first album (remember, it's available on itunes) I was reminded of this artist who is musically very similar-- provided the accordion is excised.

These 4 albums, all he produced solo, I've cherished and listened to hundreds of times. They appeal to me in the most profound way with their perfect mix of classical, jazz, and advanced compositions, all soaked throughout with alternating melancholy and passion.  As I've said so many times before, the three great musical inventions of humanity (rock or pop, jazz, classical) are welded together into a whole that goes far beyond what any individual musical style could achieve on its own.  If only the rest of our species could understand what I mean...

From discogs a brief but revealing bio that ends quite tragically:

Marco Antonio Araujo was born August 28, 1949 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. On 1968 he played in a band called Vox Populi (15), that later would become Som Imaginario. In 1970 and now living in England, he used to be a fan of bands such as: Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Genesis, who would have great influence on his musical production. Within the next few years, Marco Antonio Araujo studied guitar and cello in Rio de Janeiro. In 1977, once again in Belo Horizonte, he joined the symphonic orchestra and soon (1980) his first album, «Influencias» was released. With only six instrumental tracks, he had already achieved an amazing sense of balance and created a personal style. Marco Antonio Araujo is a classic when it comes to Brazilian prog and also a highly recommended artist for anyone who likes both symphonic rock and prog folk. Marco has passed away on January 6, 1986, in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, at the age of 36 due to a brain aneurysm.

Most of the songs are quite long and I am assuming that his first, Influencias, is well known to everyone, so I won't post a sample.  As well I'll have to take down the links in a bit as they are apparently all CD.

Enjoy this outrageous wealth of music...  For me this was like discovering a treasure chest full of the most beautiful and unique jewels.