Milton Nascimento & The Jobim Trio - 20/11/08 RFH, LJF
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Milton Nascimento is a true great of modern Brazilian music. An iconic singer, his unique voice is matched by exultant songs that betray the influence of the Beatles as much as samba or MPB. Playing alongside Brazilian musical royalty in the form of the Jobim Trio, including the son and grandson of Antonio Carlos Jobim, the concert proved to be one of the highlights of the festival.
Following an obligatory rendition of 'The Girl from Ipanema' to begin, the Trio raced through a series of Bossa standards, lapped up by an appreciative audience. Daniel Jobim sang from the piano, breathing life into each syllable with his American scuffed accent. Of particular note was the ever beautiful 'Waters of March', for which he chose to sing the song’s English lyrics; perhaps with rather less difficulty than was suggested.
After a short while, Nascimento ambled onto the stage dressed in a pair of slack leather trousers and sunglasses, trademark dreadlocks brushing the sides of his face. Quickly endearing himself to the audience, whether by veering into a skit about coca-cola or recounting the travels of his guitar, Nascimento clearly understands the importance of building this rapport. But it is through his extraordinary vocal range that he communicates best, possessing the ability to compress a spectrum of emotion into a matter of minutes.
Having paid tribute to another godfather of Bossa, the Brazilian poet Vinicius de Moraes, the band launched into a composition by Daniel Jobim entitled 'Dias Azuis' or, 'Blue Days'. Here Nascimento came into his own, carving ethereal notes with a voice that could be mistaken for the strings of a harp. A selection of songs from his early album Clube da Esquina, including the uplifting 'Cravo E Canela' completed an evening rich with a love for music and life.
Review – David Winks
After a short while, Nascimento ambled onto the stage dressed in a pair of slack leather trousers and sunglasses, trademark dreadlocks brushing the sides of his face. Quickly endearing himself to the audience, whether by veering into a skit about coca-cola or recounting the travels of his guitar, Nascimento clearly understands the importance of building this rapport. But it is through his extraordinary vocal range that he communicates best, possessing the ability to compress a spectrum of emotion into a matter of minutes.
Having paid tribute to another godfather of Bossa, the Brazilian poet Vinicius de Moraes, the band launched into a composition by Daniel Jobim entitled 'Dias Azuis' or, 'Blue Days'. Here Nascimento came into his own, carving ethereal notes with a voice that could be mistaken for the strings of a harp. A selection of songs from his early album Clube da Esquina, including the uplifting 'Cravo E Canela' completed an evening rich with a love for music and life.
Review – David Winks