🎷 AotW: CTI Milton Nascimento - COURAGE (SP-3019)

All the CTI releases

How Would You Rate This Album?

  • ***** (Best)

    Votes: 5 38.5%
  • ****

    Votes: 3 23.1%
  • ***

    Votes: 2 15.4%
  • **

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • * (Worst)

    Votes: 1 7.7%
  • Never Heard This Album

    Votes: 2 15.4%

  • Total voters
    13
I have a lot of problems with this album. Milton's vocal style just doesn't work for me. Like Dave, I'm more accustomed to the jazz vein of Jobim/Wanderley/Tamba 4 that has deep roots in a classical tradition. Nascimento goes for that truly indigenous quality that doesn't always seem to mesh well with the lush instrumentals. Also, I'm not really gone on Deodato as an arranger. The organ he uses here sounds almost like a church pipe organ (must be using the right drawbars and reverb on a Hammond), which is a little kooky for these types of songs. On the whole, only about three tracks are worth repeat listening. 3 stars - generously.
 
I kind of like this album. It's not Milton's best by any means, but there's plenty to enjoy here. My favorite tunes include "Vera Cruz", "Tres Pontas", "Gira Girou", "Catavento" and "Cançao Do Sol ". Yes, sometimes the strings get irritating, especially on "Bridges", but other times they can compliment the music. But overall this is some pleasant music. 3 & 1/2 stars.



Capt. Bacardi
 
Dave said:
...Though, now I'm pretty curious about "Cançao Do Sol" (--The 'Saltworkers Song')... --Guess I really shouldn't have 'taken it with a grain of salt' and I wish I hadn't 'given this the slip'...! :sad:


Bossa Rio did this song on their debut A&M album.



Capt. Bacardi
 
Milton Nascimento is another A&M artist I like. Unfortunately, I don't have the album what you're talking about on this thread!
 
I went through a big Milton phase in the 80s after falling in love with the Wayne Shorter album NATIVE DANCER, on which he is prominently featured. This may not be a perfect album, but I love it - it's very representative of the period in Brazilian pop, and contains very pure straightforward renditions of these wonderfully melodic songs, some nice, some just short of magnificent (even though I don't like the flow of this arrangement of "Bridges", it's his finest song).
 
A&Mguyfromwayback said:
I went through a big Milton phase in the 80s after falling in love with the Wayne Shorter album NATIVE DANCER, on which he is prominently featured. This may not be a perfect album, but I love it - it's very representative of the period in Brazilian pop, and contains very pure straightforward renditions of these wonderfully melodic songs, some nice, some just short of magnificent (even though I don't like the flow of this arrangement of "Bridges", it's his finest song).

Did you ever get George Duke's "Brazilian Love Affair"? The original album had Nascimento on the final track, but the CD adds a bonus track where he does the vocals also. Fantastic album by Duke! Most of the cast are a few of the regulars in his band, and musicians/vocalists from Brazil (Airto, Flora Purim, etc.).

Encontros e Despedidas was an album of Milton's that I like. I think I also have Yuarete ("jaguar"?) and Txai in my collection as well. Been awhile since I listened, though.
 
Yeah - Most of Milton's recent work (last 10-15 years) has not done it for me; but I've always heard good things about the George Duke album...
 
A&Mguyfromwayback said:
Yeah - Most of Milton's recent work (last 10-15 years) has not done it for me; but I've always heard good things about the George Duke album...

Don't know if George Duke is your thing, but after his massive success with "Reach For It", he convinced Epic to let him record an album he wanted to record. I thought the title track was the neatest song I heard on the radio way back when it came out. After I got the album, some of it really reminded me of Brasil '66.

Did you ever hear anything by Djavan? I only ended up buying two of his albums--the first was a US combination of his two albums from Brazil, Lilas and Luz. Then I have the album that followed it, Bird Of Paradise, which features him doing a song in English with lyrics by Michael Franks. The overall impression I had (a favorable one) was that he had a similar voice to Milton, but was more "accessible".

Another Brazilian project around the same time period that I liked, believe it or not, was Manhattan Transfer's Brasil, since they covered songs by both Milton and Djavan, among others. I believe Djavan appears as a guest on "Capim". The clever lyrics are all in English, written by a very unlikely lyricist: Doug Fieger, the ex-frontman of The Knack. I think I played this one more than Vocalese!
 
Yeah the George Duke Brazilian Live Affair is stunner in all aspects. Absolute classic which I have been frequently listened to since it came out in 1979! The first title song is a bit disco (but great) and the rest is more brazil-oriented. Swings and grooves like mad some of these songs!!
The japan CD-edition has a bonus track also.
/Shaft
 
Excellent songwriter; charismatic singer. As usual, I can do without the 101 Strings... All of Milton's 1960s LPs are strong.
 
Picked this one up in 1969 at age 13 purely because it was on CTi...love it...especially "Bridges".

