Antônio Maurício Horta de Melo (born December 2, 1948) is a Brazilian jazz guitarist and vocalist.
In addition to composing and performing his own work, Horta has worked for many years as arranger or sideman for Brazilian artists such as Elis Regina, Milton Nascimento, Maria Bethânia, João Bosco, Airto Moreira, Edu Lobo, Nana Caymmi, Flora Purim, Gal Costa, Sérgio Mendes, Chico Buarque, Flávio Venturini, Joyce, Johnny Alf, Wagner Tiso, Francis Hime, and Beto Guedes.
Horta grew up in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. When he was fourteen, he met Milton Nascimento, who became a lifelong friend and occasional collaborator. His work on Clube da Esquina (1972) by Nascimento led to opportunities with Antônio Carlos Jobim, João Bosco, Nana Caymmi, Gal Costa, and Elis Regina. His debut solo album was Terras Dos Passaros in 1980, released in the U.S. through Capitol Records in 1990. He moved to the U.S, and in time worked with Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter, Sérgio Mendes, Philip Catherine, Herbie Hancock, Billy Higgins, George Duke, and the Manhattan Transfer.
5th best guitarist in the world by the British magazine "Melody Maker" in 1977.
7th best guitarist in 1978, by the same magazine.
Honorary Citizen of the City of Austin (USA) in 1983.
He integrates the anthology Progressions: 100 Years of Jazz (Legacy/Columbia, 2005), as one of the most influential jazz guitarists of the twentieth century.
In 2012, it was included in the list of the 30 greatest Brazilian icons of the guitar and the guitar of the magazine Rolling Stone Brasil.
Latin Grammy winner 2020 with the album Belo Horizonte.
Beto Guedes, Danilo Caymmi, Novelli, Toninho Horta (Odeon, 1973)
Terra Dos Passaros (EMI, 1980)
Diamond Land (Verve Forecast, 1988)
Concerto Planeta Terra with Nelson Ayres, Nivaldo Ornelas, Márcio Montarroyos (IBM Brasil, 1989)
Moonstone (Verve Forecast, 1989)
Once I Loved with Gary Peacock, Billy Higgins (Verve, 1992)
Durango Kid (Big World Music, 1993)
Live in Moscow (B&W Records, 1994)
Qualquer Canção with Carlos Fernando (Dubas Música, 1994)