Raul de Souza

Boasting a distinctive and highly appealing tone, Raul de Souza was a Brazilian trombonist who kept busy in the '70s but faded into obscurity in the '80s. De Souza, although essentially a jazz artist, was quite versatile -- he played his share of fusion, pop-jazz, and Brazilian jazz, but could also handle funk and disco. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 23, 1934, de Souza was employed as a sideman by some of Brazil's musical heavyweights in the '70s, including Sergio Mendez, Flora Purim, Airto Moreira, and Milton Nascimento.