Paulinho Da Costa

The Brazilian-born Paulinho Da Costa, an endlessly adaptable percussionist with a knack for hitting precisely the right isolated beat at the right time, became one of the most in-demand sidemen in Los Angeles' busy recording studios in the late '70s and early '80s. He started playing his instruments at age seven, eventually accumulating over 200 drums, bells, whistles, and other percussion instruments. Prior to leaving Brazil, he toured the world with various Brazilian ensembles and even danced with samba groups. Upon settling in the U.S. in 1973, he joined Sergio Mendes and Brasil '77 for four years (1973-1977), and in his spare time, recorded with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie (including the notorious disco album Dizzy's Party), Milt Jackson, Joe Pass, and Freddie Hubbard. Soon the recording studios beckoned full-time, and Da Costa was in demand for all kinds of recording gigs, playing on albums by Herbie Hancock, Ahmad Jamal, Nancy Wilson, and Ella Fitzgerald, among many others. Da Costa has also recorded sporadically as a leader for the Pablo label.