Will Donato
Encyclopedia
Will Donato is a smooth jazz
composer, alto saxophonist and recording artist whose 2007 release, Will Call is his first with Innervision Records
. His earliest musical work was with the mod revival
ist band, The Untouchables, who gained a large underground following.
Donato has performed with some of the best known musicians of the genre, namely Al McKay
of Earth, Wind and Fire, Bruce Conte
of Tower of Power
and Steve Reid
of The Rippingtons
; Donato also fronted Reid's Bamboo Forest for four years. He has worked outside the smooth jazz genre as well, most notably with Gerald Levert
and Richard Marx
. In addition, Donato frequently tours with his own band, The Art of Sax.
Donato's work can also be heard on the number one Steve Oliver hit from 2006, High Noon as well as on the soundtracks of Thelma and Louise
, The Untouchables and The Wedding Planner
.
A resident of Palm Springs, California
, Donato is a frequent headliner with The Art of Sax at smooth jazz concerts in the area. He is also a frequent guest of Jim "Fitz" Fitzgerald, a pioneering smooth jazz concert promoter and morning drive radio personality on Palm Springs' KJJZ
.
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
composer, alto saxophonist and recording artist whose 2007 release, Will Call is his first with Innervision Records
Innervision Records
Innervision Records was an independent record label distributed by CBS Records. The label was established around 1981 by Mark Dean and Shamsi Ahmed which included Wham! on their artist roster, who scored four top-ten hits while signed to Innervision...
. His earliest musical work was with the mod revival
Mod Revival
The mod revival was a music genre and subculture that started in England in 1978 and later spread to other countries . The mod revival's mainstream popularity was relatively short, although its influence has lasted for decades...
ist band, The Untouchables, who gained a large underground following.
Donato has performed with some of the best known musicians of the genre, namely Al McKay
Al McKay
Al McKay is a guitarist, songwriter, producer and former member of the American funk band Earth, Wind & Fire. Al used to lead his own group Al McKay's L.A...
of Earth, Wind and Fire, Bruce Conte
Bruce Conte
Bruce Conte is an American R&B / jazz fusion guitarist, known primarily for his work with the band Tower Of Power of which he was a member from 1972 to 1979, performing on seven albums and rejoining the band for live work briefly in 2006-7.-Biography:...
of Tower of Power
Tower of Power
Tower of Power is an American R&B-based horn section and band, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing for over 43 years. They are best known for their funky soul sound highlighted by a powerful horn section...
and Steve Reid
Steve Reid
Steve Reid was an American jazz drummer who played with a wide range of artists including Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, James Brown, Fela Kuti and Sun Ra, and as a session drummer for Motown.- Biography :...
of The Rippingtons
The Rippingtons
The Rippingtons are a contemporary group mainly relating to the genres Smooth jazz, Jazz pop, and Crossover jazz. Formed in 1986 by guitarist and band leader Russ Freeman , their career has spanned two decades...
; Donato also fronted Reid's Bamboo Forest for four years. He has worked outside the smooth jazz genre as well, most notably with Gerald Levert
Gerald Levert
Gerald Levert was an American R&B singer. Gerald Levert sang with his brother, Sean Levert, and friend Marc Gordon in the R&B trio LeVert. He was also a part of LSG, an R&B supergroup comprising Keith Sweat, Johnny Gill, and Levert...
and Richard Marx
Richard Marx
Richard Noel Marx is an American adult contemporary and pop/rock singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He had a string of hit singles in the late 1980s and 1990s, including "Endless Summer Nights", "Right Here Waiting", "Now and Forever", and "Hazard"...
. In addition, Donato frequently tours with his own band, The Art of Sax.
Donato's work can also be heard on the number one Steve Oliver hit from 2006, High Noon as well as on the soundtracks of Thelma and Louise
Thelma and Louise
Thelma & Louise is a 1991 film co-produced and directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri, the film's plot revolves around Thelma and Louise's escape from their troubled and caged lives. It stars Geena Davis as Thelma and Susan Sarandon as Louise, and co-stars Harvey Keitel as a...
, The Untouchables and The Wedding Planner
The Wedding Planner
The Wedding Planner is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Adam Shankman, written by Michael Ellis and Pamela Falk, and starring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey.-Plot:...
.
A resident of Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
, Donato is a frequent headliner with The Art of Sax at smooth jazz concerts in the area. He is also a frequent guest of Jim "Fitz" Fitzgerald, a pioneering smooth jazz concert promoter and morning drive radio personality on Palm Springs' KJJZ
KJJZ
KJJZ is a 2.6 kW Class A commercial smooth jazz radio station licensed in Indio, California, with studios in Palm Springs and which serves the greater Coachella Valley on 102.3 FM. The transmitter site is on a peak of the Indio Hills....
.
Discography
- Laws Of Attraction - 2009
- Will Call - 2007
- Will Power - 2004 (on Generation Records)
- Portrait (with the Art of Sax) - 2002
- The Art of Sax
- Speak My Heart