Milton Nascimento - s/d

Not sure where else he's touring.

Jason, I have the Nelson Angelo and Joyce album, but the Verocai one has passed me by. Thanks for the tip.

It seems like an obvious question, but have you considered the possibility that if you haven't really liked any other Milton you've heard that you're really more of a Lo Borges fan than a Milton fan? Borges doesn't have the world reknown or as deep a catalog as Nascimento, but he's a terrific artist in his own right. I personally prefer Lo Borges S/T '72 and A Via Lactea to any of Milton's other work. I suspect anyone that is a fan of Clube Da Esquina would dig the S/T '72 album.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/08/arts/music/08hort.html?th&emc=th

By BEN RATLIFF, New York Times
Published: August 8, 2007
There is a deliriously inventive strain of popular music from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, best known from Milton Nascimento’s hot streak of records in the first half of the 1970s. They are ambitiously cooperative, full-throated singing albums; they are also guitar-heavy and harmony-rich. Some prominently included a guitarist in his early 20s named Toninho Horta.

Mr. Horta went on to become a bandleader, crossing over into jazz more often than his Minas Gerais compatriots. But his solo set at Cachaça on Monday delivered many of the same chills as those records he contributed to long before. There was a striking originality and a purity of intent running through the music: it played itself out in quietly intense, trembly trances.

For American audiences, Mr. Horta is one of the geniuses who got away. (Perhaps especially for musicians: if you want to know why modern jazz players are bewitched by Brazilian music, he’s a good place to start.) He has spent stretches of time living in New York, though now he’s based in Brazil again.

In any case, he happened to be in town, and with only a week’s notice was booked to fill an empty night at this new club. Aside from one evening last year at Fat Cat, when he played an unannounced gig with the guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, this was, he said, his first New York show in nine years.

The room was hectic, packed with Brazilians, Italians, Japanese, Americans and videographers; Mr. Horta knew a lot of them, chatting between songs. (Later in the evening, after a break, he encouraged musician friends to sit in with him.)

But alone for his first set, he easily slipped into deep concentration, playing songs including his own compositions “Gershwin” and “Pilar,” Jobim’s “Amor em Paz” and — one of his signatures — an embroidered version of “Moon River.”

Bossa nova rhythm and harmony are implicit in much of Mr. Horta’s playing, but not bossa nova’s frugal guitar technique: he often strummed all six strings, leaving one or two unfretted, wresting complex harmonies and letting the low strings ring out. He was playing fluid, syncopated music that never sounded shallow or busy.

Like some of the best improvising musicians, he created a self-sustaining pool of sound in each piece, fantasias durable enough for him to hold back or dive in; he could slacken or hasten the tempo and volume without damaging a song’s atmosphere.

And above that, his singing was light and keening. He sang out of the corners of his mouth, moving his head from side to side, wincing at high notes. At one point many members of the crowd sang along to a chorus, but not just monophonically: without prompting, they sang in their own rich harmony.

Wasn't sure where to post this. Anybody know this guy's work?

I'm a big Milton fan, and I understand Toninho Horta's work has some great moments, but I'm afraid I'm not the authority. Thanks for raising this, though - I'll be interested as well in getting some pointers.

For what it's worth, an amazon.com commenter stated "Some of the most notable songs recorded by Nascimento are Horta's compositions", although he did not like Horta's voice. Here's part of a cdbaby bio (maybe a bit over-the-top). I'm still not sure where to start in Horta's solo career.:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/stilohorta

TONINHO'S BIO:

