Milton + esperanza Esperanza Spalding, Milton Nascimento

Released on 8/9/24 by Concord Records
Main artists: Milton Nascimento Esperanza Spalding
Genre: Jazz
Distinctions: 4F de Télérama

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Imagine the spark of electricity Esperanza Spalding—the multi Grammy-winning jazz musician—felt when hearing Milton Nascimento the first time, by chance, at a dinner party. It was Native Dancer, the legendary Brazilian singer and composer's 1975 collaboration with saxophonist Wayne Shorter. "I get chills even thinking about it," she has said. "Ninety percent of things I write, I'm thinking of him. I'm thinking of his voice. I'm imagining singing it with him." The two have collaborated before, starting with him guesting on her "Apple Blossom" in 2010, but Milton + esperanza is a different animal: an intimate look into their friendship, creative process and mutual fandom. The full songs are the thing here, but you're also treated to atmospheric interstitials, like "outro planeta"—a dreamlike conversation between the two, backed by what sounds like a heavenly choir—and "Late September," which feels like opening the door to a late-night jazz club, alive with rough and ready saxophone, and wandering back out. It's easy to imagine the song and the scene continuing in an alternate universe, even as you move on to "Outubro," a spritely revamp of a cinematic track from Nascimento's 1967 album Travessia. The original's more subdued flute is replaced with one that flits and flies like a hummingbird; you can practically hear the music, at first rainy-day moody, bloom and open like a flower. Spalding and Nascimento sound intertwined as they egg each other on. Their duet style is also natural on "Saci," affectionately stumbling into each other as if tipsily walking home from a happy night out; Brazilian guitarist Guinga is the street light guiding them home. Paul Simon drops by for "Um Vento Passou," singing in Portuguese. He and Nascimento have worked together before—on the latter's 1987 track "Dream Merchant" as well as Simon's The Rhythm of the Saints—but this is a new composition by the Brazilian artist, whose rich, smoked wood contours intrigue next to Simon's soft, velveteen tone. Spalding wrote some of the songs here, too, including sassy, swinging "Get It By Now" and "Wings for the Thought Bird." Evocative of tropical Brazil, the latter features Elena Pinderhughes on a nimble, athletic flute. Other guests include Lianne La Havas, Brazil's Orquestra Ouro Preto and jazz powerhouse Dianne Reeves on "Earth Song," a lesser covered Michael Jackson song from 1995 that feels awfully timely now ("What about the seas … What about the animals … What about the Holy Land?"). There's also a cover of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life," which finds a playful Spalding sailing on that line "I'd love to turn you on." And jazz vocalist Carolina Shorter guests on "When You Dream," a lovely composition from her late husband Wayne's 1985 album Atlantis. Stretching to nearly twice the song's previous length, this homage is dreamy and groovy—elegant, yet wild without being chaotic or aggressive. You can't help but miss Shorter's sax glory, but there is plenty of kinetic energy here. © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz

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Milton + esperanza

Milton Nascimento

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the music was there

00:00:57

Milton Nascimento, Speaker, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Oscar Zambrano, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Esperanza Spalding, Producer, Vocals, Speaker, Recording Arranger, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Leo Genovese, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Fernando Lodeiro, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Arthur Luna, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Justin Tyson, Additional Keyboards, Vocals, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Rodrigo De Oliveira, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Kamila Anna Druzd, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Breno Cruz, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Piotr Garbaczonek, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andre Geiger, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - William Luna Jr, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Victor Alves Rocha, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Enzo Menegazzi, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Raphael Rui Castro, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Camilla Cristina Ribeiro Santos Lima, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Daniel Fernandes Mendes Junior, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Gabriel Teodoro de Andrade, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Glaikson Luiz Marques Nogueira, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Katarzyna Marta Druzd, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Leonardo Lobão Lacerda, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Lucas Martins de Barros dos Santos, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Mara Reis Toffolo, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Marcos Paulo Gonçalves de Amorim, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Mariana Alves Furtado, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Mariana Pardinho Reis, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Marina Reis Toffolo, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Márcio José Vale Valladão, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Pablo Eduardo Guinez Vergara, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Robson Fonseca Ferreira, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Rodolfo Marques Toffolo, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Rodrigo Ângelo Toffolo, Conductor - Sara Oliveira Alves, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Talitha Debora Gomes Marinho, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Wagner Mateus Pereira de Oliveira, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Wesley Prates Lima, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Samuel Kardos, Strings, AssociatedPerformer