João Donato – Quem É Quem

Joao Donato’s 1973 masterpiece album Quem e Quem is sometimes forgotten among the tidal wave of classic Brazilian albums from the 1970’s. This is a terrible disservice to a record that I consider a true masterpiece. The only other album that I know that can so tastefully preserve a single mood over the course of half an hour is Kind of Blue.

Sharp, pattering drums whisper behind an ethereal Rhodes keyboard. Donato’s gentle voice sometimes evokes Michael Franks, but he is willing to venture into strange territory with raspy whispers and Dylan-esque bouts.

What is so special about this album is that it feels like one great song. It is so easy to follow Quem e Quem to the very end, and it almost feels unnatural to do otherwise.