They were a group of childhood friends, all raised together in the land-locked, mountainous, mineral rich Brazilizan state of Minas Gerais. The first name that sprang to international attention - and stays there as the foremost current ambassador of Brazilian song - is Milton Nascimento. Joining him are songwriters Beto Guedes and Lo Borges, poets Ronaldo Bastos and Fernando Brant, and a slew of instrumentalists like Wagner Tiso and Robertinho Silva. And at the side of all of them is a musician who appears on more albums than most anyone in all Brazil, as arranger, as song- writer, as sparkling instrumentalist - Toninho Horta. Toninho Horta is, quite simply, a master whose harmonic sensibility, whose fantastically inventive chording, whose unfailing musicality have made him a session player and a arranger in constant demand for well over two decades. To hear him play live is to be stunned by the alternately lyrical and rythmic lines he is capable of, and at the ability of a musician to think so originally, so complexly on his feet. As a writer, Toninho's musicality has produced standards that top the list of the best-loved songs in Brazil. His story is somewhat typical of the artists of his generation. Like all Brazilians, he grew up with the music of his region everywhere about him: the folkloric traditions of former slaves, the religious music of a deeply religious land, a glorious tradition in samba, and as a youth at a time of worldwide flux, he grew with an ever widening exposure to foreign forms. He and his minas friends were first introduced to American jazz in the 1950's, cool jazz, like that played by Chet Baker (whose phrasing as a singer and instrumentalist made a tremendous impression) and Miles davis, or by richly harmonic masters like Duke Elington. Then came the rock and roll of a later generation - especially a group cited by nearly every Brazilian of the time, The Beatles, with their allembracing concept album and adventouresome musical vision. This varied exposure filtered through some of the most singular musical sensibilities in Brazil, and the the loosely knit clutch of musicians came to be known as the Corner Club, or in Portuguese, the Clube da Esquinha. Toninho Horta was born into a musical family in the capital of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, in 1948. His mother taught him guitar and his uncle a composer and multi-instrumentalist, provided guidance. His successes came early, with a first composition, written when he was only thirteen, beung picked up by local bands, and a later one, "Litoral", becoming an instant standard for its twenty-year-old composer. Given his early recognition as a guitarist to watch, Toninho appeared in the bands of many of Brazil's greatest singers. he even fronted Milton Nascimento's first appearance in Rio, in 1970. since that time he has played with and arranged for Maria Bethania, Elis Regina, Gal Costa and many others.

So should I see him live? He's touring the USA and I've missed him every other time he's come through town.

um, FUCK YEAH

Minas won't stay off the deck at the minute - beautiful, strange record..

40 years later!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/419086_394852017191807_100000010355441_1636463_1732180682_n.jpg

that is such a great lp

aw, what a great photo.

took me 10 seconds to "get" the photo, lol. that's fantastic!

Imagine owning and playing that LP when it came out! His music has such a strong sense of time and place.

Oh wow, that photo!

amazing

that's great! what an awesome photo the original is too.

v gd, tick!

Yes!! I also listened to that album on Spotify last night. Nice

Out of boredom and procrastination I decided to go through the RYM all time albums list and find the highest ranked one that I was just not familiar with at all. Which was actually a Kyuss record, which seemed pretty cool but sounded exactly like every stoner rock record.

BUT, the second one was Clube Da Esquina, and wow, this is such a where-have-you-been-all-my-life album.

Assuming the photo here is that went missing a little bit upthread http://brasillinois.wordpress.com/2012/03/19/boys-from-clube-da-esquina-cover-located-after-40-years/

that is great

I think the extent of my familiarity with him prior to now was from Native Dancer. I also just finally heard the original Ponta De Areia, which is amazing

In any case, he happened to be in town, and with only a week’s notice was booked to fill an empty night at this new club.

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/lyricwiki/images/9/9f/Milton_Nascimento_-_Milton_%2776.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20141025202033

First two tracks on this are extremely my shit right now.

Some incredible vocal phrasing on "my fairytale friend".. hot Shorter playing too

Stick around for "Cloves and cinnamon", that is one pretty track.

Short North American tour coming

I wonder if he's going to be wearing a Milton Nascimento t-shirt.

...not likely, he's got a new look:
https://✧✧✧.tenhomaisdiscosqueami✧✧✧.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Milton-Nascimento-2022-FOT✧✧✧@marcoshermes✧✧✧.j✧✧

He says he is going to retire from touring after this, which isn't a huge surprise. It's been 8 years since he played in New York and after a couple of years I started thinking there might not be another opportunity to see him.

https://✧✧✧.tenhomaisdiscosqueami✧✧✧.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Milton-Nascimento-2022-FOT✧✧✧@marcoshermes✧✧✧.j✧✧

Well, in the photo i'm trying to post he is sporting a bald head (i guess the braids were a wig?) and an elaborately embroidered technicolor robe thing.

all for a new look if that is what he wants.

