We almost never post Tiny Desk (home) concerts anymore. But to have the glorious Brazilian musical icon Milton Nascimento with his gifted friend and collaborator, esperanza spalding, be an exception is perhaps the opportunity of a lifetime. Nascimento is 81 years old now and has difficulty traveling out of Brazil.
It’s hard to explain the gravity of Nascimento’s career and his significant influence on all genres of music. Performing for more than 60 years, the singer, musician and songwriter’s discography includes more than 40 albums. In his prime, his rich voice spanned many octaves. While his vocal quality might not be as strong now, there is an intangible essence that fills the void. “What’s so amazing is the quantum resonance of this elder’s life and you can’t make that sound,” spalding told WRTI’s Nate Chinen last month. “It’s not a sound, it’s a lived thing that does travel on the frequencies, obviously, but we don’t even have the words to describe what we’re actually picking up.”
In 2022, Nascimento was on his farewell tour, but in 2023, he put his retirement on hold after deciding to collaborate with spalding on their upcoming album, Milton + esperanza. Songs from that record are featured in this magical (home) concert. Recorded last month in Nascimento’s living room in Rio de Janeiro, it’s likely to be the only video performance of this music.
The songs here are gentle, lush and filled with passion. The beautiful harmonies and syncopated rhythms combine with spalding’s acrobatic bass lines to give the music a playful, dance-like feel. But what really stands out in this performance is the deep friendship, admiration and love Nascimento and spalding hold for one another.
SET LIST
- Milton Nascimento: “Cais”
- Milton Nascimento: “Outubro”
- Guinga, Paulo César Pinheiro: “Saci (feat. Guinga)”
- Milton Nascimento, Fernando Brant: “Saudade Dos Aviões Da Panair (Conversando No Bar) (feat. Maria Gadú)”
- Wayne Shorter, Edgy Lee: “When You Dream (feat. Maria Gadú)”
MUSICIANS
- Milton Nascimento: vocals
- esperanza spalding: vocals, arrangements, bass
- Maria Gadú: vocals
- Guinga: acoustic guitar
- Leo Genovese: piano, synth
- Dedê Silva: drums
- Ronaldo Silva: percussion
- Shabaka Hutchings: flute
- Filipe Coimbra: electric guitar
- Lula Galvão: acoustic guitar
CREDITS
DIRECTION/PRODUCTION
- Music Director & Executive Artistic Director: esperanza spalding
- Film Director: Matheus Senra
- Senior Project Manager: Nathalia Borghi
- Executive Producer – Milton Nascimento: Augusto Nascimento
- Executive Producer – esperanza spalding: Héloïse Darcq
- Executive Producer: Fernanda Malta
- Production Manager: Roberta Guedes
- Production Coordinator: Erika Freddo
- Producer: Renata Amaral
CAMERA CREW
- DOP: André Hawk
- Camera Operator: Gabriel Zambrone
- Camera Operator: Marcio Nunes
- Camera Operator / Gaffer: Rodrigo Ocampo
- Logger / Assistant Camera: Camila Baggio
- Assistant Electrician / Assistant Camera: Guilherme O’Doro
- Video Assistant / Assistant Camera: Beatriz Salgado
ART DEPARTMENT
- Art Director: Nathalia Siqueira
- Art Assistant: Fernanda Sierra
AUDIO CREW
- Audio Technical Director: Aurélio Kauffmann
- Audio Technical Producer: Jimmy Junior
- Recording Engineer: Ronaldo Lima
- Audio – Roadie: França Babilônia
- Backline Equipment: Star no Palco Backline
MISCELLANEOUS
- Teleprompter Operator: Danilo Nuha
- Special Thanks: Raphael Pulga, Concord Records Team, Jason Linder, Universal Records Brazil, Paul Kremen, Fernanda Mesa, Janice Mascarenhas, Wes Rodrigues, Nat Rosa, Lutera Thabisa
POST PRODUCTION
- Editor: Juliana Neves
- Color Correction: Bernardo Neder
- Sound Mix: Arthur Luna, William Luna Junior e Luciano Scalercio
- Mastering: Arthur Luna
- Mastering Assistant: Enzo Menegazzi
- Mastering Assistant: Raphael Rui Castro
- Translation and Subtitling: All Dub Estudio
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Video Producer: Maia Stern
- Audio Mastering: Josephine Nyounai
- Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
- Tiny Production Team: Hazel Cills, Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Ashley Pointer
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
- VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Copyright 2024 NPR
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