Milton Nascimento is one of Brazil’s greatest musical artists. Esperanza Spalding is one of American jazz’s most prominent bassists and songwriters. Milton Nascimento is one of Brazil’s most frequent collaborators with American jazz musicians, notably the late Wayne Shorter.
Milton + Esperanza is a musical fusion between two worlds and two generations: Milton is 82, Esperanza 39. It was she who came up with the idea for this album, as a tribute to one of the most original Brazilian musicians of his time.
Let’s be clear: Milton Nascimento’s voice is no longer as versatile as it once was. His voice is no longer as versatile as it used to be, and he’s moved away from the spectacular high-pitched vocal effects for which he was renowned. But this doesn’t stop us from sensing, right from the start, the total complicity of the two musicians. Esperanza Spalding has always imbibed Brazilian influences; here she has fun infusing jazz, Brazil, and folk. It mixes original compositions with songs by Milton Nascimento and a reworking of “A Day In The Life” from the Beatles’ Sgt Pepper album. Paul Simon takes part in one track, “Um vento Passou,” which he sings in very decent Portuguese. Amazing!
We also hear British folk-soul singer Lilian La Havas and the great American jazz singer Dianne Reeves. However, this track stands out from Milton + Esperanza’s overall musical proposition. The Orquestra de Ouro Preto, a pretty town in Brazil’s Minas Gerais region, also appears on two pieces, with its mix of tradition and strings.
All this may seem scattered. But Esperanza Spalding manages to bring it all together with creative arrangements imbued with emotion. It’s a tribute to the genius of a musician who left his mark not only on Brazil, but on the entire musical planet, through his great originality.
The album closes with a long, beautiful ballad, “When You Dream,” featuring Caroline Shorter, the widow of Wayne Shorter, Milton Nascimento’s former partner on the legendary 1975 album Native Dancer. We’ve come full circle. May this album also serve to rediscover Milton’s musical catalog. And Esperanza, who continues to explore new avenues of sound.
