JOAO DONATO & SEU TRIO Vinilo y CD

Review: Pianist and arrange Joao Donato was pivotal to the development of bossa nova in the 60s, and he worked with a dizzying array of greats from both the Brazilian and US jazz scenes. Amongst his myriad recordings, this particular set from 1963 is a treasure of gently lilting musicality backed up by Milton Banana's lightly brushed drums and Amaury Rodriguez's Afro-Cuban bongo style. If you need an entry point into the world of bossa nova or already love the sound, this album is nothing less than essential listening.