[FA Worldmusic] FW: Joao Donato`s open dates

[Bill Bragin]

I know you are not all presenters on this list, but I wanted to pass along this note, with hopes that one of you either might be interested in booking a date, or have contacts with other presenters who might want to pick up an additional date or two for the Brazilian bossa nova pioneer Joao Donato. He's really a seminal figure - an influence on Joao Gilberto - and it's a pretty rare appearance. I pasted in a bio at the end of the email.

Anyone else want to join me and HotHouse? Donato has travel support that is contingent on at least 3 different non-profit presenters. Hoping that 1-2 more of you might be able to either jump in, or perhaps pass along to a peer in your market who can work on shorter lead time. Please contact Roby directly, below.

All the best,
Bill

________________________________

From: Roby Aidenbaum [mailto:ra at datamarkets.com.ar <mailto:ra%40datamarkets.com.ar> ]
Sent: Thu 11/30/2006 7:39 PM
To: Bill Bragin
Subject: Joao Donato`s open dates

Hi Bill
thanks a lot for your reply
Up to now I have only two venues confirmed : Joe`s Pub (APril 2 nd or 3rd plus April 6 th) and Chicago Hothouse April 5th.

It would be perfect if I could contact a venue in Miami or South Florida for late March before going to NYC. Or anyother place. Bear in mind that late March is a perfect time or April aroundn 7th , 8th that is to say, after the last concert at Joe`s Pub

If it were a non for profit venue much better ! I am pretty worried because in order to receive financial aid (for airplane tickets, etc, etc) from ARtesAmericas Program I need to have at least 3 different venues scheduled.

So your help is really appreciated.

Hope to hear from you soon, Keep me updated, please

Thanks a lot !!!!!!!!!!

Roby

>From www.allmusic.com <http://www.allmusic.com <http://www.allmusic.com> > :

Joco Donato started his recording career at 15, already a challenging task in an association with a great master, Altamiro Carrilho. He recorded also 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 in 29 albums recorded since 1953. A major figure as a musician and arranger at the bossa nova movement, he is profoundly influential, having inspired generations of players. Joco Gilberto confessed to have taken his bossa nova beat at the violco from Donato's piano playing. He is generally perceived as crazy, 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 78rpm for label Star numbered 157, with Altamiro Carrilho e Seu Regional. The label omits Donato's credits. He also performed, at that time, continuing for 9 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 Radio Guanabara as a sideman in the Zi do Norte show, working there for two years. In 1952 he was hired by the great violinist Fafa Lemos to play in his group, which was performing at the Monte Carlo nightclub. He also played at several other nightclubs which congregated Rio's good musicians, such as Sacha's, Drink's, Bon Gourmet and, most importantly, Plaza, where bossa nova was born. 
 
His first solo album, a 78rpm for Sinter (Sinter 212), was entitled Joco Donato e seu conjunto, being released in April, 1953, containing "Tenderly" and "Invitation". In May of that year, he recorded, under the same title, another 78rpm for the same label (Sinter 231). In July, he recorded with the vocal and instrumental group Os Namorados the 78rpm (Sinter 249) with songs "Eu Quero Um Samba" (Haroldo Barbosa/Janet de Almeida), later recorded solo by Joco Gilberto, and "Trjs Ave-Marias" (Hanibal Cruz). He also recorded other two albums with Os Namorados, always for Sinter: in October, 1953 and January, 1954. The group Os Namorados was the same as Os Namorados da Lua, without Lzcio Alves. When Lzcio Alves departed for a solo career, he prohibited his old group mates from using the old name, as he wanted to reserve it for future projects. Donato worked also for the Garotos da Lua vocal group. They were hired by the Radio Tupi. Donato was the group's pianist and arranger, and Joco Gilberto joined them in 1949, subbing for crooner Jonas Silva. Their strong friendship began before they even met: before leaving Bahia, someone said to Joco Gilberto that he was going to meet a guy "exactly like him". At the same time, Donato was said that the forthcoming crooner was very much alike him. When they met, they only said to each other, "That's true!", leaving quizzed the bystanders. Date from that period the numerous eccentric anecdotes of both idiosyncratic musicians. Later they would move to Luiz Teles' (from the Quitandinha Serenaders group) apartment, and live there for a while. Joco Gilberto recorded with the Garotos da Lua two albums, in July and November, 1951. 
 
Soon after, Joco Gilberto was fired from the group by Radio Tupi's artistic direction, as "too bad a crooner". 
 
