If I'm going to be honest, the first time I ever heard Brazilian bossa nova/jazz/funk icon Sérgio Mendes was on a CD my mom bought at Starbucks, when they still handed you those cardboard cards with free iTunes songs on them. That CD—2006's Timeless—was a collaboration between Mendes and will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and reworked some of the Brazilian pianist's classic songs with a new, millennium flavor. Meaning will.i.am put Fergie on a remix of Mendes's most popular song. And you know what? It's pretty damn good. Tonight is the beginning of Mendes's five night run at Jazz Alley where he will be joined by his band on stage and you can hear him play a Fergie-less rendition of his hit 1966 cover.

Mendes's body of work extends far beyond collabs with the likes of will.i.am. The composer-producer-keyboardist-vocalist has won three Grammy Awards and released more than 40 albums over his career that spans more than a half-century.

The septuagenarian originally came into the international eye for his work with his Brasil '66 band, a ploy by the record label to expand Mendes's appeal into English speaking markets. The group—composed of two female singers, a guitarist, bassist, drummers, and Mendes on the piano—sang songs in both English and Portuguese. Their first album with A&M Records, Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66, was a hit and went platinum, propelled by the success of "Mas que Nada." The rest is history as they say.

He'll be playing tonight at 7:30 pm through Sunday—don't miss it!