Definitely, I only brought it up because there was a period a several years back when he was only and always photographed wearing Milton Nascimento t-shirts. There was a thread about musicians wearing their own t-shirts and I mentioned him as an example of someone who had taken this to a whole other level.

Saw that other thread. Good stuff.

He seemed to have retired earlier, but this North American tour this year is now being billed as a retirement tour I think

"There was a thread about musicians wearing their own t-shirts"

Can you link please? I can't seem to find it. TIA.

That photo appears here: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/may/27/milton-nascimento-brazil-farewell-tour

Anyone else prefers Lô Borges' solo career than Milton's ?
(I've heard Milton's 1967 s/t, Milton, Geraes, I don't think I listened to Minas in its entirety. That's against Lô Borges 1972 s/t and a Via Lactea, I need to listen to Nuvem cigana)

I'd more or less agree with that based on what I've heard: a few more Miltons, the same Lôs. It did take me a while to fully embrace A Via Lactea though, and iirc I really love Geraes. Obviously, Clube is what it is because you get the best of both their approaches

Has anyone been to the Pantheon in Rome? The exterior doesn't look like much. On the outside, it's unassuming at best, if not ungainly, and this plainness makes the breathtaking monumental beauty of the rotunda all the more astonishing. The biggest surprise is a massive dome, not visible at street level, that opens to the heavens at the top and the impact of this is all the things people say about Milton Nascimento's voice- "divine", "sublime", "otherworldly". What I'm trying to say, in terms of Clube da Esquina, is that Milton is the oculus that elevates this ragtag bunch of misfits to the height of a pantheon and crowns the boy Lo Borges prince.

And people always recommend Nelson Angelo & Joyce, Arthur Verocai as companion pieces (see jaxon upthread). I absolutely love those records, don't get me wrong. Everyone should hear those records. NA&J explores a connection between the intimacy of lovers and divinity, and in that sense might scratch the same itch. But it's really more about the former. Verocai, though- that record is much more controlled and precise and very much in thrall to this idea of a recording as the "master performance" that Clube da Esquina gleefully blows raspberries in the face of. In other words it is a Masterpiece by a Genius, which is one reason Celia's "Na Boca Do Sol" trounces his own: it doesn't put the song on a pedestal. Of all the "companion" albums, Disco do Tenis highlights the looseness of Clube da Esquina's approach, the tunings are even more imprecise, and it engages with Belo Horizonte at the street level, compared to Milton's bird's-eye view.

Now, if you're going to make a case for Lo > Milton, it makes no sense whatsoever to frame it in terms of a "career". Milton's discography from 1970-76 is absolutely unimpeachable (Minas is his best album, btw), with 77-80 not far behind. With Lo there's... a confounding 7 gap in his resume between Disco do Tenis and A Via Lactea, during what surely would have been his artistic peak. And then all his albums after the debut have one or two indelible, instant sugar rush pop moments (e.g. Equatorial, Força Do Vento, Vagas Estrelas) that outshine the rest. So I would say you need the first one obviously, and otherwise I would take the Best Of, or a mixtape, over any of his albums. The songcraft gets more and more advanced, for sure. He seems to be the kind of songwriter who finds inspiration in learning music theory, but give me an oculus.

The t shirt thread is here.

Deflatormous, do you speak Portuguese? I do not and often find that lack is something of a problem when talking about BR music with people who do. Maybe in this case, (my not) being raised Catholic could also be a factor.

I'm not sure I understand your oculus metaphor, but I almost said in my earlier post that I tend to think of Clube as Milton's album with Borges more of the guest artist. I didn't post that because I don't remember much about the historical circumstances of the recording and didn't want to slight Borges without cause, but fwiw it ~feels~ that way to me, possibly due to his subsequently scant output as you mentioned.

To my memory Minas has some astonishingly beautiful parts but is a little uneven as an album? Or maybe it's just too much ravishing gorgeousness to take in one sitting or something. Or some of the fusion-y sounds didn't work for me when I first heard it. At any rate, I'm going to put it on now and figure it out.

The less entertaining take on this particular T/S would be that it's pretty wild that Clube, Borges s/t, and Minas + Geraes all exist in this fallen world.

