Joćo Donato

Joćo Donato started his recording career at 15, already a challenging task in an association with a great master, Altamiro Carrilho. He also recorded with Bud Schank, Ron Carter, Airto Moreira, Elmir Deodato, Randy Brecker, Ray Barretto, Mongo Santamaria, Tito Puente, Astrud Gilberto, Cal Tjader, and several others, along with many important Brazilian musicians, including Johnny Alf and Tom Jobim. His solo career is registered with 29 albums recorded since 1953. A major figure as a musician and arranger in the bossa nova movement, he is profoundly influential, having inspired generations of players. Joćo Gilberto confessed to have taken his bossa nova beat at the violćo from Donato's piano playing. He is generally perceived as a crazy and detached genius; maybe he is a little of each. He started making music very early and soon he was already animating dance parties with his accordion. His first music notions were given by a sergeant of Acre's Military Band. At 11, he moved to Rio and studied piano with professor Werther. At 15, he was already a professional accordion musician, playing at suburban balls. His first recording dates back from that period, a 78 rpm for the Star label with Altamiro Carrilho e Seu Regional, although the label omits Donato's credits. He also performed, at that time, continuing for nine years, at the jam sessions of the seminal amateur jazz circle Sinatra-Farney Fan Club in Rio, which gathered people who would be important jazz musicians, producers, and journalists in Brazil. At 17, he was hired by Rįdio Guanabara as a sideman on the Zé do Norte show, working there for two years. In 1952, he was hired by the great violinist Fafį Lemos to play in his group, which was performing at the Monte Carlo nightclub. He also played at several other...