In 1954, Donato recorded another 78rpm for Sinter. In 1956, in spite of hating the cold weather of the city of Sco Paulo, Donato moved there, joining the group Os Copacabanas and the Lums Cisar Orchestra, alongside with his own group. He recorded another solo album, now with this group, for Odeon, in March, 1956. In the same year and label he'd record Cha dangante, produced by Tom Jobim. In 1958 composed his first hit, "Minha saudade", with Joco Gilberto. At that time, Donato was playing at the Copacabana Palace with the orchestra of Copinha (fined every two days for being late everyday), and Gilberto used to go there often to chat with Donato during the orchestra's breaks (when Dick Farney's group performed). Donato said in an interview in the 70's that Gilberto confessed to him that he, Donato, was the inspirer of Gilberto's bossa nova beat at the violco. Maestro Gaya also said that. Also in 1958 he recorded in his Lp Dance conosco (Copacabana) two partnerships with Gilberto: the mambo "Mambinho" and the samba "Minha saudade". In 1959, he was being rejected by all nightclubs. Ahead of its time, his modern swinging piano, too strong rhythmically, was excessively difficult to follow by other musicians, and customers complained about it as not danceable. He ran out of gigs, and used to ask all nightclubs' owners to play for free, just to be available for anyone interested. Even then, he was only allowed to play after 4:00 a.m., when most customers have gone. His situation was so bad he decided to move away from Brazil. His friend Nanai, having toured Mexico with the great singer Elizete Cardoso, settled in the USA and telegraphed Donato inviting him to a two-week season there. Donato went and ended residing at the USA for 14 years. Very requested by Latin artists, he recorded Arriba! for Mongo Santamaria (Fantasy, 1961), Vaya Puente for Tito Puente (Philips, 1962), At the Black Hawk for Santamaria (Fantasy, 1962), The Astrud Gilberto album for Astrud Gilberto (Elenco, 1964, released in the USA through Verve, Silver Collection, 1991), Shadow of your smile for Astrud Gilberto (Verve, 1965), Brazil! Brazil! Brazil! for Bud Shank (World Pacific, 1967), Solar Heat for Cal Tjader (Skye, 1968), and Prophet for Cal Tjader (Verve, 1969). 
 
Given the long years they worked together in Rio, being also long time friends, Donato and Brazilian drummer Milton Banana developed a rare symbiosis, each one complementing rhythmically the other's ideas. Milton was the first musician to develop a proper bossa nova drum beat, with brushes over a cloth and stick at the snare's rim. His sound was so distinctive that was copied by many musicians, and most bossa nova recordings bring that drum sound. After the historic concert of the Carnegie Hall, in which Donato didn't participate, Donato and Milton Banana accompanied Joco Gilberto in a tour through Italy. They worked for six weeks there. In spite of being harassed by more people interested in contracting him that he could handle, Joco Gilberto alleged a pain in his finger which impeded him of playing, and they stopped everything to wait for his recovery. Believing that only one person in the world could cure him, Joco Gilberto went to Paris, France, to meet Dr. Zapalla, who had been Brazilian soccer player Peli's acupuncturist. After four weeks waiting in vain, not receiving any money, Donato and Milton departed from Europe. Donato came back to Brazil. In 1962, recorded by Polydor the Lp Muito ` vontade (4085), with his compositions. This Lp was reissued later by Polyfar (2493.104) and, in Cd format, by Pacific Jazz Japan (TOCP-8320). At the same time recorded through Polydor A Bossa Muito Moderna de Donato e seu Trio (4107), released next year. He just finished the two albums and returned to the USA. In 1965, with Brazilian violonista /composer/singer Rosinha de Valenga, recorded for Bud Schank Bud Shank & His Brazilian Friends for Elenco (MEV 08), also reissued by Polydor and Toshiba EMI Japan. 
 
In the same year, recorded for RCA Victor USA Piano of Joco Donato - The New Sound of Brasil. His compositions "Amazonas" (recorded by Chris Montez), "A rc" and "Caranguejo" (both recorded by Sirgio Mendes), all were big hits, receiving other interpretations by several artists. In 1969 recorded for Muse (which released it in 1973) Donato/Deodato, a classic album where Latin jazz meets bossa nova. Followed A Bad Donato (Blue Thumb,1970), with Ron Carter. Returning to Brazil in 1972, in the next year recorded for Odeon Quem i quem. In 1974 directed Gal Costa's show Cantar, recorded live and released with Gal singing a couple of Donato's songs, one with the guest Caetano Veloso. in 1975, Donato recorded Lugar comum for Philips, and in 1986 his live show at the People's nightclub was released by Elektra Musician as Leilmadas. In 1996 recorded for Odeon Coisas tco simples, in 1997 Cafi com Pco - Joco Donato & Eloir de Morais with the Brazilian drummer. He also composed, together with Gilberto Gil, "Lugar comum" (1974), "Bananeira", "Emorit" and "Tudo tem" (all in 1975). --Alvaro Neder


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