I totally get why NA&J would be part of this convo, but I tend to turn to that album for something else, which might be what you're getting at too.

Not exactly following oculus metaphor either.

x-post to another -
Here's the thread with Nascimento wearing t-shirts with his own photo on them. I think there's another thread somewhere of musicians wearing t-shirts of musicians who they sound nothing like.

Wearing a band's t-shirt to one of their concerts: Classic or Dud?

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/48/f0/0c/48f00c43a69ea9902aae02b2c09433a5--vatican-rome-roman-holiday.jpg

incase it helps

Deflatormous, do you speak Portuguese? I do not and often find that lack is something of a problem when talking about BR music with people who do.

I tried to learn Portuguese years ago but didn't get too far. I've read most of the lyrics in translation, which I know doesn't count for much- but I will say that some artists' songs really come up when you know what the words mean (Chico Buarque, Jorge Ben) while others sorta plateau, and these guys are among those that mostly plateau. And it seems important that Milton does so many astonishing wordless vocals, and his vocalizations have that openness.

Or some of the fusion-y sounds didn't work for me when I first heard it.

It has that veneer, i never found it off putting.

I tend to think of Clube as Milton's album with Borges more of the guest artist.

this is accurate and Milton holds court to a degree but he doesn't play the control freak, it's a group of very musical friends hanging out and the informality of it is very important for me.

I totally get why NA&J would be part of this convo, but I tend to turn to that album for something else, which might be what you're getting at too.

Indeed, it's much clearer the way you said it lol

Looks like all the surviving shots of Milton on the t-shirt thread are professional portraits, fairly sure the others were much more snapshotty pics of him hangin with his pals fwiw.

Milton > Lo, but love Lo as well.

Milagres dos Peixes is all time <3 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h1l0BV4SIY

But Clube is a very collective effort btw – I don't think it would exist without the whole surrounding musicians and lyricists as well...

Agree with all that.

I wish the lineage of 12 string guitar sounds, how they're tuned and their role in a mix was derived from 'Lilia' instead of 'Ticket to Ride' or the Byrds.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C09ymoOOjHn/

Nice photo of those 2

Nice

Nascimento is name checked by all GOATS like Bacharach.

<3

somebody needs to reissue clube da esquina

I'm still early in discovering this man's music but I quite like his confusingly named Miltons from 1988, which is him on guitar and vocal, Herbie Hancock on piano. it's gentle but lively, with occasional bits that get more energy than that (a crazy Hancock solo on "San Vincente"). Haven't heard his classic 70s albums yet so I don't know how this one compares but that'll be next for me to check out

and I started with that album because of Nascimento's beautiful track with Paul Simon on Rhythm of the Saints. The two albums came out around the same time and have a similar dreamy quality

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/01/arts/music/milton-nascimento-esperanza-spalding.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Oh interesting -

“Milton + Esperanza” reimagines original Nascimento tracks; covers songs by Shorter, the Beatles and Michael Jackson; and includes new songs that Spalding said she wrote while thinking of Nascimento. The album features Simon; Guinga; the jazz singer Dianne Reeves; the singer-songwriters Lianne La Havas, Maria Gadú and Tim Bernardes; and the jazz saxophonist turned flutist Shabaka Hutchings, among others.

Glad to see some younger musicians involved with this in addition to the older folks. I thought Paul Simon had retired, but I guess not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFUhTmOSdGQ

idk man

it's a bit weird, I know. I saw sing with him before, always felt too jazzy or too high for his songs. I'm just glad to see him one more time (and it makes me sad and weird and wanting to go back to Brazil :( )

Seems like on my first listen as more a Spalding project w/ Milton as just a guest

We don't have a dedicated thread for Clube da Esquina, but this is the closest one I guess...

