Milton (Raça)

Performer: Milton Nascimento
Artist: Wayne Shorter; Herbie Hancock; Toninho Horta; Airto Moreira; Raul De Souza; Hugo Fattoruso
Engineer: Jeremy Zatkin
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Milton Nascimento (vocals, acoustic nylon-string guitar); Maria Fatima (vocals); Toninho Horta (12-string guitar); Wayne Shorter (soprano & tenor saxophones); Raul De Souza (trombone); Hugo Fattoruso (piano, organ); Herbie Hancock (piano); Novelli (bass); Airto Moreira, Roberto Silva (drums, percussion); Laudir De Oliveira (percussion). Producer: Rob Fraboni. Reissue producer: Richard Seidel. Recorded at The Village Recorder, Los Angeles, California and Shagri-La Studios, Malibu, California in 1976. Originally released on A&M (4611). Digitally remastered by Swiss Cake Rolls (Universal Mastering Studios-East). This is part of the Verve By Request series. Personnel: Milton Nascimento (vocals, whistling, guitar, acoustic guitar); Maria Fattoruso (vocals); Toninho Horta (electric guitar, 12-string guitar); Wayne Shorter (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Raul de Souza (trombone); Hugo Fattoruso (piano, organ); Herbie Hancock (piano); Airto Moreira, Roberto Silva (drums, percussion); Laudir DeOliveira (percussion). Recording information: Los Angeles, CA (1976); Malibu, CA (1976); Shangri-La Studios, Malibu (1976); The Village Recorder, Los Angeles, CA (1976). Milton Nascimento's formidable discography is packed with fine music, but his releases from the late 1960s and early '70s are especially wonderful. 1970's MILTON is a Nascimento classic. Like much of the exciting music coming out of Brazil during that time (Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Jorge Ben, and others, were rivaling the U.S. and U.K. for pop inventiveness), Nascimento's music was a delectable synthesis of psychedelic rock, Beatles-inspired melody, folk, and traditional Brazilian forms. MILTON benefits both from fine songwriting (which is credited to Nascimento, Lo Borges, and several others) and intriguing instrumentation and arrangements. Flutes, organ, and squirrely electric guitar licks create fascinating textures, and Nascimento's voice, as usual, is lilting and precise. Nascimento is rightfully known for his ballad performances, and the presence of lovely songs like "Canto Latino" show why. Milton was recorded in 1970, one year before Milton Nascimento's and L� Borges' famous collaboration Clube da Esquina. The sound, production and musical orientation of Milton is also very similar to the Clube da Esquina album. It is an elegant mix of slightly Beatlesque pop, soul and folk music from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. The music also displays the type of dreamy soundscape that is so typical of the early work of Milton Nascimento and L� Borges. Just as on other albums recorded by Nascimento during this period, the songs are co-written by his friends and musical partners L� Borges, M�rcio Borges, Fernando Brandt, Ronaldo Bastos and Toninho Horta. There is no real weak point on this album, and all songs are solid, though five songs are worth extra mention. "Para Lennon e McCartney" and "Alunar" are two typically melodic and harmonious compositions written by the two Borges brothers, spiced up with characteristic psychedelic guitar play. "Clube da Esquina," "Durango Kid" and "Canto Latino" are beautiful, intricate ballads which gain extra ornamentation from exquisite flute, piano and electric organ tones. EMI's CD release of Milton also includes four bonus tracks, of which the instrumental "Tema de Tostao" is the finest. ~ Philip Jandovsky Although several of Nascimento's most familiar songs are contained in this debut American release, Milton (Minas) (referring to his home state of Minas Gerais) is a remarkably cohesive piece of work that stands as one of his finest. It includes famous tunes "Carvo e Canela" and "Nada Sera como Antes." ~ Terri Hinte & Michael G. Nastos

Down Beat (9/00, p.67) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...His memorable melodies breathe innocence and have become a currency all their own....[His] baritone, vibrato and falsetto is a marvel to behold, sensuous yet simple, polished yet very close to his folk roots."

Milton Nascimento emerged in the late '60s as part of a new generation of Brazilian musicians and songwriters adapting the sounds of rock and pop. But even in Brazil, which has absorbed a wealth of musical traditions, Milton Nascimento is a unique artist. His soaring voice and plaintive songs have inspired and influenced musicians of all kinds who recognize the sheer soulfulness of his music, which at its best is both universal and deeply personal.

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