Joao Donato

“An infectious bossa-nova
from the pianist in 2010”

Joao Donato (who was born in 1934) is one of the pioneers of Brazilian bossa-nova.

He began playing accordion when he was eight, was a professional by the time he was 15, and became a bandleader in 1953 when he switched to piano.

By 1958, Donato was recording early bossa-nova, and he spent years in the U.S. performing Brazilian jazz with top jazz artists.

This clip from a Brazilian television program dates from Apr. 27, 2010, featuring Donato singing, playing piano, and accompanying a fine saxophonist on a modern bossa-nova.

-Scott Yanow