Lô Borges, Milton's partner in crime in creating Clube da Esquina – writing many of the songs in the record – and other great solo records, passed away, 73 years old.

https://g1.globo.com/mg/minas-gerais/noticia/2025/11/03/lo-borges-um-dos-fundadores-do-clube-da-esquina-morre-aos-73-anos-em-belo-horizonte.ghtml

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rJz-tazK4I

18 years old when he co-wrote this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ENx8PEfwkY

oh no, RIP, what a treasure those records are

RIP, haven't heard much of his work but Clube da Esquina is a wonderful album

His first solo self-titled album is a gem, and iirc it's less than 30 minutes long

oh no, i’d heard last week he was hospitalized but that things were looking up, though he'd had to cancel a show.
i have all his solo albums i think except the most recent one. the first one is the one you really need but all have at least one or two pop gems like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQrx2Emuxyw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbwCoT_FV-g

:-(

RIP

I listen to that first solo record a ton, RIP

well lo borges is dead.

everyone is devasted.

tavinho moura posted this pic

https://i.imgur.com/YqO3Rv9.jpeg

two heros for me

Sad times. The rest of his career was also good, but what always stood out to me was how great his songs sounded next to Milton's on that first Clube da Esquina record, even as a much younger songwriter. No easy feat.

Also, very weird to see more and more people from that generation go. I grew up in Belo Horizonte - my dad is good friends with Fernando Brant's brother. I'm not talking about the general weirdness of impermanence and death. Obviously I've known people who have had accidents, people who have died of old age, but seeing this happen to my grandparent's generation didn't feel the same way, maybe because their cultural moment had passed before I was even born. But up until now I didn't know a world where Lô Borge's music wasn't a living thing.

tavinho moura posted this pic

On a side note, I always liked the Tavinho songs I knew, but a few months ago I listened to "Boi é Gente" for the first time, and it really got to me. Great song. I don't think the lyrics are his, but they are really striking.

personally speaking, tavinho is my favorite musician of that entire generation

since we’re talking about gems, here’s one — an absolute banger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvx5Ea8CuQo

guess im gonna hear clube da esquina for weeks..

in case anyones interested i made this top 10 Lo Borges list yesterday — no particular order:

Paisagem na Janela
Aos Barões
Vento de Maio
Ela
Sempre Viva
Eu Sou Como Você É
A Força do Vento
Uma Canção
Clube da Esquina No. 2
Cais

wanted to add about 15 more

since we’re talking about gems, here’s one — an absolute banger

It's a great song!

How do you feel about Tadeu Franco? He only came along in the 80s, but I think he counts as Clube da Esquina-adjacent. I still listen to Cativante every now and then - "Nós Dois" is great, and imho his rendition of "Arrumação" is the definitive one.

"Vento de Maio" chokes me up every time. I adore the entire " A Via Lactea" album. Rest In Peace.

xpost

to be honest, i didnt know it. I listened to Cativante here — interesting. Not really my thing, but i actually liked Arrumação a lot. ill listen to it a few more times. thanks for the tip

Artists/albums that remind me of Clube da Esquina and that I’m somewhat fond of are Flaviola e o Bando do Sol (1976, self-titled) and Naire (1964, self-titled). both are not from Minas Gerais

Lô’s thing, for me, is the melodies and harmonies — that’s what these guys are missing. hes a complete craftsman.

Naire s/t is from 1974 my bad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PWyN8hQx9s

i love this one. reminds me of my childhood, playing football in brazil

tavinho has many more well-known songs, both his own and cover versions but this one is just unfair. I feel it in my soul.

"eu queria voltar a jogar com o pessoal / todo mundo foi crescendo foi virando gente séria / e a cidade cresceu com os carros se casou / suas ruas asfaltou as montanhas derrubou / só me resta lamentar e xingar / o juiz roubou, roubou, roubou, roubou"

^ It's such an interesting chord progression/melody. Also, the city getting married to cars is such a bittersweet turn of phrase, especially coming after "todo mundo foi crescendo, foi virando gente séria". I say this less in an old-fashioned "I hate my spouse" jokey way, and more in a queer/feminist/family abolitionist way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y690OmKG66w

i just keep listening to this and crying bc so many people in the audience are singing the words to some of my favorite songs and it feels good to know that we are feeling the same things

i mean esp estrelas/clube da esquina no 2

Gorgeous - thanks for sharing m bison.

Yup, really nice

would also recommend this series from canal brasil:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8pPh29J2ug

which features milton and lô together on "o trem azul":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bTnRAUBmKg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXo7v7t5vOc

god he is such a beautiful singer

Keep watching that take on Maria, Maria. Somehow even more beautiful with the scat singing