---Michael Hagerty
 
Yeah, this is one beautiful album --- the arrangements by Deodato are gorgeous. Name me ANY album with 10 more stunning melodies than this one . Milton's earliest , and best , tunes. Many of these were covered by Paul Desmond / Don Sebesky on "From the Hot Afternoon", and convincingly. "Bridges" may be the most haunting tune I have ever heard, with a stunning lyric to match. A tune not easily forgotten. I first heard it when I was 17 years old, and it still gives me chills all these years later.
 
Yeah, this is a good album that could've been great were it not for the strings (love the 101 Strings reference! :D ). The songwriting is solid and Milton's vocals are powerful. This was his first American album, incidentally. Not a bad start at all.



Capt. Bacardi
 
Believe me , 101 Strings would NEVER be doing these tunes. Again, I think the arrangements are entirely appropriate and tastefully done by Deodato. They definitely ADD and don't detract from the songs.
 
I LOVE the strings! Wouldn't be the same without 'em. And incidentally, the reference to 101 Strings is petty and juvenile. I'm very surprised it appeared on this site. Their founder, David Miller was a record label mogul, much like Herb Alpert. In fact, there are several parallels the two shared. Each built a record company empire, then sold it for a fortune. As well, each is partially responsible for helping create and launch music genres which took off and expanded with different artists and are now firmly etched in popular culture (and record collecting!).
 
So I over-counted by 76 strings... Big deal. (It's actually more like 25 Strings.)

In any event, please explain why my 101 Strings reference is "petty and juvenile". I merely made a statement of observation: I can do without the 101 Strings. Show me the pettiness; the juvenility. Critically speaking, my statement doesn't contain a nuance of rancor. That said, the string arrangements are very good - if you like that sort of thing. (Imagine the results had Dave “sledghammer” Grusin scored the date – or, better yet, don’t!)

These are Milton’s LPs, 1967-70, that I have – all are gems:

Travessia [‘67] – This may be his debute; it shares at least 7 of the same selections that are on Courage. Arrangements (orchestral and combo) by certified Brazilian genius, Luiz Eca.

Milton Nascimento [‘69]

Milton [‘70]

Of course, don’t forget his 6 selections on Paul Desmond’s From The Hot Afternoon ['69].

(Oh, yeah - thanks for 101 Strings primer. I defer to your apparent veneration and reverence of said ensemble; and, resultantly, stand fully in awe of their countless pop masterpieces. Indeed, 101 Strings is doubtlessly responsible for album-after-album of trend-setting, exceptionally significant LPs representative of the highest pop art – for which the ensemble has surely transformed Western pop music as we know it. 101 Strings LPs are surely of historic importance the likes of which Duke Ellington, The Beatles, Miles Davis, and Bob Dylan failed to achieve.)
 
Please! Let's knock off the 101/Living slams... Sure soe DO suck, but I have a great love & affinity for 101 (insert ame of instrument here) or Living (insert ame of instrument here).

Sure, they're embedded in the period of transition between pop arrangements and the erea of the "singer/songwriter" -- so what? they serve their purpose! I'll play a Beatles/Dylan/Ochs (Singer/Songwriter) tune and immediatly follown with a TJB cover/Living Strings/ Mancini LP. So what! I love the music and that's all that matters to me.

--Mr Bill
(All hail the arranger!)
 
I'm thinking of checking out "The Hollyridge Strings". I've heard good things about them; lots of Beatles covers and such.

Mike
 
You can't leave out Milton's absolute masterpiece from 1972 --- Clube da Esquina -- available now on Blue Note ---- For my money one of the greatest pop albums EVER --- yeah, you read right --- EVER-----
 
Yeah, Seashore, I hear you. SO many people just tune out string arrangements it's not even funny. Deodato outdid himself on these charts -- they are gorgeous. And they fit perfectly with Milton's innocent-sounding vocals. Gotta LISTEN, guys.
 
seashorepiano said:
If I had access to the A&M/CTi tapes, I would remix and listen only to the strings. Seriously.
I'd like to hear that, as well.

Actually, I like the idea of the strings w/o the combo -- just floating around the soloist with no backbeats or traditional comping. Unfortunately, most "...with strings" dates tend to either have the strings playing blah whole-note voicings, or very painfully trying to "jazz it up" -- embarassingly so (as only a formally schooled player, who knows nothing of jazz or improvisation, could dish it out!) -- to where it gets a very stiff KA-THUNK KA-THUNK KA-THUNK shuffle beat. Joe Zawinul and Ken McIntyre both released progressive string-only dates in the 1960s that are decent. If I correctly recall, I believe some of the day's critics referred to such outings as "third stream jazz".

Still, it'd be an interesting listen to hear, say, Wes playing A Day in the Life with just the strings and no combo. I'd totally be up for that!
 
Required listening for EVERYBODY ---- "Focus" on Verve by Stan Getz -- compositions and arrangements by Eddie Sauter --- just strings -- no rhythm section -------
 
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