João Donato

Born in Rio Branco, Acre, in 1934, João Donato arrived in Rio with his family in 1945 and began on the accordion. He became a professional musician at 15, recording with Altamiro Carrilho's regional ensemble, and only later moved to the piano. In 1956, Odeon released the LP Chá Dançante, produced by Tom Jobim; in 1958 came "Minha Saudade", written with João Gilberto. In Estados Unidos, where he lived for extended periods, he worked with Mongo Santamaria and Cal Tjader and played trombone in the bands of Tito Puente and Eddie Palmieri. A Bad Donato, recorded in 1970 with bassist Ron Carter, dates from this period. He died in Rio in 2023.