The Bossa Três

Formed in 1961, Bossa Três was the first instrumental bossa nova group to come out of Rio de Janeiro’s Zona Sul. Initially composed of Luís Carlos Vinhas (piano), Tião Neto (double bass), and Edison Machado (drums), the trio got their start performing in clubs around the Beco das Garrafas area, in Copacabana, accompanying the dancers Lennie Dale, Joe Benett, and Marta Botelho. The dance troupe eventually had the chance to travel to New York and perform on national prime-time at the legendary Ed Sullivan Show with the Bossa Três as their backing band. The three of them stayed in the US and recorded three albums for the Audio Fidelity label - Bossa Três (1963), Bossa Três & Jo Basile (1963), and Bossa Três e Seus Amigos (1963) - before disbanding shortly after. Vinhas reformed the group upon his return to Brazil with Octávio Bailly Júnior on bass and Ronie Mesquita on drums, delivering a string of classic, jazz-tinged bossa nova albums that included a collaborative effort with singer-songwriter Pery Ribeiro and Leny Andrade under the name Gemini V (1966). After releasing the live album Gemini V no México (1967), the trio dissolved once again. Almost three decades later, the Bossa Três reappeared and recorded an album with singer Wanda Sá that saw the light in 2000.