Brazilian musician Nana Vasconcelos is one of the most widely-recorded (and respected) berimbau players, as well as an influential drummer/percussionist who has worked with a multinational, multi-genre roster of collaborators from the world of free jazz (Don Cherry), fusion (Pat Metheny), pop (Paul Simon), avant garde (John Lurie), as well as a variety of Brazilian styles. Vasconcelos got his first big break in the mid-1960s playing drums for bossa nova legend Milton Nascimente, and a subsequent move to Europe was pivotal in his burgeoning session playing career. In 1976, he relocated to New York, where his musical scope widened considerably, and by the 1990s, he was composing and playing on film scores to much acclaim, in addition to a heavy touring and recording schedule.