MICHEL DONATO - DOUBLE BASS
Michel Donato was born in Montreal August 25, 1942. Music is in the family: his grandfather played violin, his father played saxophone, flute and piano while his cousin practiced bass.

At the age of 10, he started studying music on an accordion, then learned piano by himself at 12, and finally the bass at 14. Under Roger Charbonneau he spent three years studying double bass at Conservatoire de musique du Québec, in Montreal. He started out in a club, along with group Marcel Doré at la Casa Loma and at Palais d'Or, his father's club. He pursued his learning with Tom Martin and played a few months in l'Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal.

The sixties saw the beginning of a long career while playing with Pierre Leduc trio at Jazz Hot, Art Blakey ensemble and Lee Gagnon Tentet (Montreal 1963).

Travelling between North American and European continents, Donato leaves Montreal in 1969 to take home in Toronto. He works in studios, on television and undertakes a two-year tour with Oscar Peterson Trio. He travels around the world from 1971 to 1973. In Toronto he accompanies artists such as: Clark Terry, Zoot Sims, Benny Carter, Art Farmer, Gerry Mulligan, Victor Feldman among others.

Returning to Montreal in 1977, he participates in a recording of an album with Félix Leclerc and François Dompierre. Later, he joins Bill Evans trio with Phily Jo. Jones. He joins with singer Karen Young in a duet, which will last for eight years. They will produce together four records and win a Félix in 1988.

Since the 70s, his work as a double bass player has brought him to record and play with Sonny Greenwich (70), Oscar Peterson (72), Ian McDougall (75), Bruce Coburn (76), Dave Samuels (76), Budy de Franco (76), Gordie Fleming (77), Oliver Jones (85), Joe Pass, Bill Evans, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Thoots Thileman, Joe Morello, etc. He wrote music for several films such as Omni Romance in 1987, Le Marché Du Couple in 1990 and Les Muses Orphelines in 2000, which won him the Jutras 2001 Prize. He also writes the music for television soaps Sous Un Ciel Variable and the daily Virginie broadcast in Radio-Canada.

With his own quintet and his duet formation with James Gelfand, his experimentation with Henri Texier and Charlie Haden, excellence and passion are always present! More recently, he has toured Québec with one of the greatest gipsy jazz ambassador guitarist Manush Angelo Debarre.

The name Donato is associated to numerous prizes among with the Oscar Peterson Trophy which whom he toured the world in the early 70s. This prize was conferred to him in 1995 by le Festival international de Jazz de Montréal.