Born Luiz Mainzi da Cunha Eça in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 3,1936, the samba / bossa nova pianist and composer was best-known as a member of the Tamba Trio and for composing the jazz standard “The Dolphin.” In the 1950s, he began his professional music career playing piano in nightclubs. He then formed his own band featuring Ed Lincoln (double bass), Pablo Ney (guitar), João Donato (accordion), Milton Banana (drums), and vocalist Claudette Soares. After the release of his early albums A Night at the Plaza (1955), Sambas Da Saudade (1956), and Um Piano na Madrugada (1956), Luiz Eça then formed his pioneering bossa nova trio, Penumbra, and played a pivotal role in the early days of the bossa nova movement. In 1962, he formed Tamba Trio with Bebeto Castilho (flute, bass, vocals, and saxophone) and Hélcio Milito (drums, tamba). The group was a success throughout the remainder of the decade, releasing albums such as Longplay (1962), Reencontro (1966), and Tamba Trio Salutes Mexico (1968). Luiz Eça led a quartet called Tamba 4 and released several albums including Samba Blim (1968). He collaborated with many artists including Carlos Lyra, Quarteto em Cy, Nara Leão, Roberto Menescal, Sylvia Telles, Edu Lobo, Floria Purim, Vinicius de Moraes, Chico Buarque, Ellis Regina, Milton Nascimento, Joyce, Jão Bosco, Leny Andrade and Ivan Lins. In 1970, Luiz Eça released the album Piano e Cordas, Volume II (1970), which featured his popular cover of Milton Nascimento’s “Travessia.” In 1971, he reunited with his partners from the Tamba Trio and released the jazz fusion album Tamba (1974). He continued to release well-received albums including Antologia do Piano (1976), Luiz Eça (1983), Triângulo (1985), and No Museo de Arte Moderna (1993). Luiz Eça died on May 24, 1992, at the age of 55. His album Luiz Eça Trio was released posthumously in 1995.
