Quem é Quem

Was there a more demure genius in Brazilian music than the late João Donato? Even João Gilberto credits Donato with inspiring him to create bossa nova. His legacy alights not only on generations of Brazilian greats: Gilberto, Tom Jobim, Marcos Valle, Gilberto Gil, etc. but Latin ones as well: Mongo Santamaria, Eddie Palmieri, and Tito Puente. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more succinct distillation of the man than Quem é Quem, a breezy 30-minute whirlwind. It’s easy-listening with lush group vocals and smooth arrangements, until you notice the triple pikes Donato lands on organ, the tricky rhythmic changes that the entire ensemble navigates without breaking a sweat. Donato connects dots across the continent: Brazilian bossa, Cuban son, and American jazz and then glides back into the background.