Since the 1950s, Brazilian pianist, composer, and arranger João Donato has been ahead of the musical pack. Credited by bossa pioneer João Gilberto with inventing the bossa nova beat, Donato never attained the fame of his contemporaries. In 1958, club owners deemed his music "hard to dance to" and refused him bookings. He emigrated to the U.S. for 13 years, where he fared better. In 1965, he issued the hard-grooving Sambou Sambou and the lush The New Sound of Brazil. He released arguably the proto-jazz-funk classic A Bad Donato for Blue Thumb in 1970. Back in Brazil, he served as pianist and musical director for Gal Costa's 1974 Cantar tour, encountering a younger generation of musicians deeply influenced by his work. At 86, Donato, despite two ten-year breaks in recording, has issued more than three dozen albums and amassed thousands of collaborative credits. As evidenced by his participation with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad on JID007, he's not slowing down. Donato plays Fender Rhodes piano throughout, with Katalyst Collective's Greg Paul on drums; Muhammad and Younge play everything else. Vocalist Loren Oden (the Midnight Hour) sings on six tracks. All nine tunes are co-credited.

1		Não Negue Seu Coracão[null]
2		Aquarius (Bring Her Back Home)[null]
3		Desejo de Amor[null]
4		Forever More[null]
5		Sua Beleza e Beleza[null]
6		Liasons[null]
7		Adrian, Ali and Gregory[null]
8		Vermelho Quente[null]
9		Conexão[null]