1974 Luis Bonfá – Manhattan Strut

Manhattan Strut is an album by Brazilian guitarist Luiz Bonfá recorded in 1974 and at last released in 1997 on Padel Wheel Records. Luis Bonfá: “For personal reasons, it never reached the final step, I mean, it wasn’t released. I needed to travel to Brazil and, what was supposed to be a short trip, became a very long one. Actually, it represented my return to Brazil. I divorced, married again, did a long European tour and all this made me forget about the sessions.” Thank God, the master tapes were preserved and now, thanks to Paddle Wheel, the sessions are finally available. “It’s really a very surprising album.” explained producer Yoichi Nakao after listening to the final mix. Manhattan Strut, a well-plotted and absorbing collection of originals released for the very first time, is a unique album in Bonfá’s career, different from any other album he did before or after those sessions in October ’74.